The National Team of Argentina successfully won over Croatia in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup and advanced to the final. After the match, the captain of La Albiceleste – the nickname of Argentina, Lionel Messi threw praise at his squad by saying the team was very smart.
As is known, Argentina beat Croatia with a landslide score of 3-0 in the semifinals. The match took place at the Lusail Stadium, Qatar on Wednesday (14/12/2022).
Argentina’s goal was opened by Lionel Messi’s penalty in the 34th minute, while two other goals were created by Julian Alvarez in the 39th and 69th minutes. With this victory, La Albiceleste has the right to get a ticket to the final round.
“This team is very intelligent, and we know how to read the important moments of the game, of every game,” Messi said after the game.
“We know when and how to control the ball, when to press, when to sit back,” he said again.
Apart from the squad, the Paris Saint-Germain superstar also praised the performance of the entire coaching team led by Lionel Scaloni.
“Overall, we understand every game and we prepare in the best way possible, together with a professional coaching staff who pay attention to details. They highlight everything you need to be aware of in every game, even if it’s minimal,” continued Lionel Messi.
“That helps us a lot, when we are on the pitch. We never feel lost. We always know what our job is: to win. As I said before, we knew the game would take that form,” he said. According to Messi, all of these components form a unified whole which is the main strength of the Argentina national team.
“That’s why we don’t feel desperate when we have to run, or when they (opponents) run from one wing to another. We know that’s their strength: keeping possession. But we also know we can take advantage of it every time we recover the ball.”
