Hear
MIAMI (Special Envoy).– Everything seems relative when the sun shines in this part of the world. Some police news or a climate incident alert may shake off the lack of concern in a place governed by consumption and leisure, which looks askance and from afar at the vicissitudes of the presidential debate between Biden and Trump. None of it beyond that, even the back-and-forth between the two men that may (or may not) alter the course of local politics, moves the needle. Neither the America’s Cup, beyond the fact that the city’s great sports figure is at home. One thing is Messi and quite another is a tournament that passes as just another event in the different American locations. What raises the temperature is the tide of Argentines – residents, tourists and those who make pilgrimages following the team – who add music and color to a tournament atomized in a huge territory.
But The celebrity Messi of this city will not be able to satisfy the fans of the most attractive Messi, the footballer. The groin discomfort that had been underlying for some time reappeared at the beginning of the game with Chile. And 10 will have to stop, rehabilitate and regain his best form.
After the hard-fought victory with Lautaro Martínez’s goal on the night in East Rutherford, Scaloni automatically diagrammed what was to come. Having secured a place in the quarterfinals and with first place in Group A almost at hand, The coach announced that he will put together an alternative team for the match against Peru, tonight, starting at 9 pm in our country, at the Hard Rock Stadium, in this city. The plan, which also included Messi’s rest, now focuses on generating the appropriate conditions for the captain to be fit for the quarterfinal match – which, if Argentina finishes first, will most likely be in Houston on Thursday 4th. The opponent? It would be between Ecuador and Mexico. We will have to wait day by day, unraveling the evolution in the greatest of mysteries, since there was not even an official report from the AFA on the injury of the best footballer in the world. The number 10 was with the squad in yesterday’s afternoon training session, but did not do any field work – as did Marcos Acuña, with a muscle strain.
There will also be a rest for Lionel Scaloni, who will not be on the field. The coach was sanctioned for leaving late at halftime of the last game (he had also done so against Canada, which generated a subsequent complaint from the North American coach) and the triumvirate of collaborators (Samuel, Aimar, Ayala) will take charge of the team on the field . The penalty, which included a fine of $15,000, also prevented the Argentine strategist from being at the previous press conference.
The sports scenario is conducive to Scaloni’s idea. The Peruvian team arrives very weakened. Last march in the qualifying rounds, without wins in the six rounds played. Jorge Fossati took over at the beginning of the year to redirect the situation, there were triumphs to gain some confidence, but against smaller rivals (Nicaragua, El Salvador, Dominican Republic). The point against Chile at the beginning of the Cup generated expectations, but the defeat against Canada brought him back to reality. He didn’t score goals. And that they have experienced forwards. But therein lies another key issue. There was no generational change. Paolo Guerrero (40 years old), Gianluca Lapadula (34), Christian Cueva (32) and Edison Flores (30) are the offensive references. Peru has the highest average age in the tournament, that says it all.
Peru, which in 54 official matches only beat Argentina five times, has only one record of winning in a Copa América. In Bolivia 1997, they eliminated the team led by Daniel Passarella in the quarterfinals after beating them 2 to 1 in Sucre.
Argentina, on the other hand, has hierarchy everywhere. During his tenure, Scaloni achieved something that is hard to find: that everyone is in a position to be a reliable starter. But going beyond this test bench, the team will have to imagine the most uncomfortable of scenarios, that of playing without his footballing and mental guide. It is likely that Messi will not be at his best for the quarter-finals. Is Argentina prepared to face the challenges that come without the leader? One of the strengths of this group is that it has ceased to be messidependent; He has surpassed that stage, however, and formed a force that feeds the 10 to bring out the best in him. That has worked, the results are visible. It is also true that they have not had, in official competitions, long periods or crucial moments without Messi.
In the Scaloni period – apart from a series of irrelevant friendlies – there were only three important commitments that were assumed without the best in the world. A double qualifying date for Qatar, at the beginning of 2022, against Chile in Santiago and against Colombia in Córdoba. Both ended in Argentine triumph (2-1 and 1-0, respectively). In both matches, Scaloni put together a 4-2-3-1, with Papu Gómez in the role most similar to Messi’s.
The most recent precedent is another knockout match, but in 2023. In the first double date towards the 2026 World Cup, Messi – who had just given Argentina the victory against Ecuador – rested in La Paz against Bolivia, also afflicted due to muscle discomfort. Scaloni’s team assimilated the absence well and won 3-0. In this case, the coach used a clear 4-3-3, with De Paul, Enzo and Mac Allister in the middle, and Di María, Julián and Nico González in the lead. Due to characteristics in the current squad, Scaloni will resort to something similar. There is no one today who can play Messi, like in the recent past with Papu Gómez or even Thiago Almada.
The last training session, in which the press was able to observe the first 15 minutes of activity, Scaloni winked at those present: he distributed blue bibs to those who, it is presumed, will start against Peru. The surprise? That the two youth players in the group, Valentín Carboni and Alejandro Garnacho, would play. It will be necessary to see if he uses them on the wings in a 4-4-2 or Carboni goes as an inside player and the Manchester United player plays as a winger on the left, since Ángel Di María, who wears the captain’s ribbon, will also be in the game. .
This will be the second time that Messi misses a Copa America match, out of the seven he participated in. The only time was in the tournament’s debut in 2016 in the United States. That night, against Chile, Messi – who was in some discomfort – watched the 2-1 victory from the bench. They did not want to risk him. This time, in Miami, the city that venerates him and that he chose for his final stretch of career, he will have a preferential place to watch and think about getting in shape for the challenges to come that do not allow mistakes.
Argentina: Emiliano Martínez; Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolás Otamendi, Germán Pezzella and Nicolás Tagliafico; Valentín Carboni, Leandro Paredes, Exequiel Palacios and Alejandro Garnacho; Ángel Di María and Lautaro Martínez.
Peru: Pedro Gallese; Aldo Corzo, Carlos Zambrano and Alexander Callens; Andy Polo, Wilder Cartagena, Sergio Peña, Marcos Lopez; Edison Flores, Bryan Reyna and Gianluca Lapadula.
Referee: Cesar Ramos (Mexico)
Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium
