Lionel Messi Converts Penalty, Argentina Draw with Paraguay at 2019 Copa America
Jun 19, 2019
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring from a penalty spot against Paraguay during a Copa America Group B soccer match at Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Wednesday, June 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
It's only fitting that Argentina's first goal of its 2019 Copa America campaign came from Lionel Messi after video assistant referee awarded him a penalty kick.
Messi's converting from the spot leveled Argentina with Paraguay 1-1 in the 57th minute and salvaged a necessary result for the Argentines.
After review, officials ruled a handball in the box against Paraguay and awarded Argentina the penalty. If not for that, Paraguay easily should have walked away with all three points.
Richard Sanchez and Miguel Almiron collaborated to give Paraguay a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute on the counterattack following a free kick for Argentina, then had a golden opportunity to retake the lead with a penalty kick of its own in the 63rd minute.
While Derlis Gonzalez missed the penalty kick, the point still remains that both chances were the result of Argentine miscues. Paraguay's penalty chance, for example, came thanks to a reckless tackle by Nicolas Otamendi.
Not to mention, the team's general discord led, just as in its opening 2-0 loss to Colombia, to Messi being neutralized in the run of play.
Argentina stealing a point in this game keeps its hopes to advance out of the group play alive, however meek. The one point still places them tied for last with Qatar behind Paraguay and Colombia, who have two and six points, respectively.
Heading into the final match of group play against Qatar, who managed to come from behind and get a 2-2 draw against Paraguay, Argentinarookie head coachLionelScalonihas done little to inspire confidence:
I thought the Matías Suárez for Agüero sub when behind to Colombia was bad & then Scaloni goes and takes off Lautaro for Di María when still needing a goal against Paraguay. Any chance Argentina can sub the manager?
Full time and it ends Argentina 1 Paraguay 1 - another dismal display created some excitement for about 10 minutes and then Scaloni decided to revert back to utter crap
A simple change: two CFs ahead of Messi. More space for the midfield, as Paraguay were forced to defend ten yards deeper. More space for Messi. It was *obvious*. Scaloni apparently didn't see it. Never mind how did he get the job; how did he have a career as a top-flight player?
Ahead of Wednesday's match with Paraguay, Scaloni told reporters (h/t beIN Sports): "The Copa for us is like it has not started yet. ... We would have liked to have started in another way, but the players are clear that there are two games to play."
One would hopeScalonibelievesCopahas begun now, as Argentina is down to its last breath.
Argentina's final Group B match will be against Qatar, and Paraguay will wrap up against group-leading Colombia. Both matches are slated for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Fabio Capello: Diego Maradona's Argentina 'Were Stronger' Than Lionel Messi's
Jun 19, 2019
SALVADOR, BRAZIL - JUNE 15: Lionel Messi of Argentina looks dejected after the Copa America Brazil 2019 group B match between Argentina and Colombia at Arena Fonte Nova on June 15, 2019 in Salvador, Brazil. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
Former Real Madrid, Juventus and England boss Fabio Capello has come to the defence of Lionel Messi after Argentina got their Copa America campaign off to a poor start with a 2-0 defeat to Colombia.
The Italian noted the comparisons Messi faces with Albiceleste legend Diego Maradona, who captained the side when they won the 1986 FIFA World Cup, but he said the latter had much more to work with.
He told Radio Marca: "People talk about both, but Maradona's Argentina were stronger and had more quality than Messi's. He's had good players in front of him, but in midfield and behind he has missed a defence, that's the important problem."
"Messi is extraordinary," he added. "He lives thinking about playing and not about business, like for example Neymar does."
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Messi is yet to enjoy international success with Argentina outside of a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, though helped them reach the 2014 World Cup final and the final of the Copa America in 2015 and 2016, all of which ended in defeat.
He is La Albiceleste's all-time top scorer with 67 goals, but there is a perception that he should have achieved much more given he has had the likes of Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain alongside him during his career.
