Like a phoenix, Argentina is rising from the ashes!
If the Albiceleste started their World Cup very badly with a defeat against modest Saudi Arabia (2-1), they were able to react and get their ticket to the round of 16 by winning their last two matches.
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Indeed, thanks to these successes against Mexico (2-0) and against Poland (2-0), Lionel Scaloni's men finished in first place in group C and will face Australia in the round of 16 this Saturday. , second in Group D behind France.
The Argentine press in full euphoria
After the Albiceleste's fine victory against Robert Lewandowski's Poland this Wednesday, which ensured the qualification, the Argentine press is on fire... The sports newspaper
El Hincha
titles its front page "
a jump towards the eighths
" before congratulating the Argentinian team, "
Scaloni's selection has regained its identity and left behind the doubts of the surprising faux pas against Saudi Arabia
".
The front page of El Hincha Marca
The other sports daily
Olé
is on the same line by writing "
come, come and jump with me
" with the joyful photo of striker Julian Alvarez who looks at his teammate Enzo Fernandez before assuring that
"Argentina played their best World Cup match and has something to dream about.
The front page of Olé Marca
"Favorites from nothing", tempers the coach
Certainly the dynamic is good for the Argentines and the lights seem to be green.
Messi is in great shape, Scaloni seems to have found his defense (no goals conceded in the last two games) and the Argentinian youth shines brightly.
But the coach prefers to calm this euphoria.
“We are not candidates for anything, we are not favorites for anything. We are a team that will fight but we must not believe that we are going to be world champions because we won tonight
,” he said.
“
Diego would be super happy for me
”, thinks Messi after his new record
The only black point in this general enthusiasm remains the penalty missed by Lionel Messi just before the break (39th), but the PSG player nevertheless says he is "
happy
" with this "
big game
".
“
We achieved our first objective, which was to get out of this first group, after starting as we did (with a 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia, editor’s note).
I was really frustrated to have missed the penalty, because I knew that a goal could change the whole match, that it makes you play in a different way... But I believe that from the penalty that I missed, the team came out stronger
, "said the Pulga before talking about Diego Maradona, who died more than two years ago now, regarding a new record, that of the number of World Cup appearances. (22) .
“
I learned it recently, I didn't know it.
It's a pleasure to be able to continue to achieve these kinds of records.
I think Diego would be super happy for me, because he always showed me a lot of affection, he was always happy when things went well for me
,” Messi slipped into the mixed zone after the game.
To come back to this missed penalty from Messi, not sure if it's a bad thing for the Argentines because in 1978, Kempes missed one in the third game and the Albiceleste finally won the World Cup, in 1986, again with this once again Maradona as a shooter... So what about 2022?
However, Argentina is growing more than ever and will have to maintain this momentum against Australia on Saturday at 4 p.m. to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar.
