On July 20, 1902, Argentina thrashed 6-0 Uruguay in Paso Molino, Montevideo. That, after all, was the first edition of the Rio de la Plata classic that tonight, starting at 9 p.m., will be played again in the Bombonera, which will dress up to receive the world champions, Uruguayan soccer players who stand out in the best clubs in Europe already Marcelo Bielsaan old acquaintance for Argentines.
There is no older confrontation in America. Latin American soccer is marked by Argentines and Uruguayans. To support the sentence, it is enough to comment that they were the protagonists of the first World Cup final: a 4-2 victory for Uruguay at the Centenario stadium.
The one that will be played at the Alberto J. Armando will be the 195th duel: Argentina won 91, Uruguay 57 and they tied 46. An extra fact: it will be the fifth time they meet on Boca’s field, with 3 local wins and a draw. The last time they played was on May 3, 1978 (3-0 with goals from Leopoldo Luque, Osvaldo Ardiles and Beto Alonso).
De Paul and Messi, two fixtures in the Argentine team. (AFP)
It may not be obvious, but Marcelo Bielsa will smile when he crosses the Bombonera grass to get on the substitute bench of the visiting team, the same place where he was on the historic day of July 9, 1991. , the afternoon in which his beloved Newell’s he beat Boca on penalties and was crowned Argentine soccer champion. It was, after all, his first title as a coach. At that moment, Lionel Andres Messi I had just turned 4 years old.
The years passed, but the passion remains intact for the Rosario coach. This time El Loco will walk with the Uruguay National Team diver to face Argentina, the current world champion, from 9 p.m. And La Celeste will be less favorite on the betting platforms, just as it was in Newell’s in that duel in Alberto J. Armando. It is also possible that the scenery of the duel will be the same: the visitor will try to stand and play as equals, those weapons always recognizable in Bielsa.
For the Scaloneta it will be the first big test since it won the World Cup in Qatar. Lionel Scaloni will also seek to stay in the books: if he gets the 3 points he will equal the best start in the South American Qualifiers with 5 out of 5. What record does he have? The one achieved by Marcelo Bielsa in the 2002 tournament.
Luis Suárez returns to the Uruguay team, although he will start on the bench. (AFP)
Prior to Korea-Japan, Argentina beat Chile (4-1), Venezuela (4-0), Bolivia (1-0), Colombia (3-1) and Ecuador (2-0). On the sixth day they lost 3-1 against Brazil. Now, Scaloneta beat Ecuador (1-0), Bolivia (3-0), Paraguay (1-0) and Peru (2-0). After Uruguay, Brazil will arrive at the Maracaná. Any resemblance to the past is mere coincidence.
“We will try to capture the way we try to play in a process that will be disputed, competed. We will seek to play, they too, none of the teams is going to rule out putting dedication and importance to recovering the ball. I am not saying anything original, “But I can’t imagine that Argentina doesn’t try to handle the ball and Uruguay recover it, and vice versa.”said Bielsa.
“Uruguay takes the initiative. They press and want to have the ball. It is the idea we are seeing. The team is prepared to be dominated at some point and that is not a sign of being bad, but that the opponent is also playing,” said Scaloni.
It will surely be a back-and-forth duel, with a lot of physical presence from both midfields: From Paul-Mac Allister-Fernández against Valverde-Ugarte-De la Cruz. The two teams try to grow from the tenure, although the Uruguayan attacks tend to be more direct due to the characteristics of their performers. Whoever wins in the middle sector will have the best chance of winning the three points.
It is presumed that both coaches opt for the same tactical scheme: 4-3-3. The difference will be in the retreat of the extremes. Argentina could stop with a 4-4-2, in case Ángel Di María or Nicolás González assume defensive positions when the team does not have the ball, while Uruguay will look more like a 4-5-1, with the drops of Pellistri (or Canobbio) on the right and Maximiliano Araújo on the left.
Marcelo Bielsa returns to Bombonera, where he won his first title as coach. EFE/ Sofia Torres
Scaloni maintains the usual doubts: Julian Alvarez or Lautaro Martinez in the reference and Di María or González on the wing. The former River and the former Argentinos run with a small advantage because they usually have more intensity. Only hours before the game will the coach confirm the team to the players. Lionel Messi, of course, will be there from the start. The same as Emiliano Martínez in goal. “It’s going to be very special for me to play in La Bombonera. I never played there. “I never played with the Argentine public in that stadium,” Draw warned.
Bielsa, meanwhile, must replace the injured Nahitan Nández. The biggest possibility is that Ronald Araujo moves to the right back, that José María Giménez pairs with Sebastián Cáceres and that Mathias Olivera remains as the left forward marker.
And the Rio de la Plata classic has one last seasoning left: the return of Luis Suarez, relentless scorer, world figure, dear friend of Messi. Will Bielsa give you some minutes at La Bombonera? The fans, both local and visiting, will be waiting for him.
2023-11-16 13:08:37
#National #Team #receives #Uruguay #Scaloni #seek #equal #Marcelo #Bielsas #record #Argentina