By contrast, Argentina's success in 1986 is often attributed to Maradona alone, with little credit given to his team-mates.
Journalists Carl Anka and Kevin Beirne discussed the Messi-Maradona debate and agreed that criticisms of the former are unfair:
Argentina opened the Copa with a poor performance against Colombia, and as football commentator Juan G. Arango and Argentinian football expert Roy Nemer observed, there are significant issues with the team and the coaching that are beyond Messi's control:
Messi does not play for a very good national team. A team that can't recover in the middle and doesn't have the collective work to create much. He can only do su much. Some of you who criticize him need to stop playing so many video games.
Substituting Sergio Agüero for Matias Suarez is one of the worst substitutions I have ever seen as an Argentina fan. The team played much better in the second half but my word did Scaloni get the tactics wrong. Worst part is the bench is poor, no game changers on there. Not good.
Coaxing coherent performances from the team is something successive managers have struggled with.
Lionel Scaloni is the ninth manager Messi has worked under at senior level since his international debut in 2005, and this is his first job as a head coach. He was previously an assistant to predecessor Jorge Sampaoli at Argentina and Sevilla.
The setup off the pitch has inspired little confidence either. Claudio Tapia is the third president the Argentinian Football Association has had since Julio Grondona died in 2014.
According to Arango, as recently as two years ago Messi and his team-mates not only had to pay for their own flights and accommodation while on international duty but also the wages of some AFA employees.
La Albiceleste will continue their Copa America efforts against Paraguay on Wednesday and Qatar on Sunday. The two sides aren't as strong as Colombia, so they might fare a bit better.
However, a run to the final or better will require significant improvement, and despite the influence Messi can have, that is largely out of his hands.
Lionel Messi: Argentina to 'Raise Their Heads' After Colombia Copa America Loss
Jun 16, 2019
Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts during a Copa America Group B soccer match at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, Saturday, June 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has called on the team to "raise their heads" after their defeat to Colombia in the Copa America on Saturday.
The Albiceleste got off to a disappointing start in Brazil, as they were beaten 2-0 in their first game. They toiled for long spells before goals from Roger Martinez and Duvan Zapata secured the three points for Colombia.
After their struggles at the FIFA World Cup last summer, it appears Argentina are set for another challenging major tournament. Following the game, Messi said the team must lift themselves, per Alex Shaw of Goal:
"There are positives to come out of this, we are ready to accept the challenge that we have. There is no time to complain, we have to look ahead, we have to raise our heads and continue, there's still a lot of the tournament left.
"They kept the ball well but didn't create clear opportunities, but when we took a step forwards in the second half they scored a goal. When we were playing at our best, they scored a great goal and it cost us."
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Despite their poor performance, Argentina's destiny remains in their own hands, and they will still be favourites to beat Paraguay and Qatar in their remaining Group B games.
Still, this situation is an unusual one for the team, as defeats in their first game of this competition are rare:
0-2 - #Argentina🇦🇷 have lost a Copa America opening game for the third time ever, with this 0-2 against Colombia being their first loss by more than one goal in such games (2-3 against Uruguay in 1919, 1-2 against Bolivia in 1979). Stunned. #CopaAmericapic.twitter.com/53LHkEvVXA
On the evidence of this encounter, manager Lionel Scaloni has been unable to find answers to the issues that have blighted this Argentina side for so long.
Colombia's goals illustrated the Albiceleste are still lacking in defensive cohesion and aggression. Further forward, the balance in midfield is skewed, and despite a raft of attacking talent in the squad, there's no fluidity about their work in the final third.
Additionally, the team appears to be devoid of belief. As former United States international Janusz Michallik noted, Argentina don't seem to know how to get back into matches after going behind:
Football journalist Andy West commented on Messi's performance and the pressure he is under to thrive at international level:
Another international tournament, another poor Argentina team. Lacking cohesion, no control in midfield, defensively weak. Messi played neither particularly well nor particularly badly, but no doubt he'll get blamed again.
