Lucas ALARIO has been called-up to the Argentina National Team.
With Javier MASCHERANO and Gonzalo HIGUAIN both getting yellow cards and suspended for Argentina’s match against Bolivia on Tuesday, Argentina National Team coach Edgardo BAUZA has called-up forward Lucas ALARIO. BAUZA stated in his press conference following Argentina’s 1-0 victory against Chile that they were speaking with River Plate coach Marcelo GALLARDO regarding the call-up. Per several reports from Argentina, ALARIO has now been called-up to the team.
Names being mentioned:
Three other names are rumored to get a call. Ivan MARCONE of Lanus, Jonatan MAIDANA of River Plate and Marias CARUZZO of San Lorenzo are currently being mentioned as possible names to join the team.
Edgardo BAUZA spoke about the match and stated that there would be players called-up due to suspensions and injuries. Javier MASCHERANO and Gonzalo HIGUAIN are both suspended for Tuesday’s match against Bolivia. Here’s what BAUZA had to say:
The match:
“If I had to rate this game, I’d give it a ten. We won and got a great result. I am extremely happy that we won. The match came out as we imagined. I was proud to see the fight the team showed. I liked everything the team did today. We played brilliantly.”
Lucas ALARIO:
“We are looking to call up ALARIO. We are contacting GALLARDO and River right now. We are calling up ALARIO. There are two more players we will be calling up by tomorrow.”
The team:
“We are playing well. I don’t think that we are Messidependent. Winning is the most important thing. How you play is secondary. People can say what they think. After we scored, the game was over.”
Lionel MESSI scored the only goal of the match as Argentina picked up a 1-0 victory.
It wasn’t pretty to watch. If anything, it was a disaster but the team won and they won ugly. Argentina managed to win through a Lionel MESSI penalty kick goal and that was about it.
A very unbalanced team which saw Lionel MESSI being the best player on the pitch in the first half for his side. Winning the ball back in his own half, delivering pin point crosses, beating players and scoring the penalty. If Argentina were to do anything in the first 45 minutes (or even the entire 90 for that matter) it was going to be through the captain.
Argentina’s only other chance of the half came when Nicolas OTAMENDI nearly (and should have) scored late in the first half. A Lionel MESSI free kick into the area found OTAMENDI about 3 yards in front of goal but his shot went over the crossbar.
The second half saw Chile on the ball pressing and coming close several times, including an Alexis SANCHEZ free kick which hit the crossbar and another which saw Sergio ROMERO pull off a goal line save. The second half was not very kind to Edgardo BAUZA as he was forced into making two substitutions.
Mateo MUSACCHIO came on for Emmanuel MAS at half time which meant Marcos ROJO slotted in at left back with MUASCCHIO beside Nicolas OTAMENDI. Argentina coach Edgardo BAUZA made a second substitution bringing on Ever BANEGA for Sergio AGUERO. Gabriel MERCADO (who had a solid match and looked threatening when moving forward) had to be substituted off on a stretcher with Facundo RONAGLIA coming on.
Argentina kept dropping back and Chile applied pressure as the match went on but were unable to find a goal.
Suspensions:
Both Javier MASCHERANO and Gonzalo HIGUAIN picked up yellow cards which means they are both out for Argentina’s match on Tuesday against Bolivia.
The win means Argentina are now in third place in the South American standings, one point behind second place Uruguay.
Argentina are currently in third place in the South American standings.
Argentina host Chile in South America’s CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers in Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 23, 2017 at the Monumental.
The Albiceleste won the first encounter in Santiago, Chile in 2016 but a lot has happened since that last match. A 2-1 win with goals from Gabriel MERCADO and Angel DI MARIA ensured Gerardo “Tata” MARTINO’s men picked up the vital three points. However, both teams have faced each other twice since that night in Santiago. The first was in the group stages of the 2016 Copa America and once more, Argentina picked up the victory with the same score line. Angel DI MARIA was on the score sheet with Ever BANEGA adding the second.
However, Chile got their revenge when it mattered most in what is now an infamous match for Argentina. At the final of that very same tournament, the match was score less and it went to penalty kicks and with both Lionel MESSI and Lucas BIGLIA missing, Chile lifted their second consecutive Copa America in less than a year.
