Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, praised his team after the 2-0 victory over Austria and said that the athletes had a good posture in moments when the opponent tried to put pressure on the Albiceleste defense.
“When the time comes to suffer, the team suffers. Today, at times, even though they didn’t bother us much, it’s true that we didn’t have possession of the ball. We suffered, but we know how to deal with it. That’s the team’s credit,” said the 48-year-old coach.
“Although we could have done better, the team’s merit is in knowing what to do in each situation. They are a difficult and complex opponent, who never gives up the ball. I’m happy that we qualified. People said it would be easy, but you saw how difficult it was. They were complicated matches”, added the coach, referring to the first debut match against Algeria, won 3-0.
Argentina’s five goals in the tournament were scored by Lionel Messi, who took over the isolated top scorer in the history of the World Cup, with 18 balls in the net in six appearances. He could have had one more on his account if he hadn’t wasted a penalty kick at the start of the duel against the Austrians.
“After the penalty, there were a few minutes where it seemed like nothing was happening, but that is also a result of the maturity that this team has. It’s a blow not to convert a penalty, but when Messi enters the game, everyone enters the game,” said Scaloni.
“Even today, when the team was struggling without the ball, he made an effort and recovered it. You could see that he was committed. And that’s for a reason. Commitment means something, and that’s what he shows. It’s impressive. I don’t know what else to say”, the coach melted about yet another historic performance from his namesake and number 10.
The Argentine coach also said that “there are always things to correct”, but added that “winning makes everything easier.”
“There are seven or eight teams that will compete for the World Cup, but it’s not about favorites or the players that each team has. It will be about other aspects, psychological and physical,” said the Albiceleste coach.