While Argentina should still have enough to get out of the group stage, barring some stunning individual displays from their skipper, it's hard to see them making a deep run at the tournament. There are too many problems lingering in the side that even Messi's brilliance can't cover up.
Messi is still on the hunt for his first major piece of silverware with Argentina. He's played in three major finals for his country—at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the last two Copas—but lost them all. Based on Saturday's showing, it would be a surprise if the Albiceleste made it that far again.
Victory of the Week: Colombia Defeats Messi, Argentina in Copa America Opener
Jun 15, 2019
Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts during a Copa America Group B soccer match at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, Saturday, June 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Victory of the Week is presented by Walmart.
Colombia opened their 2019 Copa America campaign with a 2-0 defeat of Argentina Saturday in Salvador, Brazil, marking Argentina's first ever loss in a Copa opener.
Argentina looked uninspired throughout their opening match of the tournament. The squad's form did not at all match the expectation surrounding them as they look to avenge their loss in the 2016 Copa final to Chile.
Any pressure put on Argentina can directly be linked to Lionel Messi, who has never won an international trophy. Against Colombia, Messi was held largely in check.
55' The first real glimpse of Messi as he skips through the middle. Wilmar Barrios does enough to get back and poke it back to Ospina (to Argentine appeals for a back-pass)
Colombia looked the stronger side from the start, stringing together possession in the first half but failing to convert. The first goal came late in the second half with a perfectly placed pass from James Rodriguez across the field to Roger Martinez, who rocketed the ball into the far corner of the net in the 71st minute.
Roger Martínez cuts inside and fires in for the lead!
In the 86th minute, Duvan Zapata added an insurance goal when his sliding foot found the end of Jefferson Lerma's cross to completely discourage Argentina.
The result holds particular importance as Colombia and Argentina will presumably be the two teams battling to make it out of their group shared with Paraguay and Qatar, which means the loss is a tough one for the Argentines.
Argentina are looking to claim the most coveted trophy in South America for the first time since 1993, but things will have to vastly improve from this showing if they at all have a chance.
"Same old problems for Argentina: Disjointed, no real support for Messi, Kun fighting for scraps, defenders exposed one vs one," football writerRupert Fryerobserved during the game.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni attempted to fix his disjointed lineup by pulling Angel Di Maria to start the second half in favor of Rodrigo de Paul. The adjustment did not prove fruitful in this match, but it gives Scaloni something to think about moving forward.
Colombia, meanwhile, only needed two shots on goal to win the game. Carlos Queiroz's side is looking to top the tournament for the first time since 2001. Beating Argentina for the first time in six meetings is a good place to start.
An immediate impact from Carlos Queiroz with Colombia as they adapted to a niggly tournament match a lot quicker than Argentina.
Plenty of crap football from both teams but only the Colombians knew when to play crap football and when to turn it on.#ARGxCOLpic.twitter.com/KoDhfLqbAb
Colombia's next group fixture is set for Wednesday against Qatar, while Argentina will also take the field Wednesday against Paraguay.
Argentina vs. Colombia: Odds, Live Stream, TV Schedule for 2019 Copa America
Jun 14, 2019
SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA - JUNE 07: Lionel Messi of Argentina looks on before a friendly match between Argentina and Nicaragua at Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario on June 07, 2019 in San Juan, Argentina. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
Argentina open their 2019 Copa America campaign against Colombia on Saturday at the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil.
With Paraguay and invited team Qatar comprising the remainder of Group B, Argentina and Colombia will kick off the tournament with what should be their trickiest test in the group stage.
Of the two sides, Colombia are the more recent winners, having lifted the trophy in 2001. Argentina last won in 1993 but have appeared in four of the last five finals.
Argentina reached the Copa final in 2015 and 2016, having also made the final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Three major finals in as many years would be a success for most nations, but failing to win any of them will have been a bitter disappointment for La Albiceleste
That is especially the case given they were favourites against Chile in both Copa finals, and they had the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and other top-class attacking players in their ranks.
