‘This was the first of five finals’
Javier Mascherano Gabriel Mercado Gonzalo Higuain Nicolas Otamendi Maximiliano Meza Nicolas Tagliafico
aren’t missing a single game at this World Cup. Their schedule may be tight but that hasn’t stopped the players from watching all games on TV. “Of course, we have watched all of France’s games. We have watched every single game at this World Cup,” revealed Lionel Messi about his Round of 16 opponents.
“France have a very good team. A good defence, a good midfield, and very good forwards; I have many good friends in that team,” Messi said. “They are very fast. We know what we will have to do. It will be a very tough game, without a doubt.”
Messi and Co can perhaps draw inspiration from France’s own campaign at the 2006 World Cup when Zinedine Zidane led an incredible turnaround after below-par showings in the opening two games, taking the side to the final. Argentina will have to do something similar now.
“The most important thing about this evening was that the players were brave, and that courage made the second goal possible,” coach Jorge Sampaoli said. The path for La Albiceleste doesn’t look smooth. A win over France will take them to Nizhny Novgorod, the scene of their 0-3 loss to Croatia, for a quarterfinal against Portugal or Uruguay.
If they manage to negotiate that, they are likely to be up against Brazil, Germany or Belgium in the semis. Sampaoli isn’t worried though. “Every match now is a final. This was the first of five; now we have four more,” he said. “We have the world’s best player and everybody needs to benefit from it.”
Making a simplified assessment of how Messi could be key to his team’s hopes, Sampaoli said, “A coach who trains Leo knows that he has to make him secure in his role. If we can create passes to Leo, he can create opportunities for us. Every time he plays, he shows that he is above anybody else but he needs the support of his teammates like he did today.”
It was a one of the more joyous nights for Sampaoli in Russia so far. The knives had been out for him back in Argentina after the struggles in the opening two games.
If Argentina go beyond the Round of 16, Sampaoli may have a good shot at rescuing his coaching career with the national team. It will, however, require Messi to be at his best.
SAINTPETERSBURG:Argentina
Updated till Croatia-Iceland & Argentina-Nigeria match; * denotes qualified for round of 16