Argentine Ricardo Gareca admitted, on the eve of his match against the Albiceleste team, in the second match of Group A of the Copa América, that he still feels like something special to face his country.
Although as a former Peru coach he already faced his nation four times, Gareca assured that for him they are still special games. “It is always special to face Argentina. Beyond its importance, it is always special to me. It is not common, I live it intensely, even though I am totally focused on the Chilean team,” he said.
The coach, who as a player wore the albiceleste and scored the goal that qualified Argentina for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, which would elevate Diego Maradona, stated that his professionalism does not prevent him from taking these games as something different. “On the day of the game I don’t receive messages, until after I don’t turn it on (the cell phone). But I have a lot of friends and family who comment on it. And that doesn’t change anything. My family comes and puts on the Chile shirt. Nothing changes, we are going to be Argentines all our lives but I give everything as a professional, it does not mean that I am not special,” he highlighted.
And what party do you envision? Gareca sees two teams that will want to take the initiative and, although he admits that La Roja will have to take precautions, he hopes they maintain their way of playing.
Regarding how to stop Leo Messi, the “Tiger” stated that he is not in favor of “personal marking”, but rather that “we will have to take him where he moves”, which is complicated by the ability of the Argentine captain.
Gareca pointed out that he does not know the Argentine coach, Lionel Scaloni, beyond the greetings before the games, but that he feels “great respect and admiration” for what “he has done for the national team, which has been excellent.”
“Argentina when it attacks is very efficient. They maintain something that they acquired from the beginning and they maintain it with effectiveness and solidity, and in their coexistence, on the playing field, they are seen to be united,” he added.
