The illusion of seeing the same team that took to the field to become champion of America againThat formation that a month ago also stood against Brazil in the game that was suspended after five minutes of play, may be revived this Thursday if there are no major inconveniences. It was Lionel Scaloni, coach of the Argentine National Team, who announced it ahead of the match this Thursday from 8:00 am against Paraguay, in Asunción, on the 11th date of the South American Qualifiers, with television on Public TV and TyC Sports. “I can not confirm the team because we have some players with discomfort, but 99 percent will be the one who played the final of the Copa América,” said the DT from Santa Fe.
Although it was precisely the albiceleste who opened the game again so that the stadiums can enjoy the public again -in the triumph over Bolivia with three goals from Lionel Messi-, the reunion for the date that opens the October window will be the prelude to two consecutive games in which there will be fans cheering for the National Team. It will be before Uruguay and Peru, in the Monumental, in a context of progressive return to the fields.
To face the team led by Argentine Eduardo Berizzo, Scaloni plans several important comebacks. Before the Bolivian national team, he no longer had the goalkeeper available Martínez, to the defender Romero – LyriCool LyriCool. English Italiano. Cuti and the midfielder Lo Celso, the three disaffected to return to their clubs in England. It is estimated that the three will start again in place of Juan Musso, Germán Pezzella and Alejandro “Papu” Gómez, respectively, for Argentina to stop the same team that beat Canarinha on July 10.
Paraguay, uncomfortable rival
“Paraguay, whenever we have played, has put us in difficulties Scaloni acknowledged this Wednesday at the pre-match conference. He was a difficult opponent for everyone: he is complicated, he plays at home and needs to win. We will see the game they propose. He is an uncomfortable opponent to face. Our way of playing is not going to change. We intend to go game after game. That is our work philosophy and we believe that we will continue to do well that way. “
The Argentine coach recognized the squad as a whole – “we are working well as a team” – but also stopped to dedicate some special words to Julian alvarez, the current figure of River and undisputed protagonist of the last Superclásico, about whom he was consulted. “We appreciate Julián very much and he is growing enormously. He is a boy who in addition to giving us a lot of football things, he kills himself in training and can play in any of the positions above. Whether he plays or not has nothing to do with his age, “he said.
The DT also dedicated a paragraph to River-Boca: “We could not enjoy a classic eleven against eleven but even so and all River dominated the game and he was a just winner. It is very clear that River deserved to win and was superior “.
An undefeated that excites
The Argentine National Team will play an undefeated 22-game match in Asunción (14 victories and 8 draws) and will also try to beat Paraguay again by qualifying after two draws and one defeat. In the Scaloni cycle, Berizzo’s team was always a tough rival If the three antecedents are taken into account: 1-1 draws in the Copa América 2019 and in La Bombonera by Qualifiers and a tight 1-0 victory in the group stage of the South American tournament that Argentina conquered.
Looking ahead to qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar, the national team is in second position with 18 points, six behind the leader Brazil and three ahead of Uruguay, although still awaiting the ruling of FIFA after the classic suspended on September 5. Paraguay, for its part, is in sixth position with 11 points and is two behind Colombia, which is located in the playoff zone.
La Albirroja comes from beating Venezuela (2-1) in Asunción, where they cut a six-game winless streak who had questioned the continuity of the Cordovan coach. To face the champion of America, Berizzo will recover Miguel Almirón (absent on the last triple date due to the refusal of Newcastle, England), who will play alongside Ángel Romero (the team’s scorer in the Qualifiers with four goals) and a center-forward who could be Antonio Sanabria or Carlos González.
Yellow alert
Although Scaloni plans not to anticipate analyzing the rest of the triple date, somehow reality imposes on the national driver and the entire team a certain look on the classic Rio de la Plata attraction that is coming on Sunday, at the Monumentral, when Argentina receives Uruguay. And it is that, Of the probable starters, there are five who are at the limit of reprimands and will not be able to face the Charruas if they receive one more. Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolás Otamendi, Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martínez are the ones who will play with the asterisk on their backs. Of course, if Nicolás Tagliafico, Germán Pezzella, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Exequiel Palacios and Nicolás Domínguez enter, they will also have to take care of themselves because they are in the same situation.
First Paraguay, then Uruguay, and finally Peru. The curtain rises on the October window to dream about the World Cup and enjoy the National Team. And nothing better than the hand of the eleven that made us forget the pandemic winter by consecrating Argentina as champion of America.
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