The level of the rivals is not at the level of the world champion team, but
Lionel Scaloni
's attention is equally focused on the performance of all his boys in each training session and in the friendlies against
El Salvador and Costa Rica
on this tour of the United States coming to an end.
There is no more time left.
He will soon have to take out the pencil and paper again to write down and submit the final list for the
Copa América
that will start on June 20 in Atlanta with the opening match between Argentina and Canada.
It will be about neither more nor less than the defense of the first of the three crowns of the Scaloneta.
And this is the last FIFA window for the Albiceleste technical director to make his observations, draw conclusions and finish polishing his team.
"
We are not lacking players for the Copa América, but rather we have plenty of them
. It is a very nice problem to put together the squad list
," said Scaloni in these days of work on North American soil in which, as a novelty, he was able to see up close for a considerable time to some young talents who appear to be the replacement for the future for the Major.
Fideo will have one last dance and it will be in a gala dress at the Copa América. Photo: AFP
The
nice problem
, as defined by the coach born in Pujato, has to do with the fact that he will inevitably have to commit injustices by leaving out names that he knows deserve to be there.
There are 23 footballers who will make up the final list, three less than the 26 who achieved glory in Qatar, on December 18, 2022.
The first question that Scaloni asked himself internally was how much will he modify from one list to the other, that is, from the World Cup to the Copa América?
The answer is implicit precisely in this last quote in which a very high percentage continues to correspond to the World Cup players.
And so it will also be in this new continental national team competition.
There won't be a big replacement.
Most of the world champions, with Lionel Messi at the helm, have their place assured
.
The focus, then, begins to be placed on specific cases.
There are two players who could not be on Arab soil due to injury, but who are a fixture in this Argentine squad:
Giovanni Lo Celso and Nicolás González
.
Both are in the United States now and, if there are no setbacks, they will also be in the middle of the year.
Always taking the World Cup list as a reference, they will take the place of Alejandro Gómez, who is suspended for a doping case, and Thiago Almada, who is one of the faces of Javier Mascherano's Under 23 team that will compete in the Olympic Games in France from on July 24.
In goal,
Emiliano Martínez and Franco Armani
are calm.
The question is with the third goalkeeper.
Gerónimo Rulli lost ground
after surgery for a dislocation in his right shoulder in August of last year.
From that moment until now, Rulli saved two games: a preseason friendly with Ajax in January and one with Ajax B in February.
If he manages to return to the ring in the next two months he would be chosen by Scaloni.
And, if not, Walter Benítez adds beans over Juan Musso.
Among the field footballers, the coach and his collaborators are preparing the scissors to cut down to three with respect to Qatar 2022. If the idea of taking two men per position is followed, there are cases that would not pass the filter.
One is that of
Juan Foyth
, without adding minutes this year after having surgery on his right shoulder in December.
Lo Celso (right) will be in the Copa América, after missing the World Cup. Photo: EFE
Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolás Tagliafico and Germán Pezzella
have their places guaranteed.
It is presumed that
Marcos Acuña
, recovering from a myofascial injury to the rectus femoris of the left thigh, will also be there if he returns without physical problems.
Similar cases to Huevo are those of Gonzalo Montiel, the perpetrator of the decisive penalty in the final with France, and Lisandro Martínez, who asked to be in the first part of the tour despite the fact that he is going through the last stretch of recovery from the injury. in the medial collateral ligament of the knee.
Just in case, Scaloni tried Nehuén Pérez as a right back against El Salvador.
And Marcos Senesi (cited and then sidelined due to a tear) is one of those targeted by the coach just in case for the central defense.
Guido Rodríguez
, who was added at the last minute on this tour due to the loss of Exequiel Palacios,
is the one who would be left out of the June event
.
The physiognomy of Argentina's midfield has changed since the World Cup.
Now, Scaloni has Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister, in addition to Leandro Paredes, for the central midfield position.
All three can also fulfill other tasks in between.
If Palacios is okay, he would be called up, otherwise Rodríguez would win his place.
Rodrigo De Paul is untouchable, of course.
The little motor: From Paul, another fixed one.
Photo: AFP
Above the question seems very clear:
Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Julián Alvarez and Angel Di María are permanent
.
Paulo Dybala is one of the figures that Scaloni has been citing since he took office.
The injuries (he has five in the season) do not allow him to achieve continuity in the National Team and that is why he was disaffected for this double day of friendlies.
However, if he is well, he will go to the Copa América.
If he is absent again due to force majeure, it would open the door to one of the new faces since Angel Correa (who had joined Qatar due to the loss of Joaquín Correa) today seems to be running from behind.
Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Buonanotte are the kids who most seduce the coaching staff and put pressure on them to be considered.
If they finally fail to make it, they could be part of the Olympic delegation, as long as their clubs authorize them.
Valentín Barco and Valentín Carboni are in the same situation.
The names are on the table.
There are plenty of them, as the Argentine coach said.
There will only be room for 23.