It is a testament to Messi in particular that they even made it to those finals, as the team has rarely resembled a cohesive unit in recent years.
There are some encouraging signs heading into this year's tournament, though, as football writer Peter Coates observed:
I'm not inclined to say @Argentina are any more likely to lift the Copa América but there does appear to be a far happier, relaxed atmosphere in the camp. The interviews with the press from the likes of Messi have been terrific & a far cry from the stand-off of previous years pic.twitter.com/EYGbeUaTGA
Messi is often left isolated by his team-mates, but that may not be the case this time, as Argentinian football expert Roy Nemer noted during their 5-1 friendly win over Nicaragua ahead of the tournament:
Lionel Messi with two goals for Argentina as they lead 2-0 against Nicaragua. But he and Lo Celso are connecting really well in midfield. I can't remember the last time Messi had a team mate in midfield who was on the same wavelength. Riquelme, possibly Aimar?
Colombia will be a much tougher challenge, though.
Los Cafeteros have warmed up for the tournament with back-to-back 3-0 wins over Panama and Peru, and they have plenty of firepower.
Radamel Falcao turned 33 in February, but he scored 15 goals for a poor Monaco side in Ligue 1 last season to help them avoid relegation by two points.
What's more, Duvan Zapata bagged 28 goals in all competitions for Atalanta, outscoring Cristiano Ronaldo in Serie A.
Colombia haven't beaten Argentina since 2007, but between their in-form strikers and playmaker James Rodriguez, they have the tools to cause them plenty of problems on Saturday.
From Messi to Bielsa—Why Rosario in Argentina Is 'The Cradle of Football'
Jun 13, 2019
Kids play football at Newell's Old Boys' Malvinas Sports Complex
Rosario is a small port city about four hours' drive north of Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires. It has a little over a million inhabitants and is dwarfed by greater Buenos Aires, which has more than 13 million people.
Rosario, though, has a reputation for producing an inordinate amount of talent. It's said the city is a "semillero" (seedbed) because so many notable people have sprung from it. It is, for example, the birthplace of Ernesto "Che" Guevara and perhaps the greatest footballer of all time, Lionel Messi.
"Rosario has a reputation for being the source of great footballers," says Javier Wainer, who works as a scout for Racing, a premier division club in Buenos Aires. "It's known as 'la cuna de futbol'—the cradle of football. A lot of Argentina's best players are from the city—Messi, Angel Di Maria, Mauro Icardi.
"You always have many good players coming from there. Rosario is like a dream city, along with Montevideo in Uruguay, which has been the birthplace for so many players who have won World Cups [1930, 1950]. In both cities, you have a small density of population, but you have great players born in both cities. It's amazing to think about it."
Several sons of Rosario are plying their trade in Europe's biggest football leagues along with Messi. They include some of La Liga's best players, such as Sevilla's Ever Banega, Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis—who is being linked with a club-record transfer to Tottenham Hotspur this summer—Ezequiel Garay of Copa del Rey winners Valencia, and Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa.AC Milan's centre-back Mateo Musacchio, who has been playing in Serie A since 2017, is also from Rosario.
Part of the city's success as a breeding ground for footballers springs out of necessity. The city's two football clubs, Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys, can't match the spending power of the bigger teams in Buenos Aires like Boca Juniors, River Plate and Independiente.
"Rosario doesn't have the economic muscle that Buenos Aires has," says Ale Mangiaterra, a journalist with Rosario's Radio2 station. "River and Boca can buy footballers. They have a lot more money than Rosario's football clubs. They have important political and historical links with the central powers of Buenos Aires. Newell's and Central must depend on developing new players, and to sell on their best players to generate more money. As a result their youth academies are stronger.
