But after all, Kempes, Maradona and Messi completed the big teams.
Vasily Utkin recalled the most popular myth about the Argentina national team:
Title in 1986 – with all due respect, this is Maradona plus others. A very average team around a great player.
Now, one way or another, it’s pretty much the same. One step away from the title; Messi (even in itself it is already the second, so to speak, freshness) – and the rest.
One can accept Vasily’s remark that Bielsa in 2002 and Pekerman in 2006 had excellent teams that survived tragedies in major tournaments. But repeating the popular nonsense about “average” Argentina does not make these words true. The champions of past years were not “others”, as were the Scaloni team candidates.
Ronaldo’s court reporter, Piers Morgan, tried bad Messi before the final, but didn’t say anything new. Lionel, as usual, will respond on the pitch.
world Cup-2022. Next to Messi are fighters and enormous talent
When Alvarez, nicknamed Spider-Man, was recruited by Guardiola, he got the chance to write that he was the most talented soccer player in South America. Perhaps the Brazilian Andrik, who is only 16 – after he comes of age he will be in Real Madrid, is even more talented. But teenagers cannot be judged on the same standards as a nearly 23-year-old.
Alvarez is really good. And goalkeeper Martinez is no worse than Cavaliero and Abbondancieri, who were goalkeepers for Bielsa and Pekerman. Emiliano is more stable. Defensively, Argentina usually has fighters. Lisandro Martinez proved it Manchester Unitedwhich can handle errors. Otamendi and Romero also have experience Premier League.
The midfield doesn’t belong to Mascherano, Cambiasso or Riquelme, but now Messi is in the middle. Di Maria will come out safe on the wing, Lautaro Martinez, like Dybala, are players of extra class. Scaloni has a large squad. The stars of the Crespo and Tevez generations did not win the Copa America, while the “others” beat Brazil.
“Selesao” took off from Croatia and “albiselestes” defeated Modric. Argentina nearly equaled Italy’s longest unbeaten run in the world. Of course, Scaloni’s team is not “average”. Enzo Fernandez and McAlister themselves will still show themselves at the club level.
And if not, then I’m already in the final. world Cup, the second for Argentina in eight years. “Average” team? If anyone has forgotten, four years ago Messi only came out of the future champions of France with a score of 4:3. Had Mbappe not scored his second goal, Aguero’s strike could have sent the fight into extra time.
world Cup-1986. Maradona had excellent partners
Goalkeeper Pumpido, defender Ruggieri and midfielder Enrique won the Copa Libertadores in 1986. After the World Cup, they will win the Intercontinental Cup. Burruchaga is an excellent midfielder, even if Sergio Batista is also good. The only “sin” of Argentina Bilardo is that the European fan has rarely seen her.
They knew Burruchaga, Maradona and Valdano. Jorge played for Real before going to Mexico. Argentina won the group with Italy, world champions. Admittedly, the quarter-final against the English was scandalous. There, Maradona’s genius blinded the referees. His goal with a hand was not noticed, but a legendary pass was nearby.
Not an easy slalom like Alvarez’s with the Croatians, but with a similar result for the team. Double Diego brought forward and Lineker’s goal didn’t save England. Maradona played again in the semifinals: two goals, but where was the Belgian attack against Bilardo’s defense? Argentina in 1986 was not an “other” team.
Maybe if Platini ended up in the final – Michel flew out Germany, then for Argentina things went differently. Giresse and Tigana could sustain their top ten, but the Germans had a drier game. But they played according to the Bilardo scheme – “3-5-2”, the final came out tense, scoring – 3:2, and Maradona only assisted.
world Cup-1978. Menotti has created a team with a center of gravity
If Bilardo or Menotti translate Utkin’s words, they will both laugh. Vasily did not mention the 1978 squad, but the composition was such that Maradona did not qualify. Diego was young, Menotti didn’t like the “wildness” of the junior. But without a future legend, the team successfully played against incredible opponents.
In the first group – Italy and France, then – Brazil and Poland. We also remember the scandal. Most likely the junta he bought the win over Peru 6-0 to overcome Brazil on goal difference. But after all, Argentina beat Poland and did not lose Selesao, and this is already quite a lot by the standards of the tournament, where England did not get.
Also, the Poles had legends: Tomaszewski, Zhmuda, Kasperchak, Deina, Bonek, Lato and Lubansky. What kind of “average” team are we talking about if Argentina played against Italy, France, Brazil, Poland and Holland in one tournament and only lost against Team in the first round? An exceptionally powerful team.
In the final, the hosts of the tournament fought against Krol, Neeskens, Khan and Rensenbrink. Cruyff was missing, but Ernst Happel, the man and the stadium, coached his rival. Argentina had clear attacking leaders: Kempes and Maradona, but that doesn’t make everyone else “other”. Now there is Messi, but the team is not just Lionel.
You have to be crazy not to build a game around a captain in such form, with such experience and a set of qualities. Kempes was weaker than Messi, but he was joined by Fillol, Passarella, Holguin, Tarantini, Alonso, who played in midfield with the number one behind him, Ardiles and the mustachioed Luque. Amazing composition for any era.
Questions to the style of Argentina have always been
Starting with the first world Cup-1930, in which Evaristo and Monti kicked the Uruguayans’ legs in the final but lost, the Argentines have a reputation for being tough. Subsequently, Louis will go under the banner of fascist Italy and become world champion. Argentina won the title much later, but both times there will be goals and rational football without the ball.
To be successful, they need guys with character who can laugh in the Dutch face after a winning streak. There is no doubt about that world Cup-1990, the Argentines were not impressive, they crawled to the final, there is no room for disputes there. But the statement that Bielsa’s Argentina would surely beat Scolari’s Brazil is pure revisionism, Ronaldo is no worse than Crespo.
Don’t invent a story, it’s always dangerous. Yes, Argentina twenty years ago was more brilliant in names than it is today. Zanetti, Samuel, Sorin, Veron, Simeone, Aimar, Kili, Claudio, Batistuta, Ortega and Crespo are among the home football stars. A good half are world-class legends. But they didn’t leave the group with the Swedes and the British.
And four years later they flew away to the Germans on penalties. Lehmann used a cheat sheet, Ayala and Cambiasso missed goals, the Germans went on to lose against Italy in extra time in the semifinals. Would the Argentines beat Lippi and Zidane? Not excluded. But they flew away, but Messi will play against Mbappe. Meeting of past and future, as ordered.
Scaloni is not like Menotti and Bilardo in terms of color, but in Qatar he underwent a serious path of tactical development. From the defeat with the Saudis to the defeat of the Croatians, he gave birth to Argentina. Maybe they will be disappointed again, but you shouldn’t call the team “average”. They were no worse than the Brazilians a year ago, and were considered early favorites before the tournament in Qatar.
A weak team cannot go 36 games without defeat in the modern worldAnd and crush Italy in the trophy match between the champions of Europe and South America. It is clear that not everyone likes Argentina’s approach, they never lie that they don’t call an opponent in anger a fool. But what questions could set game in Qatar?
It was fortunate that we lost Neymar in the semis, but the team improved along the way, so thanks to Argentina, the world had a big and intriguing final.
