Football: The same sad story for the return of Messi to Argentina

It was a familiar story for Lionel Messi on his return on an international mission.

While in Madrid for the friendly between Argentina and Venezuela, a fan brandished a banner on which his name was written.

But the banner was upside down – an appropriate symbol for how the genius of Barcelona is left mixed and upset by the shortcomings of his compatriots.

Venezuela's 3-1 win highlighted a problem that Argentina had struggled to solve for years – a problem that was all too obvious during the disastrous World Cup campaign in 2003. Russia.

The defensive resources of the team are a serious problem. From coach to coach, the problem of balancing sides and sturdiness at the back helped to get the most out of Messi's flashes of inspiration.

The last acting coach, Lionel Scaloni, was wrong in his starting lineup against Venezuela.

The problems were highlighted by the Venezuelan goal early in the game – a clear kick from left-back Roberto Rosales threw a nice long ball behind the defensive line to allow center-forward Salomon Rondon to score the goal on the fly.

Rondon had worked himself on the wrong side of Gabriel Mercado – a strange choice to anchor a line of three central defenders. Mercado is a bold right back who can play in the center, but this role has required someone who can organize those around him.

It was too much to ask, and the choice of a three-fold record in general was debatable. The back sides of Argentina – Gonzalo Montiel and Nicolas Tagliafico – are not Cafu and Roberto Carlos and would not seem to offer sufficient threat of attack for the system to be worth it.

In reality, Scaloni's defensive system could not support either Rondon's power or the rhythm of wingers Jhon Murillo and Darwin Machis. Venezuela, with little ball possession, led by two goals in the interval – and that could have been by four.

Argentina had a few moments. Messi is involved in all cases, and his partnership with new center forward Lautaro Martinez seems at least promising. Martinez is lean and aggressive, and every time Messi played the ball in the danger zone, he was tastefully attacked by the man from Inter Milan.

Venezuelan goaltender Wuilker Farinez, 21, won the battle. As a graduate of the team that reached the final of the 2017 U-20 World Cup, he represents a formidable symbol of Venezuela's realistic hopes of making his debut in the tournament. senior version of the competition in 2022.

The need to protect the heart of their defense against Messi forced the Venezuelans to play close game, getting closer. He left spaces behind and Messi found one in the second half, putting in place Giovani Lo Celso, whose center, fast and low, had been swept by the center of Inter Milan, Martinez, for his first goal on the international scene.

By that time Scaloni had replaced Mercado and had become Orthodox again to four. With the more compact Argentina, Venezuela's breakaways were more sporadic – but they launched one that ended the game with 15 minutes to go.

Argentina's defense was stripped to the left and substitute Josef Martinez was shot in the box by Juan Foyth. The award of the penalty may have been a little hard, but Venezuela probably should have had a few minutes earlier.

In addition, one should not lose sight of the incredible penalty of Martinez, which included a jump and a jump and ended up directing the ball to the left of the defeated goalkeeper, Franco Armani.

Thus, Venezuela's coach Rafael Dudamel is getting better and better, with a clear tactical plan and dream of participating in the 2022 World Cup. Argentina, meanwhile, seems stuck in the hallway of D & K. # 39; uncertainty. What is their direction? What will be their long-term style of play?

The biggest question they face is easy: who will be the coach to move them forward? Scaloni had seven matches in charge. The number 8 arrives Tuesday, while, without Messi, Argentina goes to Morocco. Then comes the Copa America, when a guard has been in charge for a year.

This delay is certainly due in large part to the fact that the qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup start only in March. The Argentine federation is running out of money – the previous coach, Jorge Sampaoli, has left a hole in the already precarious accounts. The federation has not been in a hurry to name the next permanent boss.

But there is a danger in keeping Scaloni so long. What if, by chance, his team won the Copa America?

Argentina have not won a senior title since 1993, and to win such a long-awaited triumph would put Scaloni in a strong position and would probably force Argentina to stay with him.

It will be interesting to see when Messi will wear the jersey of Argentina, because it is difficult to see how they can win without him.

Will he help Scaloni in Brazil in June and July? Or will he take a break from the summer, relax and come back next season – which seems to lead to a Copa America at least partially staged at home?

This article was first published on ESPN.com.