Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni commented on the team’s win and Lionel Messi.

Lionel Scaloni saw his team win 3-0 vs. Bolivia at the altitude of La Paz without the best player in the world. Scaloni spoke at a press conference after the win. Here’s what he had to say:

“We are happy. The formula are the players that played well. There is a group which plays football very well. Without them it would be impossible. It is their merit.

“The main talk was that we play football, that it could be played. With the added difficulty, that the ball goes faster, the lack of air… If we were able to move the ball to the man and not to the space, we would be able to score a goal.”

The Argentina national team coach also spoke about Lionel Messi not playing in the match:

“Leo was not ready to play. He tried to recover yesterday but he didn’t feel comfortable and we didn’t risk it. It wasn’t important because there are important things coming.”

Ángel Di María spoke about being the Argentina captain and the win vs. Bolivia.

Di María was the captain for Argentina during their 3-0 win vs. Bolivia as Lionel Messi was rested and did not take part in the game. The World Cup champion gave two assists in the win and spoke to TyC Sports about what it was like to be the captain. Here is what he had to say:

“The truth is that it was something very nice. Emotional. It was much more the other day when Leo put the captain’s armband because being given to you by the best player in the world is something unique.

“For the best player in the world to put the captain’s armband on you is something you cannot explain and I am very proud. We didn’t talk about it because we didn’t know if he was going to play or not, it depended on how he was. He tried until the last day but he was in discomfort and it was better not to risk it.”

He also commented on the win:

“We played a perfect game, we did not make any mistakes, they did not score a goal, we worked just like we had prepared and every time we scored, it was important.

“You feel it but it’s more psychological, nothing more. I am very happy, the team deserved a win like that and they didn’t score on Dibu (Emiliano Martinez), which was important.

“This has just started, these were two games and we knew it was important to get the six points for what is to come, which are difficult games. There was a lot of talk this week. But it is impossible for people from other countries not to love Argentina because it has the best in history and that is something unmatched.”

Alejandro Garnacho is now fully tied to the Argentina national team.

Garnacho was born in Spain but per the FIFA rules, once a player under the age of 21 plays three matches with a national team, he is tied to that team. The 19 year old came on as a substitute for Nicolás González in Argentina’s 3-0 win vs. Bolivia in the World Cup qualifiers.

The winger played his first match with the Argentina national team against Australia and his second against Indonesia, both matches in June.

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni has announced his starting eleven and Lionel Messi does not make the bench.

Lionel Messi does not start and is not on the bench for Argentina for their World Cup qualifying match vs. Bolivia. Ángel Di María starts and Ángel Correa will wear the number 10 shirt. Here is the starting eleven:

Emiliano Martínez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Enzo, Mac Allister; Di María, Julián Álvarez, Nicolás González