A bitter night at Defensores del Chaco-it's what the Argentine national team suffered. The defeat to Paraguay, sealed by an amazing overhead kick and some controversial refereeing decisions that left the Argentines fuming, showed even the leaders of the World Cup qualifiers can have a slip-up. Lionel Scaloni and his team reflected on the match by pinpointing the mistakes but kept confidence high in their ongoing efforts.
Follow Playing for 90 on X (Twitter).
Argentina took to the field to try to consolidate their qualifying lead, and for a period, everything was going so well. Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring with a well-taken goal. "We came to a tough venue that's always a challenge for the national team. Overall, we played a good game and controlled possession well. We need to focus on what's ahead," Lautaro said after the match.
But the elation lasted only shortly. An exquisite bicycle kick leveled it and sent the crowd into frenzy as the tie was levelled off by Paraguayan forward Sanabria. The goal made it definite that Paraguay was not awed with the reigning world champions.
The first half was marked by growing discontent from the Argentine side with referee Anderson Daronco, with the Paraguayan defender Alderete at the centre of the controversy and one who would prove to be the pivotal figure in the game. Booked for a hard foul on Messi, Alderete brought the Argentine star down again, and Argentina demanded a second yellow-but Daronco did not comply.
Messi, visibly upset, went to the locker room at halftime, while making his complaints to the referee loud and clear. "We played, and we'll look to get back on track. The team always shows up, fights in games, and never gives up on a ball. We'll analyze what we can do better," Scaloni later commented, not wanting to add wood to the fire of controversy.
In the second half, Alderete turned from villain for Argentina to Paraguayan hero as he nodded in the winner seconds after the restart to complete the comeback of the home side. Argentina pushed hard to equalize but was repeatedly thwarted by the Paraguayan defense and their own lack of precision.
Yet, in the midst of these struggles, Scaloni did not fail to show some bright spots. "In the first half, we played well, but the first action in the second half made things really complicated. We have to congratulate the opponent-they knew how to defend impressively."
Notwithstanding the defeat, Scaloni did find some positives, mainly how some young players shone in the match: "We tried to add depth with Garnacho's entry. It's good for him to play in matches like this. Castellanos also did well; his movement was interesting, and we're happy to have him with us." And Scaloni did believe in the long-term vision of the team: "We believe in what we're doing."
The defeat served as a wake-up call, but Argentina is still leading the qualifiers and is already turning their focus to the next challenge against Peru. Scaloni acknowledged the next difficulties. "Peru will be a completely different opponent, but they also present their own challenges. We'll prepare well and hope to bring joy to the fans."
Lautaro Martínez supported the need for changes, but showed his optimism: "We need to fix many things we got wrong in this match, but overall, we are in a good place. We're leading and have to concentrate on Tuesday's game."
This defeat at the hands of Paraguay was full of dramatic moments: a beautiful bicycle kick, disputes with refereeing, and the inability of Argentina to recover-a surefire reminder that even the most powerful can have off nights. Yet Scaloni looked more to the positives, rather than negatives, of his team. "I'm not here to criticize my players; I'm here to support them. We knew it would be a tough game."
Coming next for Argentina is Peru, to whom they will try to prove why they lead the qualifiers. For that, they must correct their mistakes and translate the game control into the score. As Scaloni aptly put it: "We'll analyze and get back on track." Now, it's up to the team to show it on the field.
feed
© 2024 Minute Media – All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
