WEIGHT OF THE WORLD
Fans will blame Messi if Argentina fail tonight
DIEGO MARADONA has already told Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli to ‘forget about going home’ if his team keep up their current form.
The nation’s eternally paper-thin patience with Lionel Messi will mean he gets similar treatment if they lose against croatia tonight.
Messi admitted: ‘I’m responsible’ after he missed a penalty in their draw with Iceland on Saturday.
The night before, cristiano Ronaldo had scored a penalty in Portugal’s draw with Spain and is the tournament top scorer with four goals after seeing off Morocco yesterday.
Maradona saved his ire for the coach, calling the team ill-prepared and saying they looked ‘closer to losing the coming matches’ than winning them, but the spotlight will be on Messi if there is another major setback.
His mother celia has already had to defend her son’s patriotism saying: ‘All the family suffers when he is accused of not really caring and just playing for his country out of obligation.’
coach Sampaoli also defended his star man last night, saying: ‘Messi is the best player in the world and that has to be a plus for us. But it is impossible that he wins a game on his own. He cannot be the only one who is responsible when we lose.
‘When he scores, we all shout “goal!” But when we don’t win, he gets the blame. ‘One player on his own can’t change a match.’ Messi’s real problem has more to do with a lack of teammates on his wave length. He must view croatia midfielders Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic with envy because Argentina have nothing comparable. In their opener against Iceland, Sampaoli tried to employ Messi in midfield to compensate, but he no longer has the ability to run the length of the pitch with the ball and was easier to handle so far from goal.
croatia coach Zlatko Dalic will talk to Messi’s Barcelona team-mate Rakitic about how to shackle him. Dalic said: ‘He is the greatest player in the world. But while one excellent player can make a great result, a great team does the job much better. We will go into the game a little bit more relaxed than them.’
This is a poor Argentina side. A goal from Iceland’s Alfred Finnbogason leaves them trailing croatia in Group D. Refusing to name his team as he had boldly done before the Iceland game, Sampaoli said: ‘croatia have an outstanding generation of players and they have won their first game, so it’s going to be difficult.’
chelsea reserve team keeper Willy caballero looks set to keep his place in goal despite his mistake against Iceland and Sampaoli is considering switching to a back three with Manchester city’s Nicolas Otamendi flanked by Nicolas Tagliafico and Gabriel Mercado. Some believe the tactical switch will, at least, release Messi further forward.
croatia seemed so buoyed by their opening win over Nigeria that coach Dalic didn’t think twice about reducing his squad to 22 when he sent Nikola Kalinic home for refusing to come on as a substitute.
If Argentina lose and Iceland beat Nigeria, they would go into the last game on Tuesday in St Petersburg depending on others if they are to progress.