A couple of balls sent through towards Sergio Aguero in the first half, a neat run that ended too quickly, and, towards the end of normal time, finding space, a ball delivered to Ezequiel Lavezzi, whose cross Gonzalo Higuain fluffed. That summed up Lionel Messi’s day at the Estadio Nacional on Saturday.
That is, if we don’t count being bottled almost completely by Gary Medel and the other Chileans – and looking forlorn and frustrated, shoulders slouched but expression inscrutable – for large parts of the Copa America final.
Later, he was the only Argentine to slot home his penalty kick as Argentina – forlorn and frustrated, like their talisman – sloped off the field, the Chilean celebrations around them only serving to rub it in.
Chile had the better attitude
Sometimes, spirit and enthusiasm can achieve more than sheer skill and ability. Not to say the Chileans lacked those, but it was their attitude that won them the night. Running hard, running fast, and running circles around Messi and the others – they looked like a team of fifteen against eleven. And they kicked hard too – Messi has the bruise from Medel’s boot to prove it. That the final still went to penalties was because Argentina had a bit more class all around, and the game itself became a scrappy and somewhat defensive affair by half time.
Admittedly, things would have been different had Higuain connected that Lavezzi assist with a shade more skill. But, then again, Chile could well have gone ahead early in the first half had Arturo Vidal done better with his volley off a goalmouth melee. In terms of clear chances, it was probably 1-1, though, again, Alexis Sanchez also had a pretty decent chance of volleying in Chile’s lead – not a clear chance but one that could well have gone in. And Angel di Maria could have done a bit more with his assist in the first half after negotiating the hard bit.
The same story for Argentina
At the end of it, Argentina lost. Again. Higuain, again, will be painted the villain, like he was after the 2014 World Cup final when he missed his cue against Germany in that final. Let’s not even get into the rubbish spot kick he sent sailing into orbit in the shootout.
Yes, Higuain has been a good striker over the years, but for Argentina, in big finals, he just doesn’t look the part – getting to good positions, yes, but what then? Twice in less than a year he has had a chance to make this generation of players folk heroes in a proud, proud footballing nation. Both times he has failed, and Argentina remain without a big trophy for 22 years.
Make no mistake about it – this is a fantastic group of players Argentina have. But, without a trophy, they will always be talked about as failures, under-achievers.
And Messi?
Then it comes back to Messi, doesn’t it? The man who just might make the team better than it is. It was Jose Mourinho who, when at the helm at Inter Milan, showed how the Messi threat was to be nullified. The little magician just doesn’t like it when he is straddled with close marking.
On Saturday night – while it wasn’t quite Mourinho-style close marking – Messi was closed down, kept off the ball, kept off his runs. Jorge Sampaoli, the Chile coach, made a couple of strategic calls, which went a long way in achieving that: Marcelo Diaz, the midfielder, was pushed down to being a third centre back or libero, and that allowed Medel to focus on Messi. And Messi, who had a hand in all six goals his team scored in the semifinal against Paraguay, had one of his poorest games in recent times.
In coach Sampaoli, one saw shades of Marcelo Bielsa, fellow Argentinian and former Chilean coach as well. Sampaoli has doffed his hat at Bielsa time and again over the years, and the implementation of a hard-running inside-out formation, with the defence and midfield capable of attacking and defending, was clear to see. Sampaoli has transformed this Chilean team, so talented but so disorganised before he joined. Now, with the kind of ability they have to go with the Bielsaesque Sampaoli in the dugout, they look like World Cup final-fourers for sure.
For Argentina, meanwhile, it’s a matter of going back to the drawing board and get thinking about that Plan B again. Messi might have done enough in the past two-three years for his critics to stop saying he is all Barcelona and no Argentina.
Still, there’s no denying that Messi is at his best when (a) he has the supply and (b) he has the space. It’s not easy to do what Mourinho and Sampaoli have achieved, simple though it sounds. But it will happen again. Sometimes, even without shutting Messi out, a team will do well enough in midfield to dominate Argentina. That’s where Argentina have to pull out their alternate plan. And if it’s for a big final, Higuain might be best left out of the discussion.
