form at the Copa America, but is still lacking help
from his team-mates as the Albiceleste struggle to
score goals at Chile 2015
By Ben Haywayd in Concepcion
Lionel Messi could not believe his luck.
Colombia's David Ospina's outrageous save denied
the Argentine attacker from a close-range header
on Friday and four full games into the Copa
America, the Barcelona forward has only one goal
to his name - a penalty against Paraguay in his
opening match.
"It's unbelievable the trouble I'm having in scoring
with the national team," the 28-year-old lamented
after his side overcame Colombia on penalties in
the quarter-finals. But it is not just Messi. Despite
their fine football, Argentina have netted only four
goals in as many games at Chile 2015 - and that
is putting even greater pressure on their captain in
this tournament.
Since scoring twice in the first half against
Paraguay, the Albiceleste have added just two
more goals in 324 minutes of football. Sergio
Aguero's header was enough to see Gerardo
Martino's men beat Uruguay 1-0, while Gonzalo
Higuain's goal edged out Jamaica by the same
scoreline and Argentina needed penalties to defeat
Colombia following a goalless game against Jose
Pekerman's side in the last eight.
"It is clear we have a problem with our finishing,"
Martino said at the pre-match press conference on
Monday ahead of his side's semi-final against
Paraguay. "There is a red mark against our finish
¡ng and it is something we have to improve on.
But I agree with Javier (Mascherano) that it is
more of a coincidence than anything else."
Perhaps. But the problem is more than just the
finishing. The return of Lazio's Lucas Biglia in
midfield for Argentina's second game, against
Uruguay, gave Martino's men better balance
defensively than with Ever Banega there, but it has
also restricted the Albiceleste attack.
"Biglia gives us more balance in midfield," Tata
said ahead of the 2-2 draw against Paraguay on
June 13. "But Banega gives us more play." With
the Lazio midfielder short of full fitness, the Sevilla
man started that game and Argentina played
probably their best and worst football of the
competition in a classic game of two halves in La
Serena.
With Biglia back, they look more solid. Goals,
however, have been hard to come by with him on
the pitch. For all Tata's talk about the importance
of style, he has two defensive-minded midfielders
in the team in Biglia and Javier Mascherano, while
the third (Javier Pastore) is often too far from the
opposition area and has been unable to link up
effectively with the forwards on the edge of the
box.
That has left striker Sergio Aguero isolated, while
Angel Di Maria is still struggling to find form for
his country in this tournament.
"Before the friendly against Germany last year, I
said Di Maria was one of the five best footballers in
the world," Martino said on Monday when asked
about Angel. "And I maintain that." In truth,
however, the Manchester United winger is nowhere
near his best.
Di Maria thrives when attacking spaces at speed,
but Argentina have faced four defensive rivals so
far in this Copa and only against Jamaica did the
former Real Madrid winger really impress.
Up against rivals squeezing spaces, Martino is
keen for his full-backs to push forward and help
the attack. That, however, is another problem
because Marcos Rojo is a converted centre-back
who offers very little offensively and Pablo Zabaleta
lacks the pace to really threaten down the right -
although he did set up Aguero's goal against
Uruguay with an excellent cross.
That strike saw Argentina at their very best. Some
superb trickery from Pastore took two defenders
out of the equation, Zabaleta then whipped in a
pinpoint centre and Aguero headed home. And
more of that is now needed if Argentina are to go
all the way in to the title in Santiago next weekend.
But the deficiencies at full-back and in central
midfield (two problem positions even at youth level
in Argentine football) mean Messi is not getting the
help he needs and the support he receives at club
level with Barcelona.
The Barca midfield moves the ball around much
more quickly than the Argentina trio, with lovely
link-up play on the edge of the box from Andres
Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and the now-departed Xavi
creating all sorts of problems for their rivals and
space for the forwards.
Argentina are missing that, as well as attacking
full-backs like Dani Alves and Jordi Alba who offer
an additional threat with their forward runs.
The result sees Messi dropping deep to try and
influence games and although he has performed
exceptionally well in this tournament, he has been
unable to influence matches quite like he does for
the Catalan club.
So as Argentina advance, so the pressure piles on
Messi once again. As at the World Cup last year,
the hopes of a nation rest on his shoulders. But
just like in Brazil 2014, the same flaws could cost
the Albiceleste another major title in South America
this summer.
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