In Jorge Sampaoli’s first game in charge, the bald tactician led Argentina to a 1-0 victory over historic rivals Brazil.
95,569 packed into the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch a feisty match played at a good tempo. In the end it was settled by a scrappy strike from Gabriel Mercado, poking home a rebounded shot from Nico Otamendi, but the game itself had many more bright moments. Here’s what we learned:
1. Brazil make counter-attacking an art
Tite has only been coach of Brazil for a year but already you can see his authority all over the side. Brazil are now a resolute defensive unit, organised and stable no matter who is playing for them. Against Argentina, even without some of their superstars, Brazil were brilliant on the break.
Repeatedly they would move the ball qickly into the channels and execute sharp one-twos that sent a man careening into the gaps on the sides of Argentina’s three man defence. Flying forward at pace they only failed to score through some bafflingly bad finishing from the likes of Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus.
The loss will frustrate Tite, but the performance will fill him with hope because even without Neymar, Brazil were electric. Gabriel Jesus led the line with supreme confidence (until he had to shoot), Willian looked like Garrincha reincarnate on the right and Coutinho showed just why Barcelona want him.
2. Higuain is not up to it, is now Icardi’s time?
Leo Messi, Sergio Romero, Javier Mascherano and a handful of different defenders dragged Argentina to three consecutive finals in 2014, 2015 and 2016. In each one of those finals, Gonzalo Higuain was put clean through on goal, with no one in his way but the goalkeeper (in 2015 there wasn’t even a keeper).
And in each one of those finals, Gonzalo Higuain failed to score. Three enormous misses that, had he converted them, would have seen Argentina embark on their most successful run in their history. These are the fine margins of international football.
He keeps getting chances because he keeps scoring goals at club level, but his performance today against Brazil was as horrifically inept as his display in last week’s Champions League final. He is too slow on and off the ball to properly thrive in Jorge Sampaoli’s system.
Of all the substitutions in the second half, the best one by far was Joaquin Correa coming on for Higuain. Correa is an attacking midfielder or winger by trade, but looked comfortable as the side’s lead forward. His work as a no. 9 was far superior to Higuain’s.
The biggest threat to the Juve star, however, remained sitting on the bench. Surely now is Mauro Icardi’s time to lead the line for Argentina? Inter’s no. 9 scored as many goals as Higuain in Serie A this season with a better shot conversion of 25% to Higuain’s 22%.
3. Argentina need more on the right
While it was clear that the left side of Argentina’s attack was a hot spot, with Messi and Dybala repeatedly feeding Angel Di Maria and creating danger for Brazil (Di Maria managed to hit the post) the right flank was comparatively empty as an attacking force.
José Luis Gómez made his international debut as the starter, and although he was promising in building from the back he struggled to have an impact in the final third. Substitutions saw Gabriel Mercado and Emanuel Mammana get minutes there and none of them convinced.
For 3-4-2-1 to be a viable system that stretches opponents across the width of the pitch, both wing-backs must potent threats. The triangle of Leo Messi, Paulo Dybala and no. 9 will always condense into the middle of the pitch so the wing-backs are the team’s width. It’s essential Sampaoli find a solution.
4. Brazil miss Neymar’s leadership
Neymar is the second best player in the world, so any side would miss him when he doesn’t play. His ability to create danger and terrorise opponents in transition is almost unparalleled. Plug him into Tite’s counter-attacking system tonight and Brazil would probably have won handily. But that’s not just because Neymar is good, it’s because he’s a leader.
Oh, sure, not captain material in the classic sense. He’s not out there giving inspirational team-talks and such, that’s not his game. But Neymar is still a leader because he is fearless with the ball. He always wants it, and his quality and insistence is such that when he has it, there’s an assurance that something good will happen. And that lifts the performances of his team-mates as a whole.
5. Sampaoli’s revolution is already underway
Argentina won 1-0 (inflicting Tite’s first defeat as Brazil coach) and that’s a great start for Sampaoli, but they were lucky to get the victory in truth. They weren’t as potent as they ought to be up-front and left gaps at the back that Brazil should have exposed.
But this was an enormously positive display for Sampaoli, especially in the first half. His side looked organised in terms of bringing the ball out from the back; they were able to negotiate the Brazil press with confidence and get the ball moving to the forwards.
In midfield Ever Banega put in a commanding performance – the 28 year-old is a brilliant playmaker and will likely be central to Sampaoli’s plans. Lucas Biglia was a solid partner, though one wonders if Leandro Paredes would offer more in attack in terms of his passing ability.
Gonzalo Higuain was disappointing, sure, but the most encouraging aspect of the side was seeing Leo Messi, Paulo Dybala and Angel Di Maria in action together. Giving Messi the proper kind of platform to thrive is a personal mission for Sampaoli, and indeed previous managers have made it as hard as possible for the greatest player in the world to do anything of significance.
But by placing him in a dynamic system and close to competent playmakers like Di Maria and Dybala, Sampaoli is giving Messi that platform. The trio weren’t always in perfect sync, but the signs were there that with more training sessions and games together they could develop a lethal understanding that, if properly augmented by a quality no. 9, could give Argentina one of the world’s most devastating attacks.
Not bad for one week on the job, eh? Sampaoli’s revolution is well and truly underway.
Comments
Post a Comment