Shamya Dasgupta is Senior Editor with Wisden India.
We welcome your comments at
letters@scroll.in.
That is, if we don’t count being bottled almost completely by Gary Medel and the other Chileans – and looking forlorn and frustrated, shoulders slouched but expression inscrutable – for large parts of the Copa America final.
Later, he was the only Argentine to slot home his penalty kick as Argentina – forlorn and frustrated, like their talisman – sloped off the field, the Chilean celebrations around them only serving to rub it in.
Chile had the better attitude
Sometimes, spirit and enthusiasm can achieve more than sheer skill and ability. Not to say the Chileans lacked those, but it was their attitude that won them the night. Running hard, running fast, and running circles around Messi and the others – they looked like a team of fifteen against eleven. And they kicked hard too – Messi has the bruise from Medel’s boot to prove it. That the final still went to penalties was because Argentina had a bit more class all around, and the game itself became a scrappy and somewhat defensive affair by half time.
Admittedly, things would have been different had Higuain connected that Lavezzi assist with a shade more skill. But, then again, Chile could well have gone ahead early in the first half had Arturo Vidal done better with his volley off a goalmouth melee. In terms of clear chances, it was probably 1-1, though, again, Alexis Sanchez also had a pretty decent chance of volleying in Chile’s lead – not a clear chance but one that could well have gone in. And Angel di Maria could have done a bit more with his assist in the first half after negotiating the hard bit.
The same story for Argentina
At the end of it, Argentina lost. Again. Higuain, again, will be painted the villain, like he was after the 2014 World Cup final when he missed his cue against Germany in that final. Let’s not even get into the rubbish spot kick he sent sailing into orbit in the shootout.
Yes, Higuain has been a good striker over the years, but for Argentina, in big finals, he just doesn’t look the part – getting to good positions, yes, but what then? Twice in less than a year he has had a chance to make this generation of players folk heroes in a proud, proud footballing nation. Both times he has failed, and Argentina remain without a big trophy for 22 years.
Make no mistake about it – this is a fantastic group of players Argentina have. But, without a trophy, they will always be talked about as failures, under-achievers.
And Messi?
Then it comes back to Messi, doesn’t it? The man who just might make the team better than it is. It was Jose Mourinho who, when at the helm at Inter Milan, showed how the Messi threat was to be nullified. The little magician just doesn’t like it when he is straddled with close marking.
On Saturday night – while it wasn’t quite Mourinho-style close marking – Messi was closed down, kept off the ball, kept off his runs. Jorge Sampaoli, the Chile coach, made a couple of strategic calls, which went a long way in achieving that: Marcelo Diaz, the midfielder, was pushed down to being a third centre back or libero, and that allowed Medel to focus on Messi. And Messi, who had a hand in all six goals his team scored in the semifinal against Paraguay, had one of his poorest games in recent times.
In coach Sampaoli, one saw shades of Marcelo Bielsa, fellow Argentinian and former Chilean coach as well. Sampaoli has doffed his hat at Bielsa time and again over the years, and the implementation of a hard-running inside-out formation, with the defence and midfield capable of attacking and defending, was clear to see. Sampaoli has transformed this Chilean team, so talented but so disorganised before he joined. Now, with the kind of ability they have to go with the Bielsaesque Sampaoli in the dugout, they look like World Cup final-fourers for sure.
For Argentina, meanwhile, it’s a matter of going back to the drawing board and get thinking about that Plan B again. Messi might have done enough in the past two-three years for his critics to stop saying he is all Barcelona and no Argentina.
Still, there’s no denying that Messi is at his best when (a) he has the supply and (b) he has the space. It’s not easy to do what Mourinho and Sampaoli have achieved, simple though it sounds. But it will happen again. Sometimes, even without shutting Messi out, a team will do well enough in midfield to dominate Argentina. That’s where Argentina have to pull out their alternate plan. And if it’s for a big final, Higuain might be best left out of the discussion.
Shamya Dasgupta is Senior Editor with Wisden India.
