The situation
Messi was working with the team’s kinesiologist in the hours before the momentous match against Mexico , the one that could leave him — who would have thought — out of his fifth World Cup with hardly any time to savor it. In the solitude of the soccer player, he pondered what this bump would mean. A lethal blow for Argentina, for Leo, for the World Cup. The accounts are clear : if he loses the Albiceleste, he is out. Nobody wants to talk about it, or think about it, and the work these days has been more mental recovery than physical. Leo Messi’s overloaded twin, although annoying, is fine. The psychic forces have been reestablishing after the blow that meant losing to Saudi Arabia at the premiere. No one expected such a calamitous start . The draw in the other group game, however, opened the waters. Scaloni will move the tree in search of new fruits. Tagliafico, Romero and Papu will fall from the eleven to introduce Acuña, Lisandro Martínez and Enzo Fernández. They may not be the only changes. Nobody is safe anymore after the debacle against the Saudis except Messi. De Paul, Paredes and even Di María are others who may be threatened. It will depend on the degree of heat of the coach, who has been going down, like the rest of the Argentines, as the first game passed and the next one arrives,
Tata Martino, in danger
Argentina has not fallen in the first phase of a World Cup since 2002 , that catastrophe that cost Bielsa fame and surely a greater career than he has had. After having won the Copa América last summer in Brazil, a premature goodbye in Qatar would be very difficult to digest. The stands will once again be dyed blue and white thanks to the 40,000 Argentine fans who have arrived in Qatar during these days. It’s a pity for them that they can do everything except play and score goals, because there are few fans in the world capable of supporting their country like this. Perhaps, precisely, the Mexican , her rival today, who will take over the other half of the stadium. Mexico is not doing well , which arrived in the middle of the civil war with Tata Martino and did not solve its problems in its debut despite rescuing a draw against Lewandowski ‘s Poland . The Tri coach, former Argentine coach, will experience a special duel, with a divided heart. On the one hand, he has the need to take Mexico as far as his fans ask him to, and on the other, he suffers for not being the one who finally sentenced Messi, from Rosario like him, his godfather at Barça, which is why a day he will reach the Camp Nou and the Argentine team.