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The last release of the Albiceleste was not a surprise, but if they want to avoid a similar fate in Qatar, the revision must begin right away
The first victim of the World Cup exit came almost instantly. most predictable moment of a roller-coaster afternoon. Javier Mascherano officially hung up his boots as Albiceleste players, and was soon followed by Lucas Biglia in retiring from international football.
This pair will surely be the first of many players to tip after one of the most chaotic World Cup campaigns of a great football nation in recent history. But Argentina should not stop there: now, finally, it is time to carry out a radical renovation of the long awaited national team.
Indeed, one could even claim that such a reconstruction should have taken place in 2014, when a functional side at the peak of its powers fell just before the World Cup final. New coach Gerardo Martino, however, felt that the 2015 Copa America was a reward for these players, and 12 months later, he ended up with most of this camp for a third consecutive final defeat.
Once the pragmatic and unimaginative Edgardo Bauza took the reins in 2016 with Argentina in crisis and Lionel Messi on the verge of retirement, all the ideas for change were expelled to encourage the captain and conduct a qualifying campaign on the right track. This feeling continued the following year when Bauza faced off the sack and Jorge Sampaoli was drafted as Albiceleste 's firefighter.
The likes of Mascherano, Biglia, Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain were gifted another term in the national team out of sheer necessity. But the cracks were too bright to see. After crossing the qualifying campaign thanks to the genius of Lionel Messi, there was no way to hide in Russia; a 4-3 defeat against France in the round of 16, far from being a shock, was the logical result of a team of tired workers who have long demonstrated that they were not up to the rigors of international elite football.
the time to make serious changes, whether the highly questioned Sampaoli remains or not as coach. It may not be an exaggeration after this debacle to say that from the team that went to Russa up to 18 players could be ruled out for the future – only Captain Messi, If he can be convinced to stay, Sergio Agüero, Nicholas Otamendi and a handful of others can be considered even as viable candidates in a new Albiceleste side.
The good news for Argentina is that even though it may not have been presented in Russia, there is a lot of talent waiting behind the scenes. The first online will be Giovani Lo Celso. The star of Paris Saint-Germain has not seen a single minute of action in the World Cup, sitting on the bench while Albiceleste has inexplicably appealed to the rustic talents of Mascherano. But Lo Celso has the ability and vision to move to the midfield of the team, while Leo Paredes is the perfect partner to add dynamism and bite to a machine room that stalled and stammered throughout the tournament.
Behind this pair, Santiago Ascacibar of Stuttgart stands out as an updated version of Mascherano: hard in the tackle, of course, but also equipped with a speed of thought and feet that deserted the Hebei player China Fortune years ago. Further, too, there are many options to consider. After taking three goalkeepers in Russia with a combined age of 100, but only nine international caps between them, now is the time to consider other options between posts. Geronimo Rulli, of Real Sociedad, stands out, while Juan Musso, new player of Udinese, is also to watch.
In defense, Emanuel Mammana of Zenit could have made the cut for Russia if it is for an injury unhappy, and he would be ably supported by the promise of the Lucas Martinez Quarta River. The Independiente side, Fabricio Bustos, was also selected by Sampaoli and, after being imposed at the World Cup, Nicolas Tagliafico should have what it takes to make his place at the World Cup. Left rear.
Paulo Dybala, meanwhile, deserves the chance to push and establish a permanent place on the Argentinian side, that Lionel Messi decides or not to stay. Previous fugitive experiences with the two team members have not paid off, but now is the time to make it work. In short, the star of Juventus is too beautiful not to be put in place. With the base of the new team already established, the two front positions are almost recovering: Inter duo Mauro Icardi and Lautaro Martinez have all it takes to dominate the spot for the next decade. And do not forget Cristian Pavon, who exploded in Russia, but has the potential to be at the top in the years to come.
The list of players above is by no means exhaustive and obviously does not take into account new talents that may appear in the next four years. But all players, Rulli's Bar, are 25 years old or younger and even at this early stage have shown signs of excel in their respective clubs. Without wanting to look too far into the crystal ball, they must form the basis of a consistent team that takes Argentina to Qatar in 2022 and beyond.
And what about Messi himself? The magician from Barcelona was speechless through an intensely disappointing World Cup by his high standards. The day after the elimination of the World Cup, he returned alone to Spain, in uncertainty as to what awaits the man who was the talisman of Argentina during the most of the decade.
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At present, the most likely scenario appears to be at least a temporary break between the captain and his nation, which could still be corrected at # 39; future. But if Argentina can draw a lesson from this World Cup it is that Messi can not deliver the trophy: with him, or without him, Argentina has to prepare its future with a young team balanced that represents a collective project before the grand prize in four years
This will not happen in a vacuum, however. With this last round of the World Cup finished, Sampaoli or the leader must have the courage to clean up a tired and corrupt team and inject the new talent that is so badly needed. The Argentinian FA, still as catastrophic, must also prove that it is up to the task. As hard to believe, no less than four presidents of varying legitimacy held the reins of the FA between Messi's famous look at the Jules Rimet Trophy at Maracana four years ago and the first match of this World Cup.
Needless to say, without a certain degree of stability in the meeting room, a collective project on the ground becomes much more difficult; It now belongs to the controversial Claudio & # 39; Chiqui & # 39; Tapia to show that he deserves the responsibility of governing one of the world's strongest football nations, and overseeing a true transformation in this tired side. This chance was missed in 2014, it can not be wasted. And if Messi wants to come for the tour, it does not go wrong either …
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