What’s Eating Leo Messi and the National Team Squad?

D.B. Cooper

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I just finished watching the Argentina Paraguay match in the Copa America tournament. Argentina barely managed to score a draw and only thanks to a penalty kick. The second half was much better than the first. Argentina lost last week to Colombia, and next Sunday it has to beat Qatar to advance to the next round. In a way I feel bad for Messi because he must feel like he has to carry the whole team. But one man can't do it all. No matter how good he is. We'll have to wait till Sunday and see what happens.
 
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Not being a football follower I did a double-take when I read Qatar in there. But yes, there it is: Qatar and Japan. In some ways that's like the Eurovision Song Contest incorporating Australia (and in other ways, of course, it's nothing like that at all).

As a casual observer, it's always appeared to me that there's the Argentine squad and there's Messi and the job of the squad is to get the ball to Messi. Bad luck if he's having an off-day. Compared with, say, Germany which appears to be a finely tuned machine of a team.

Argentina: when it works it works - brilliantly. Germany: it works.
 
it's been this way for awhile with the national team. making the world cup final in 14 was probably the best they've played as a unit with messi.
 
it's been this way for awhile with the national team. making the world cup final in 14 was probably the best they've played as a unit with messi.
Yes, but this it is different, although it did start with the World Cup last year. After making that WC final in 2014 the team also made the finals of the 2015 and 2016 Copa America's. Here's the thing though, Argentina didn't play well through any of those tournaments despite making the finals. The team did not light up the WC in Rio on its way to the final, and with the players available at the time and Brazil's relative decline in those years, should have beaten Chile in the 2015 and 2016 Copas.

Those Chile defeats highlight the problem Argentina had during that time. Excellent players (truly world class in numerous positions) but without a proper idea of how to get the best from them. Chile's victories were a classic example of having a clear style of play besting individual talent.

Argentina has never played well under the Messi era (for want of a better term). This era coincided with a golden generation that included players such as Aguero, Higuain, Mascherano, Di Maria, among others. A truly dominant midfield prescence harmed the national team during this period, but the biggest problem was a lack of direction through successive coaches. It reminds me a lot of the England golen generation of Beckham, Gerrard, Ferdinand etc. who also had the personnel but lacked the tactical nous.

Now in 2019, this Copa is a different situation. This Argentina is filled either with young players with potential or average players who should not be anywhere near the selection. In other words, it is not unexpected that Argentina is struggling, but again there seems to be a lack of cohesive style on the pitch. Not playing proven world class talent like Aguero and Dybala also doesn't help. But yes, I agree that Messi must be thinking he would rather be anywhere else right now, especially as he carries the burden of performance. I think he will retire from international duty following this tournament, along with Aguero.
 
This is not a good squad. They have a few world class players, a terrible midfield, and several guys that just don't belong on the team.
 
Its a poor midfield and has been for a few years now. Lo Celso is a decent footballer with a future though. Add in a very inexperienced manager and you have a squad lucky if they make the knockout stage.
 
For anybody who’s interested Argentina plays Venezuela today at 4:00 PM BA time.
Should be interesting with all the Venezuelans living here.
Venezuela should not be taken lightly. They’ve already beaten the Argies earlier this year.
The winner of this match plays Brazil who defeated Paraguay last night 1-0 on penalty kicks.
 
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