"Central, for example, had to sell Giovani Lo Celso to Paris Saint-Germain and Franco Cervi to Benfica [in 2016]. Newell's have lost some of the biggest figures in world of football. Messi left at 12 years of age. Maxi Rodriguez was sold to Atletico Madrid and then he went to Liverpool. Now he's returned to Newell's at the end of his career."
Argentina's forward Lionel Messi looks at Argentina's forward Angel Di Maria during the Russia 2018 World Cup round of 16 football match between France and Argentina at the Kazan Arena in Kazan on June 30, 2018. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP) / RESTRICT
Ruben Horacio Gaggioli, a businessman from Rosario who has been living in Barcelona since the late 1970s, represented Messi when he was signed by Barcelona in 2000. He says part of the reason that Rosario—and its hinterland—has produced so many good footballers is because its young players have an insatiable appetite to succeed.
"Central and Newell's work a lot with young footballers, developing them for the first team," says Gaggioli. "Those young players need to provide for their families. Their hunger to succeed is very strong because they aren't kids from wealthy families. These aren't kids who earn money. It's not like in Spain—where an under-age player can have their own car. They earn a salary. They live well. They go to school. In Rosario, these kids don't have anything. So when they enter the pitch, they will lay down their lives to win. They have this essence to become great players.
"But it's not just in the city of Rosario. It's also about its surrounding areas. There's a zone of influence which is very rich in football players. A lot of Newell's greatest players—Jorge Valdano, Mauricio Pochettino, Gabriel Batistuta—come from its outlying areas. They come from the famous 'potrero.' It's something in Europe that practically doesn't exist. The potrero is where kids play on the street, on patches of open, uneven ground. This is where these young footballers are still created.
"Clubs like Newell's and Central go to villages around Rosario and find these kids in these potreros. It's fertile hunting terrain. These kids are very talented. Then it's a question of perfecting them. Definitely the percentage of high-level footballers who come out of Rosario is superior to the rest of the country, proportionally speaking. But why so many trainers come out of Rosario is the question."
Rosario is a university town for some of football's greatest minds. Cesar Luis Menotti, who managed Argentina to its first FIFA World Cup win in 1978, was born in the city. He played for Central and later coached Newell's and Barcelona.
Newell's in particular is a hotbed for managers. The club's graduates include Pochettino, Valdano, who led Real Madrid to a league title in 1995, former Barcelona and current Mexico coach Tata Martino, Argentina's 2018 FIFA World Cup coach Jorge Sampaoli, his protege and current Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, Real Madrid's erstwhile manager Santiago Solari and, of course, the iconic Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds United's coach.
Marcelo Bielsa
Bielsa, who played a handful of games for Newell's as a defender in the late 1970s, had a short, glorious spell as Newell's first-team coach in the early '90s. His reign is best remembered for their run to the 1992 Copa Libertadores final with a team that included Martino, Pochettino and Eduardo Berizzo, now Paraguay's coach. They ended up losing to Sao Paulo in a penalty shootout in the decider, the closest they've ever come to lifting South American football's biggest prize.
A young Sampaoli used to listen to Bielsa's press conferences on his Walkman while out jogging. Bielsa's influence at Newell's is so profound that the club's stadium is named after him.
"Bielsa is the father of them all," says Wainer. "Bielsa thinks of football in terms of attacking, of a high press, dominating space. His training legacy is so big. Pep Guardiola says Bielsa is a teacher for him. In Rosario, he created exercises for his methods in his house with a pencil and paper. He revolutionised football coaching.
"You can trace the philosophical line, his line of teaching. It's called 'Bielsismo.' You can find the sons of Bielsa everywhere. Gabriel Heinze, who is manager of Velez Sarsfield, play exactly like Bielsa. My father, Gabriel Wainer, worked with Bielsa with Argentina's national team between 1998 and 2004. My father knows everything about football thanks to Bielsa. My father taught me and my brother, who is now an assistant coach at Defensa, a premier division club in Argentina. We're the grandsons of the Bielsa line of football."
