Argentina’s 1-0 defeat at home to Paraguay on Tuesday was a massively damning result for La Albiceleste. Most evidently, it left Argentina in fifth place in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, one point out of the automatic qualification places. While there’s still time to move up the table, there’s also the worrying reality that both Paraguay and Chile are immediately behind them in the table, ready to knock them out of the 2018 World Cup entirely.
GL!!!
Gonzalez puts #Paraguay up 1-0 against #Argentina. In need of Messi!?#WCQ #Conmebol https://t.co/seiBsTDJws— go90sports (@go90sports) October 12, 2016
Argentina’s November qualifiers loom large, and it doesn’t get any easier for the side: on November 10th they travel to play Brazil in Belo Horizonte, and on November 15th they host Colombia. The pressure will, once again, be intensely felt by one man in particular: Lionel Messi.
With Lionel Messi in the squad, Argentina’s record reads played three, won three. Without him, Argentina have played seven matches, won one, drawn four and lost two.
For a squad as stacked as Argentina’s, that’s unforgivable. For those that have watched Argentina through the years, that’s simply the status quo.
Without Messi, the squad lacks spark, initiative and leadership. Whether it’s through providing a moment of magic, pulling defenders out of their static positioning and opening space or drawing attention by simply being there, Messi is the be all and end all for Argentina.
Consecutive Copa America finals and a World Cup final are unimaginable without Messi. Without Messi, this side is something of an abomination in Argentinean football history.
On paper, they’re brilliant but just listen to Sergio Aguero after the Paraguay match: “Things didn’t go as planned. I missed a penalty. It wasn’t my day as I didn’t achieve what I wanted to do. I sometimes feel that I’m a bad player although that doesn’t happen there [in England].”
When asked if he deserved a call-up for the November qualifiers, Aguero replied: “I’m not doing things well and if I’m not here next time, I will try to be in the next squad.”
Unable to win matches against Venezuela, Peru and Paraguay, Argentina look forward to welcoming Messi back from his groin injury in November and pray another injury doesn't befall him.
It’s all in dire contrast to the squad Diego Maradona achieved glory with in 1986. Jorge Valdano was a brilliant lone striker, Jorge Burruchaga thrived in a creative role, Sergio Batista covered the back line with authority and Oscar Ruggeri was indomitable in defense.
For Messi's Argentina, Aguero wants to be dropped, Gonzalo Higuain continues to fail to deliver and the entire defense, apart from the shielding of Javier Mascherano, is a massive liability.
Has there ever been a more misplaced criticism in the history of sport than that of Messi's performances for Argentina?
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