Just more than two weeks ago, Argentina’s World Cup adventure seemed doomed. Bad enough the Albiceleste lost, 2-1, to Saudi Arabia, but they appeared disjointed, vulnerable to the Saudis’ quickness up front. The Argentines self-destructed on offense, and even VAR technology worked against them, infallible confirmation of their failings.
That was then. Three regulation-time victories and a penalty-kick shootout success later, and Argentina has qualified for the semifinals against Croatia on Tuesday. Which means Lionel Messi is two games away from World Cup championship joy.
Judging by body language, no one from the banks of the Rio de la Plata appeared more discouraged than Messi after the opening defeat. Blank, disbelieving look in his eyes, slumped shoulders — that was Messi. He might not have been as abject as we witnessed Cristiano Ronaldo following Portugal’s elimination against Morocco, but Messi looked down, to say the least.
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Massive riches and the adoration of millions provide consolation to fallen (Ronaldo) or dejected (Messi) superstars. But there is nothing like defeat on the World Cup stage to bring them down to earth.
With the national team, Messi had become accustomed to having the rug pulled out. Since capturing the 1993 Copa America title, Argentina reached several tournament finals, including the 2014 World Cup, falling short every time — until last year’s Copa America. Reacting to the Albiceleste victory over Brazil at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Messi looked like it was almost too good to be true. He performed for several coaches along the way, none less experienced than Lionel Scaloni, and you got the feeling Messi needed time to let it sink in that this might be the entrenador the nation has been waiting for.
That feeling returned after the Saudi Arabia match at Lusail Stadium. But Scaloni, 44, the youngest coach in this World Cup, did not hesitate to shake up the lineup. Out came Papu Gomez, Scaloni’s former teammate at Atalanta in Italy’s Serie A; plus Leandro Paredes and Nicolas Tagliafico. Teams ganging up on Messi? Let’s switch formations. No more 4-4-2, let’s try 4-3-3, toss in a 3-5-2 against the Dutch. Julian Alvarez, 22, and Enzo Fernandez, 21, might be youngsters, but we’ll see if they’re ready. The Netherlands are peppering the penalty area with crosses, so remove a defender and add Angel Di Maria, get some possession. How about setting up reserve defender Gonzalo Montiel for a key penalty kick? That worked, as well.
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Margins are thin in the World Cup, especially after a team loses its opener. Just about every Scaloni tweak had to come through, judging by the scores of his team’s next matches: 2-0, 2-0, 2-1, 2-2. There have been no breathers for the Albiceleste, and Croatia will be expected to be even more obstinate.
As for ghosts from Messi’s past, Croatia will send out Luka Modric, who led the way in a 3-0 victory over Argentina in the 2018 World Cup. Modric has been more than a match for Messi at the club level, winning five Champions League titles with Real Madrid, to Messi’s four with Barcelona. Modric even broke into the Messi-Ronaldo Ballon D’Or dominance, winning the award in 2018. The last time they met on the field, Modric’s Real Madrid eliminated Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinals in March.
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Scaloni’s shuffling has helped preserve the lineup. Only Marcos Acuna and Montiel (suspended) are out — and replacements Nahuel Molina and Tagliafico are battle-tested. Scaloni likely will revive the four-back setup against Croatia’s single-striker formation. But who’s to say defender Lisandro Martinez, a 57 million pound transfer from Ajax to Manchester United, won’t find a place in a three-man back line?
When Scaloni was hired in 2018, he became Argentina’s youngest head coach since Cesar Luis Menotti, who was 39 when he won the 1978 World Cup. Among Scaloni’s first moves were to add two assistants, Pablo Aimar and Walter Samuel, both older than him, followed by Roberto Ayala. In 2006, three of the coaching foursome were on the team (Samuel was left off the roster) that reached the World Cup quarterfinals before falling to Germany in Berlin. That match went to penalty kicks after Jose Pekerman made the questionable choice to start Fabricio Coloccini over Scaloni at right back, then failed to get Messi into the match as a replacement.
Scaloni certainly learned from those experiences, proving himself from the start, and staying on the job longer than any other Argentine coach since Marcelo Bielsa in 2004. Only Carlos Bilardo (seven years), Menotti (eight years), and 1930 World Cup leading scorer Guillermo Stabile (21 years) have completed longer tenures than Scaloni with Seleccion.
After losing to the Saudis, Argentina might have been reluctant to return to Lusail Stadium. But any jinx attached to the venue has been wiped out by victories over Mexico and the Netherlands, majority Albiceleste crowds of 80,000-plus turning it into as close to a home field as they could hope for. The stadium only opened last year, the center piece and site for the World Cup final, thanks to migrant workers willing to sacrifice quite a lot. Argentine supporters have brought it to life, transferring some of the spirit of La Bombonera and Estadio Monumental to the Qatar coast. They will be at Lusail for the Croatia match, and they could well be back for the Dec. 18 title game.
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Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at frankdellapa@gmail.com.