It's interesting how Messi, even though he has spent almost two-thirds of his life living in Spain, refuses to cut the umbilical cord he has with Rosario. He has bought the family home where he grew up in Rosario—it's idle but kept by the family. His wife is from Rosario. He had his wedding in Rosario. He returns there every year on holiday.
"Messi talks like a Rosario boy, exactly like he always lived there," says Ramiro Martin, his Argentina-born biographer.
"People from Rosario don't pronounce the 's' at the end of a sentence. For example instead of saying 'autos' (cars) they say 'auto.' It's how Messi speaks. It's strange but true. He has a very close relationship with Rosario. Andoni Zubizarreta [Barcelona's former sporting director] used to say that 'Messi was a Rosarian boy who lived in Barcelona.' Every day, he talks with Rosarian people. He lives like Rosarian people, but he plays football in Barcelona.
A Messi mural in Rosario
"Messi's iconic status, though, is more than Rosario. His relationship with Rosario is with his childhood memories, of playing in the streets of his 'barrio' with his brothers, with his first friends, who he still maintains friendships with.
"Messi is too big to think about only in terms of Rosario. He's possibly the biggest athlete in the history of Argentina. Argentina is another scale. His relationship with Argentina is emotional and visceral. It's love-hate. People in Argentina put all their frustrations on Messi. This relationship is very strong. His relationship with Rosario is more tranquil. Messi feels like he owes something to Argentina's people."
Messi will get another chance to pay his dues to Argentina when his team begin their Copa America journey—a tournament in which Messi's Argentina have lost three finals [2007, 2015, 2016] during his career—when they play Colombia on Sunday. He will be hoping that fellow Rosarians like Di Maria and Lo Celso can finally help him to lay to rest a ghost by winning a major international tournament with Argentina.
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Lionel Messi Plays Down Argentina's 2019 Copa America Chances
Jun 6, 2019
EZEIZA, ARGENTINA - JUNE 05: Lionel Messi of Argentina gestures during a training session at Julio H. Grondona Training Camp on June 5, 2019 in Ezeiza, Argentina. Argentina will participate in the upcoming Copa America to be held in Brazil from June 14th to July 7th. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
Lionel Messi has said Argentina are not in as good a position as previous years to win the Copa America as they are "going through a process of change."
La Albiceleste have reached four of the past five finals and lost them all, including the last two on penalties to Chile.
They kick off their 2019 Copa America campaign in Brazil against Colombia on June 15 before further Group B fixtures against Paraguay (June 19) and Qatar (June 23).
Not least because of Messi's presence in the squad, Argentina are among the favourites to go all the way:
Copa America 2019 odds:
🇧🇷 Brazil - 5/4 🇦🇷 Argentina - 7/2 🇺🇾 Uruguay - 8/1 🇨🇴 Colombia - 9/1 🇨🇱 Chile - 10/1
— 🎯 Tommy's Darts Tips (@TommysDartsTips) May 29, 2019
But the Barcelona superstar has played down his side's prospects ahead of the tournament, per Argentinian outlet TyC Sports (h/t ESPN FC): "We are not candidates like other times. We will go with the same dreams and excitement as always, but the reality is that Argentina is going through a process of change."
Unlike his club football, Messi's international career has been one of perennial disappointment.
He won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 but has lost three Copa America finals, in 2007, 2015 and 2016, as well as the 2014 FIFA World Cup final.
After the 2016 defeat, Messi briefly called time on his international career before returning to guide Argentina to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where they lost in the first knockout round to eventual champions France.
At 31, Messi is still at a level barely any other player could hope to reach.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner netted 36 goals and provided 13 assists in 34 La Liga appearances in 2018-19 as Barca retained the title:
Messi ends the league season involved in more goals (36 goals, 13 assists) than 12 La Liga teams, level with Villarreal on 49. Only Valencia (51), Celta Vigo (53), Atletico (55), Levante (59) Sevilla (62) & Real Madrid (63) are ahead of him.
