Stale offense. A passive midfield. A disinterested defensive line.
Who are these guys? One thing is for sure...this is NOT Argentina football.
But maybe we shouldn't be so surprised. After all, this is the same team that won a ticket to the World Cup on the last day of qualifications and they needed a superhuman effort from superstar Lionel Messi to book that.
So what exactly is going wrong for Argentina? Here are three things to consider:
Thing #1 Capable Goalkeeping.
Everyone is missing Sergio Romero right now. Goalkeepers are normally the most confident (bordering on arrogant) players on the field. They need to be, given the importance of the position.
The fiery Willy Caballero seems to be falling victim to his nerves, something the more even-tempered Romero is not prone to. Just have a look at Caballero's horrible mistake which led to Croatia's first goal. Not to say that Caballero is not as skilled but maybe a calmer keeper (Romero) serves Argentina better in this high stakes World Cup.
Have a look at some of Romero's best saves for the season.
Thing #2 That Atrocious Backline
Argentina may not be known for being a stingy defensive team but their backline used to be, at least, solid. But not in this World Cup.
Croatia regularly made dangerous forays into Argentina territory and while Nicolas Otamendi, Gabriel Mercado, and Nicolas Tagliafico can't be faulted for Croatia's second goal (Luka Modric was sentsational there), they were solidly to blame for the third one. They left their keeper out to dry, not giving Caballero enough support after the keeper made a great save, leading to another goal at close range.
Thing #3 The Missing Messi
My personal opinion is that Lionel Messi is the best player in the world in recent years, narrowly eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo. But that Messi isn't the one playing in this World Cup. This Messi is unimaginative, uninspired and just plain invisible.
And stop giving the man excuses, such as a weaker midfield, bad coaching etc... If you're making a case for GOAT, you find a way to fight back.
Come on, Leo, you're better than this.
My prediction for the next game: Argentina wins 2-0, but does not move on. It will be a sad day for Argentine football.
Here are highlights of the game from the FIFA Youtube channel.
Who are these guys? One thing is for sure...this is NOT Argentina football.
But maybe we shouldn't be so surprised. After all, this is the same team that won a ticket to the World Cup on the last day of qualifications and they needed a superhuman effort from superstar Lionel Messi to book that.
So what exactly is going wrong for Argentina? Here are three things to consider:
Thing #1 Capable Goalkeeping.
Everyone is missing Sergio Romero right now. Goalkeepers are normally the most confident (bordering on arrogant) players on the field. They need to be, given the importance of the position.
The fiery Willy Caballero seems to be falling victim to his nerves, something the more even-tempered Romero is not prone to. Just have a look at Caballero's horrible mistake which led to Croatia's first goal. Not to say that Caballero is not as skilled but maybe a calmer keeper (Romero) serves Argentina better in this high stakes World Cup.
Have a look at some of Romero's best saves for the season.
Thing #2 That Atrocious Backline
Argentina may not be known for being a stingy defensive team but their backline used to be, at least, solid. But not in this World Cup.
Croatia regularly made dangerous forays into Argentina territory and while Nicolas Otamendi, Gabriel Mercado, and Nicolas Tagliafico can't be faulted for Croatia's second goal (Luka Modric was sentsational there), they were solidly to blame for the third one. They left their keeper out to dry, not giving Caballero enough support after the keeper made a great save, leading to another goal at close range.
Thing #3 The Missing Messi
My personal opinion is that Lionel Messi is the best player in the world in recent years, narrowly eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo. But that Messi isn't the one playing in this World Cup. This Messi is unimaginative, uninspired and just plain invisible.
And stop giving the man excuses, such as a weaker midfield, bad coaching etc... If you're making a case for GOAT, you find a way to fight back.
Come on, Leo, you're better than this.
My prediction for the next game: Argentina wins 2-0, but does not move on. It will be a sad day for Argentine football.
Here are highlights of the game from the FIFA Youtube channel.
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