Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni spoke about Argentina’s match against Egypt at the World Cup.
Lionel Scaloni spoke at a press conference where he commented on people wanting Argentina to lose and also about the match against Egypt. Speaking at the press conference, here is what he had to say:
“To me, it seemed like an incredible demonstration. Everyone I’ve spoken to has left that enormous emotion.
“I place the match against Egypt at the top. I don’t know if first, second or third in terms of feelings, of emotionality. I’m not even talking about titles and all that, which I mentioned before.
“There are times when titles are important but there are times when these things are… I don’t know what you’ve all experienced but to me, it felt like an incredible demonstration. And that’s how I felt it.
“I mean it seemed like something… I won’t say out of the ordinary because similar things ahve been een in football but in a World Cup, in a context where with 10, 12 or 15 minutes left, down 2-0, one tends to throw in the towel, it gave me an incredible feeling.
“That’s why I said it. What a group. Because the truth is it wasn’t just the eleven, it was those who came on, those who are on the outside.
“I don’t know what place to put it in because you don’t need to win something to experience that. But it’s at the top.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to has felt that, has felt enormous emotionality. Beyond Leo’s situation, which we know is his last World Cup or seems like it might be his last World Cup. All that adds to making it even more emotional but even so, it was incredible.”
IMHO, we need to approach Switzerland with a “defend first, dominate later” mindset.
The priority should be to establish control, stay compact, and deny them space early on. Once the game settles into our rhythm, Messi can do what he does best—unlock defences and bring our attack to life.
We simply cannot afford another Egypt-like performance. Switzerland are a level above. They are physically stronger, taller, quicker in transition, and their wingers have been excellent throughout the tournament.
Colombia showed the blueprint: disciplined defensive shape, aggressive pressing at the right moments, and denying Switzerland the opportunity to build momentum.
Against a team like Switzerland, emotion alone won’t be enough. We need composure, tactical discipline, and concentration from the first whistle. If we want to control the game instead of chasing it, we have to earn that control from the word “Go.”