The surprising formation that Scaloni stopped for the friendly between Argentina and Honduras

The Argentine national team carried out his last tactical work ahead of the game against Honduras in Miami, this Friday from 9:00 p.m. Lionel Scaloni surprised with the scheme that planted and tested a system that has not been used for more than three years. Accustomed to planting a line of four in the background, this Thursday Pujato’s strategist struck and it will be necessary to see if this practice will be reflected in the list with the headlines, or was it just a test in case at some point he must change during the World Cup in Qatar.

This Friday’s game with the Central American cast and the one that will follow on Tuesday against Jamaicaalso in the United States, are the last tests before the World Cup that will start on November 20 and two days later the Albiceleste will debut against Saudi Arabia. Scaloni knows that after this window he will not have the group again until the days before the maximum appointment in the Middle East, a period in which he will be tested against the United Arab Emirates, as a last test.

That is why the technical director and his assistants know that this is the time to try variations, be it in training or a match, like the one the team will face in North America. It was thus that Scaloni wanted to test a line of three defenders, with two lanes, three midfielders and two forwards. A 3-5-2 or 5-3-2. However, the coach has not yet defined what scheme he will take to the field of play Hard Rock Stadium.

After the defeat (3-1) against Venezuela in March 2019 in the Metropolitan Wanda Stadium, Scaloni rejected to return to use the line of three in the background. Already in the Copa América that year held in Brazil he used the scheme with four defenders and the team began to settle down and finished third in the competition. At the end of 2020, after the restart of activity in the middle of the pandemic, the Qualifiers started off on the right foot and the system was repeated in the 2021 Copa América. It brought good results again and was captured with the first title at the senior level in 28 years. and beating Brazil in the final, at the mythical Maracana.

However, the flame of the line of three was always on for Scaloni. In those training sessions under the strict sanitary bubble on the Ezeiza property, he tried that variant, but he did not overturn it in the meetings. However, in a World Cup anything can happen. An injury, an expulsion or unexpected variants that change the schedule can lead to a modification in the course of the same game.

Beyond conjecture and a work plan, the truth is that Scaloni surprised everyone in training and came out of 4-3-3. in the bow Emiliano Martinez. Germain Pezzella, Lysandro Martinez and Facundo Medina they integrated the line of three in the background. Gonzalo Montiel he was as a right lane and on the other band he was Nicholas Tagliafico. In the middle of the court they stopped Rodrigo DePaul, Leandro Paredes and Giovani Lo Celso. And on offense Lionel Messi Accompanied by Joaquin Correa.

Scaloni spoke at the press conference about a possible scheme change

Although this was just a test and it will be necessary to see if he convinced him or if he only uses it at some point in the game. Perhaps it is to know that the players, if necessary, can suddenly accommodate themselves to that drawing. Should you want to use the 4-3-3, which led to a unbeaten in 33 matchesthe other starting eleven could be: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Lysandro Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi and Nicolas Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes and Giovani Lo Celso or Enzo Fernandez; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez or Joaquin Correa.

It should be remembered that Marcos Acuna and Giovani Lo Celso they carry physical discomfort and that is why Tagliafico appears as the headline. Also in this preview there was speculation about the possible debut as the holder of Enzo Fernández (of great presence at Benfica) instead of the former Rosario Central, whom they would continue testing to see if he arrives in conditions.

“This team always plays the same way. In these games we will try to do something different to practice it in case we have to apply it in the World Cup. If there are doubts, they are not based on performance, but on what can help me in Qatar. But in a month everything can change. Player returns may vary. Today we think about having two very good games”, Scaloni stated at the press conference. Perhaps it was notice of the “laboratory” that he intends to do in this mini tour of the United States and with the World Cup in Qatar just around the corner.

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