Could win.
Skaloni chose the “Atletico” striker
The Argentine national team has a rich choice of attack. The “blues and blues” have three higher forms at once. Lionel Messi is a non-alternative leader of the team, he always finds a place in the lineup, because the football player at any age makes a difference. He closes the flank, so that on the point of Scalon there is a choice between Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez.
These confrontations last from the Qatar Mundial – this tournament, Inter, held weakly, the young talents anchored at the start. Since then, the advantage has shifted from one to the other several times. Lautaro gives experience in Argentina – the striker for seven seasons is considered the leader of Nerazzurri. During this time he won two titles, was twice in the final Champions League. And in terms of playing qualities, he is a first-rate player.
As for Alvareza, he’s a real break. The best indicator of his qualities – the football player wanted to go to his team Pep Guardiola, the main lover of various attackers. Julian perfectly understood the Spaniard’s requirements, but he has already flourished in Atletico (in the city, competing with Holand, he was in a pre-loss position).
Martinez flashed at the America Cup, but then he lost his form – besides, the last season was bad for him. At the same time, Alvarez remained a key figure in the attack of the “blue and white” for a long time. This year alone he helped the Argentines beat Uruguay (1: 0, to Alvarez Goleva), applied in the defeat of Brazil (4: 1, to Julian – the goal) and created a winning ball with Chile (1:0). So the choice in his favor for a match with Colombia was obvious.
The “Coffee Men” has a black stripe after the American cup
The Colombians showed their best at the America’s Cup. No one expected the team to compete for the trophy. However, based on the results of the group stage, the “coffee shoes” are dedicated to the playoffs from the first place – the team beat Costa Rica by a paragraph, and at this main stage against Brazil, they drew. The victory over Uruguay in the semifinals is even more surprising – the “sky blue” was then in first place. The Colombians suddenly reached the final – and despite the defeat to Argentina, it was already a success.
The world champions salvaged a draw, although everything fell out of hand.Argentina expected to play first – in those 90 minutes, the team possessed the ball 63% of the time. But the Colombians were also beneficial for such a scenario. The teams exchanged attacks – after Messi at the very beginning of the match, Luis Diaz went for a shot (he was closed down), then the same Luis and Machado were able to beat, passing Argentina’s response due to a penalty.
Then, things didn’t go as planned. The Argentines were able to make up for lost time—Nestor Lorenso’s pace was working. Colombia’s striker always had the choice between two textured top-flight players: Cordoba and the Madman. The former left the national team early.
Due to injury, the latter has a rash of yellow cards. In that match, Lorenso put Louis Diaz at the forefront, the relevant winger, who pushed Colombia forward. He opened up the left flank and, with a central pass, struck the far corner.
Furthermore, the clouds only thickened in the 30th minute, when Enzo Fernandes’ goal was ruled out for Messi’s offside, and in the second half, Lionel Skaloni’s wards generally remained in the minority. Fernandez hit Castanho on the head and received a red card. It took only 20 minutes for the minority to regain their minority. At the decisive moment, Almad’s progressive winger appeared. The player, with his effective play, had already secured the team’s victories over Uruguay and Chile. Now, in the 81st minute, he slotted home the far corner. They are two games ahead of Venezuela – the highlight will be in the final round.
A draw with the sixth-placed team isn’t Argentina’s best result. On the other hand, with such a development of events, it’s good that at least the score was removed. In any case, the “blues and blues” have already secured themselves a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. But for Colombia, the battle continues. The “coffee shops” are already feeling the taste of Cambemes – the team failed to reach the 2022 World Cup. Now, the Colombians are three glasses away from second place.
But Colombia could still take off in the intercontinental competitions – the Venezuelans continue to pursue their cause. The latter lost to Uruguay in a side match, so the “coffee” side had a real chance to significantly increase their lead. The teams have two rounds left to go; in Colombia, the handicap is three points, and Venezuela plays Argentina in September – a perfectly comfortable lineup. At the same time, if everything stays in its previous positions, the final round will be a climax – Colombia and Venezuela, playing for the last direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup, will face each other.
Thiago Almada
Thiago Almada
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