Argentina don’t need push from refs

BY INVITATION

As we get into the thick of the action at the FIFA World Cup, the quality of football is getting better and better. We have seen in the group stage that the first round of games was very boring. Besides Brazil and France, we didn’t see the other teams win their games confidently in the first round. Despite England and Spain winning by big margins, some other big teams like Germany found it difficult. But the second and third round of group-stage matches were very different.

Teams knew the situation and needed to adjust their play according to the results they were having. The second round was fantastic. We saw many more goals, much more open play.

All the teams needed a few days to adapt to the climate changes and conditions in

Doha. It was expected that there will be some boring football in the first round. But once the teams settled, everything has become clearer. We are watching better and better football from game to game.

Argentina, for instance, have gotten better. Their performance in the 2-0 victory over Poland on Wednesday night was their first that we can classify as top class. The refereeing did help them because the Argentine players were not penalized for the tackles they made from behind.

But this was the kind of game I was expecting from Argentina going into the World Cup. In my first column, I mentioned them as favourites. I followed their friendly matches before the start of the World Cup and they were brilliant. They played amazing football, scoring goals, creating chances, showing good movement, short passes, ball possession, high press and what not. It was amazing to watch them. I think they are raising their game and that is really good for this World Cup.

I must say I did not agree with the penalty that was awarded to Lionel Messi though. Realistically, what was that penalty about? Messi doesn’t need that kind of help. Argentina doesn’t need that kind of push from referees.

It was a shame. The contact between the goalkeeper’s hand and Messi’s head came after the header. You cannot give a penalty for such instances. I don’t even think Messi was happy with getting the penalty.

Counter-attacking ploy While Argentina have the armoury to play an expansive brand of football, that is not the only approach that we have seen at the World Cup. If you are a team like Poland or Switzerland, you don’t have many options when you face a much better side with much better individuals. You cannot be open and give space to guys like Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Vinicius. Otherwise, they will punish you. You stand a chance only when you play a compact game with a deep defensive block and counter-attacking football.

The Swiss defence

If your whole team is not working hard, you cannot do what Switzerland did against Brazil. If a single piece breaks, the whole team breaks. You need to have the capacity to play tightmarking football all over the pitch and for 90 minutes to produce disciplined defensive displays. That is the most difficult thing to do in football. It is such intensive football.

That is what Switzerland have been doing for ages. That is their style of play. That is one part I would love to implement in the Indian team for the Asian Cup. That is what we need to do for our future competitions. We need to work hard as a team, move together with tight marking, and not give opponents any free time or space and make it very difficult for them.

Greece did this too, but they were very limited offensively at their peak. Greece’s only chance of scoring was from set pieces. You remember the Euro Championship

that they won in 2004. It was all based on defensive blocks and set pieces. It is amazing if you can go through a tournament and win six or seven games like that. You need a lot of luck. It is irritating football but sometimes it can be very effective.

It is true that having a welldrilled national team is a challenge for a manager because you get limited time with the squad. As a manager, your success depends on the pool of players you have.

That is the biggest handicap in India. It is easy in France. It is easy in Brazil. If you have a good pool of players, then you can choose players with certain characteristics, technical and fitness capabilities for the style of play you are going to present. But if you are short on the pool of players, then you are in trouble. That is what is happening here.

Igor Stimac is coach of the Indian men’s football team. He was a member of the Croatia team that finished

third in the 1998 World Cup