That strategy wasn’t effective in the first half, which ended 0-0. De Paul found the ball in goal-dangerous positions, but couldn’t deliver the final ball. Without Messi, Scaloni played with two center forwards in Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez. The hard-pressing Alvarez functioned as a false nine at times, and while Alvarez is capable in that role, the movement off the ball was managed well by the Chileans.
Overall, there was a lack of creativity in the final third. Argentina were polished on the ball, but Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister, a creative engine in midfield, was a non-factor. Argentina sent six ponderous crosses in the first half and De Paul’s set-piece delivery didn’t match Messi’s abilities.
In the second half they pressed higher and more aggressively. They widened the field, too. With Messi actively seeking touches in the middle of the park, Argentina tend to be a much more narrow team.
Without him, they made the pitch bigger and reached Chile’s penalty area as quickly as possible. Play went through Mac Allister and De Paul retreated slightly into his more natural box-to-box role.
Substitute Paulo Dybala was given Messi’s No. 10 shirt, but it’s Mac Allister who could be the heir apparent. When Argentina opened the scoresheet two minutes into the second half it was through a well-worked goal that saw Mac Allister finish first time a la Messi. The match ended 3-0 to Argentina.
Five days later in the midday heat of Barranquilla, Scaloni swapped Mac Allister for Leandro Paredes who played centrally alongside Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez. De Paul was again free to roam and often found himself in a prime attacking position at the top of Colombia’s penalty area (where we often see Messi). He also initiated several of Argentina’s counterattacks, along with Alvarez, but unfortunately for Argentina, those chances were wasted.
Argentina’s lone goal came from James Rodriguez’s errant pass that Nicolas Gonzalez pounced on and finished three minutes into the second half. Throughout the match, Argentina defenders Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi sought to bypass Colombia’s midfield trio and play directly to their two strikers.
It appeared that Argentina’s two center forwards had a lot more work to do without Messi on the pitch. They pressed Colombia’s back line, dropped into midfield and were asked to cover more ground than usual.
Argentina won the possession battle by a slight margin as Colombia pulled back after a Rodriguez penalty gave the hosts a 2-1 lead in the 60th minute. Mac Allister eventually came on but without creativity and cunning play of Messi, Scaloni was forced to improvise in the attack.
He brought attacking left fullback Marcos Acuña in the 64th minute in place of Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez. Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, who functioned as the false nine, would float out to the left and create a three-man overload with Acuña and Gonzalez.
It was a problem for Colombia, but Argentina could not capitalize. An exhausted Argentina suffered their second loss in the current World Cup qualifying cycle, and just their seventh defeat in 79 matches under Scaloni. Argentina remains atop the CONMEBOL qualifying table and hope for Messi to return for their October fixtures against Venezuela and Bolivia.
Nevertheless, their last two matches provided a glimpse at how Argentina’s tactical identity will change in the post-Messi era. Perhaps it’ll become a hybrid between Scaloni’s initial approach and today’s philosophy. Possession will remain a fundamental part of Argentina’s play style. What will change is how quick and how direct they’ll become without their talismanic No. 10.
GO DEEPER
On the ground: Colombia’s burning modern rivalry with World Cup champion Argentina
(Top photo: Lionel Scaloni; by Buda Mendes via Getty Images)
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Publish date : 2024-10-02 06:12:00
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