Argentina National Team coach Jorge SAMPAOLI held a press conference ahead of his team’s match against Singapore on Tuesday.
With Lionel MESSI not playing and SAMPAOLI going with fresh faces for the match against Singapore, Lucas BIGLIA has been named captain. SAMPAOLI also spoke about a number of topics. The coach commented on Mauro ICARDI, the goalkeepers and more. Here’s what he had to say:
Jorge SAMPAOLI on the match against Singapore:
“We’re going to go for it from the start of the match, the way we always will. We’ll need that for the four World Cup Qualifying matches, not just for tomorrow. The team is well, we’re still in the preparation stage after a complicated match on Friday against Brazil. We’re convinced that we’ll win.”
Jorge SAMPAOLI on the goalkeeping situation:
“The decision to play GUZMAN is to have the possibility of seeing him in action, of communicating with the back line. ROMERO has been working very well and this will give us the chance to see GUZMAN, beyond just his good performances for his club. One can’t say who will be the starting goalkeeper for the WOrld Cup Qualifiers. They’re all very good. Looking forward, it’s going to be tough to decide who starts on the pitch and not just the goalkeepers.”
Jorge SAMPAOLI on Mauro ICARDI:
“We’ve had a lot of doubts about Mauro’s participation but we are excited about him having the chance to play a match. Not just for what he can bring from an individual point of view but for the group. Even though he couldn’t play, him staying with us has given us the chance to speak with him, for him to know what we need from him. This contribution of his speaks very well of how much of a professional he is, knowing very well that he probably wouldn’t be able to play, he could have been enjoying his vacation.”
The match is at 8:00am Eastern (New York), 1:00pm in the UK on Tuesday.