After the Argentine National Team's 3-1 victory against Costa Rica,
Lionel Scaloni
ended up having the best moment of the day when he left the stadium.
The thing is that
he had the pleasure of meeting again and spending some time hugging with Claudio Vivas
, whom he considers "
his football father
" and did not hesitate to praise him in front of the cameras.
"
This guy knows 10 times more about football than me
," he commented with a smile from ear to ear.
What was Vivas doing in Los Angeles, even more so in the vicinity of the stadium?
He is part of the Costa Rican team.
Since the beginning of 2023
he has held the position of sports director of the National Teams and Football Development of Costa Rica
.
Under that role he was speaking to the press after the friendly, when a Scaloni who was accompanying the Argentine delegation saw him from afar.
Respectful, the world champion coach first touched Vivas on the shoulder.
When they both exchanged glances, they embraced each other and interrupted the press conference.
"
This one is great, this one made me play when I was little at Newell's
. He is my soccer father, mine and my brother's, so I appreciate him a lot," explained Scaloni, revealing the influence that Vivas had on his sporting life.
In addition, he took advantage of the presence of several chroniclers from Costa Rica and warned them of good omens for the future thanks to the help of Marcelo Bielsa's former assistant.
"You've seen it.
This one competes and it's going to give you joy
. Besides, I appreciate him a lot, I love him a lot.
His career supports it, it's not me, it's much more than just the words
," he commented, visibly excited and with a indelible smile.
Claudio Vivas is the national team coordinator in Costa Rica.
He was key in Scaloni's formation as a player at Newell's.
Yesterday they met.
And this happened ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2O46XkJ3si
— VarskySports (@VarskySports) March 27, 2024
And as icing on the cake, before leaving for the bus in Argentina, he added: "
He knows about football 10 times more than I do. Don't have any doubts about that. Listen to me
."
Words would then be exchanged privately as they gave each other another hug.
Left alone again in front of the microphones, Vivas returned Scaloni's praise.
"It is a great satisfaction that he made that gesture. I value him a lot. I know him and I love him and his family very much
," he said.
Vivas's story with Newell's began when he was little: he played in the youth teams as a goalkeeper until he was 18 years old.
He decided to retire early because he did not have the ideal height to stand under the three sticks and bet everything on youth coaching.
During this process, it would be in one of the many youth leprous categories that he was in charge of where he would cross paths with the Scaloni brothers.
A legacy that lasted over the years.
Scaloni and a tough message for the Copa América list
On the one hand, the world champions.
On the other hand, new names of talented youth appear and begin to ask for advice.
In the middle, Lionel Scaloni and "the nice problem" of putting together the squad list for the Copa América.
Only 23 places for several names that are beginning to compete with each other.
This is how for the DT it is time to raise the bar and lower a message for all his managers
, warning that no one has their place assured, with the exception of his two greatest weaknesses.
🗣️Scaloni and the Copa América list: "OF THOSE WHO ARE HERE, NONE HAS THE POSITION GUARANTEED, ONLY THE ONE WHO DIDN'T COME AND ALREADY KNOW IT. THE REST, PICK AND SHOVEL... WELL, WE'RE GOING TO ALSO GET THE NOODLE METER, YOU HAVE IT GUARANTEED".
pic.twitter.com/9ErgyzLNqw
— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) March 27, 2024
"
Guarantee, none of those who have come here, only those who did not come and you already know (because of Lionel Messi). The rest, pick and shovel
.
Well, we are also going to put Fideo in, he is also guaranteed
," said Scaloni. , short at the bottom, in the press conference after the victory against Costa Rica.
The chances of possible changes occur in all lines, from goalkeepers to forwards.
In this call, the names of
Walter Benítez, Alejandro Garnacho, Valentín Carboni, Facundo Buonanotte, Valentín Barco and Nicolás Valentini
were those that resonated with strength and made a place for themselves thanks to the absence of several traditionalists.
But Scaloni does not go beyond neutrality when talking about the performance of the kids either.
"
They are guys who can contribute to us and we will see in the future if they will be with us
. But I am happy, it is not easy to play with this shirt or with these rivals who make it difficult for you. We are fine," he explained. "
In the world of nothing is known about football
," he added.
Scaloni, his coaching staff and a list in between: the protagonists of the months leading up to the Copa América.
Photo: EFE/EPA/Allison Dinner.
He also delved into the excess of variants available to him in the midfield, using this sector of the field as an excuse to lower his message again.
"The team always had many good midfielders. Exequiel (Palacios) did not come on this tour, Guido (Rodríguez) is also out, Thiago (Almada) is in the Under 23.
We are well covered and, if someone's performance drops, "There is another one to play. Let no one give up because the one who is best plays
," the coach warned again.
Likewise, it is not new that Scaloni chooses to use the players who are at the best level.
He already made it clear when in the days before the World Cup in Qatar he disaffected those who were not in optimal physical condition.
Now, it seems like he's back in the same game.
"Today there are 25 called here, 24 Lisandro left, and many others who did not come due to injury, so the quota is over, we would say.
Even so, some can enter because they have had a good end to the season. We have no problem
," he said. in the last days.
The Copa América begins on June 20, although the FIFA window will begin with two warm-up friendlies at the beginning of the month.
Therefore, all signs seem to point to mid-May when the current dilemma of the world champion team will be revealed.
Meanwhile, the protagonists will try to seduce the boss from their respective clubs.