But he also endured crushing disappointment in the UEFA Champions League, as Barcelona squandered a 3-0 first-leg lead in the semi-finals against eventual winners Liverpool.
Per ESPN FC, Messi said he feels physically prepared ahead of the Copa, but he acknowledged the Liverpool defeat was a blow: "[I am] more tired and frustrated in the head than with the physical aspect, more than anything because of the Champions [League] elimination. It's been the fewest minutes I've played in the last years, I feel fine."
Despite Messi's assertion Argentina are not among the favourites, they still have a strong squad, with Sergio Aguero also fresh from a strong season with Manchester City:
However, the problem with Argentina teams of the recent past is they have always been less than the sum of their parts.
They may have the personnel to go deep at the 2019 Copa America, but if they fail to mesh as a squad, Argentina and Messi will leave Brazil disappointed once again.
Barack Obama Talks Argentina's World Cup Woes Despite 'Wonderful' Lionel Messi
May 29, 2019
MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 22: Lionel Messi of Argentina looks on prior to the International friendly match between Argentina and Venezuela at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on March 22, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Lionel Messi and Argentina will come under scrutiny once again as they gear up for the 2019 Copa America, but one take on their struggles has come from an unlikely source, former U.S. President Barack Obama.
Obama spoke at the EXMA Conference in Bogota, Colombia, on Tuesday and discussed the need for teamwork.
"Even people that we consider geniuses work with other people in order to develop their style.
"In Argentina, even though Messi is wonderful, they have problems winning the World Cup.
"My advice to young people is that we have to recognise very few people achieve great things on their own."
Messi is considered by many to be the best player in football history, but those who do not share that view point to his lack of success on the international stage.
Aside from an Olympic gold medal from Beijing in 2008, Messi has failed to win any honours with La Albiceleste.
He is the country's record scorer with 65 goals in 129 appearances and has helped Argentina reach four major finals—the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Copa America in 2007, 2015 and 2016—but they fell short on each occasion.
Messi isn't the only top-class talent Argentina have had in that time, particularly in attack—the likes of Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero have also been part of the team at the peak of their powers. However, the team have often struggled for chemistry on the pitch, and there hasn't been much stability off it, either.
Lionel Scaloni is the ninth manager the 31-year-old has played under since he made his senior debut, while Claudio Tapia is the fourth president the Argentinian Football Association has had since 2014.
Argentinian football expert Roy Nemer does not expect much from Scaloni this summer, either:
Paredes is a walking disaster with Argentina, Pereyra is a work horse but if he doesn't start, Argentina will get over run in midfield. Guido with Lo Celso in midfield along with Palacios and Pereyra? I truly don't know and I doubt Scaloni does either.
Messi's presence in the side will always give Argentina a chance in individual matches because of his ability to make decisive contributions out of nowhere from open play or a set-piece.
More is needed to win a tournament, though, and too often La Albiceleste's other high-profile players have fallen well short of the standards they're capable of.
Unless they can do so and achieve some fluency as a team in Brazil next month, it's likely to be the same old story for Messi and Argentina.
Lionel Messi Values Barcelona Glory Above Argentina Success, Says Team Director
May 22, 2019
MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 22: Lionel Messi reacts during the International Friendly match between Argentina and Venezuela at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on March 22, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Argentina director Cesar Luis Menotti has suggested Lionel Messi values success with Barcelona more than his country and would rather win the UEFA Champions League than an international trophy.
Ahead of the 2019 Copa America, Menotti said he was sure talisman Messi remains happy with Argentina but hinted the forward would prioritise a major trophy with his club, per Marca:
"It wouldn't cost him anything to say that his big toe hurt if he didn't feel like it, but if he's with us it's because he's happy to do it.
"I don't think there's anyone who wants to win more than Messi does with Argentina. If there is, I haven't spoken to him.
"But I'm sure if you asked Messi if he'd rather be a champion with Argentina or win the Champions League, he would say the Champions League."
