MADRID, 3 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Argentina coach, Lionel Scaloni, stressed that his team is aware and has enough quality to be optimistic about the World Cup, after beating Australia (2-1) this Saturday in the round of 16, while he valued the union with the people and the support they have in Qatar.
“It was a difficult game, they put suffocating pressure on us. It cost us, above all, in the first half. At the break we corrected and I think that the team did not deserve to suffer the last minutes, we had to widen the difference”, he said in a conference press.
The coach of the double world champion confessed that the team “improved” after Messi opened the scoring, but that they had to suffer at the end for not tying the game earlier. “It’s good that everyone understands that the difficulty is maximum. Today we find ourselves with a very difficult opponent,” he said.
“We had situations to not end this way. Soccer has these things, it is going through moments, moments where you have to go to war, give every last drop of sweat. It’s exciting to be here. For the people who were here, it will be What they experienced today is indelible, they are unique moments,” he added.
The albiceleste coach pointed to what he experienced at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, almost full of Argentine fans. “When the game ends and I see the people celebrating, it’s a unique injection. I would like everyone to be able to see and feel what a player is going through at that moment. These players feel identified with the people, and the people with the team,” he said.
“These guys are made to compete at the highest level, they were born to play these types of matches. I tell the players to do what they know, to play football. They are prepared for these tough matches,” he added.
In addition, Scaloni referred to the quarterfinal clash against the Netherlands. “I think that pressure does not exist in football. They (the players) understood the message, they know how to play football and they have plenty of it. It is a pride to face a coach like Van Gaal. The next one will be a very nice, with two historical selections”, finished.