It's a curious comment from a high-ranking member of Argentina's setup three weeks before the Copa America gets under way. The tournament kicks off on June 14, and La Albiceleste are hoping to end their title torment after back-to-back runner-up finishes to Chile in 2015 and 2016.
Messi has featured in only one of his country's last eight fixtures (all friendlies) but was named in coach Lionel Scaloni's squad for the trip to Brazil:
The 31-year-old has won the UEFA Champions League four times with Barcelona, has 10 La Liga titlesand could add a seventh Copa del Rey to his collection if the Blaugrana beat Valencia in Saturday's final.
However, his biggest accomplishments on the international stage remain his 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal, a runner-up finish at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and three Copa America silvers.
The second of Argentina's successive penalty-shootout defeats to Chile in the Copa led him to announce his retirement from international football in June 2016, though he returned to the fold in August that year.
Gabrielle Amado of beIN Sports analysed Messi's tumultuous relationship with Argentina and his most recent comeback after missing six matches for the team:
Menotti, who coached Argentina to the 1978 World Cup, could have aimed his comments at the country's record scorer—65 goals in 129 games—in an effort to rouse him ahead of the tournament in June.
Many would argue it's the players around Messi—not the individual himself—that have prevented him from replicating his club success on the international stage.
Only the player will know whether Menotti's assessment is true. Messi wasn't able to lead Argentina past the last 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, though he was undoubtedly one of their more impressive players.
It would be a special triumph if Argentina were to end their 26-year wait for a Copa triumph inside Brazilian borders, with Messi again bearing the weight of a nation under pressure to succeed.
Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero in Argentina Copa America Squad; No Mauro Icardi
May 21, 2019
(L-R) Lionel Messi of Argentina, Sergio Aguero of Argentina during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group D match between Nigeria and Argentina at the Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 26, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero were named in Argentina's squad for the 2019 Copa America on Tuesday, although there was no place for Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi.
The 23-man group was confirmed by the team Twitter account:
Messi recently returned to the national team after a nine-month absence, while Aguero has been called up for the first time since the 2018 FIFA World Cup, when the Albiceleste were eliminated in the last 16.
Scaloni is blessed with high-class attacking options, with Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martinez also among the forward options.
Scaloni explained why he had taken the decision to bring back Aguero after almost a year out of international football, per Adriana Garcia of ESPN FC.
"My opinion regarding Aguero has not changed," said the manager. "We wanted to give others an opportunity to try. But Kun's numbers speak for themselves. We are very happy that he is with us. he only thing we hope is that we can put the pieces together so that he can do with us what he does at his club."
Scaloni also said he has spoken with Messi about the team's preparations for the tournament. The Barcelona star has enjoyed yet another memorable season, netting 50 goals already in all competitions ahead of Saturday's Copa del Rey final with Valencia.
OptaJose summed up how influential Messi has been this season:
18 - Lionel Messi has won more points with his goals than any other player in LaLiga 2018/19 (18 points with 36 goals). MVP. pic.twitter.com/6xlFFgz0vm
There's always a massive amount of pressure on Messi to perform for Argentina, although other facets of the team have often let him down.
Argentinian football journalist Roy Nemer has expressed his concern about certain areas of the squad, especially in midfield:
Does Di Maria start? Do we get Lautaro with Messi or Aguero? I'm guessing Armani is the goalkeeper and CB pairing is Otamendi and Pezzella. Tagliafico and Saravia as full backs.
In the previous two Copa America tournaments, Argentina have made it to the final against Chile, only to lose on penalty shootouts on both occasions. The most recent was in 2016 and the signs are that Argentina have regressed significantly since then, as they toiled at the World Cup.
While there's no doubting the talent in the squad, the team has failed to work as a unit in recent years, as evidenced by the 3-1 loss to Venezuela in March.
Argentina's arch rivals Brazil are the host nation for the tournament, which gets underway on June 14. The Albiceleste are in Group B, along with Colombia, Paraguay and Qatar.
