The passing of the torch or the crowning of a glorious legacy? Two stars graced the grandest global stages in a fixture whose symbolic significance would dominate the narrative. Only one could take home the trophy, but both figures lived up to the billing in a spectacle for the ages. Tactical analysis and match report […]
Croatia’s midfield is their biggest strength, and they had their fair share of possession here while struggling to threaten in forward areas. Argentina were happy to let this happen, knowing that they were sharper in attack. Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez were the stars of this match, sharing three goals between them as Argentina eased […]
Lionel Messi brought his absolute best and a well-organized Argentina looked all but qualified for the semi-finals on a two-goal lead. Until the ultimate all-in rendition of a plan B hit them in the form of two Wout Weghorst goals, and the match went to extra-time. Despite Argentina’s upper hand, penalties were needed to see […]
Australia showed plenty of character in this game as Argentina struggled to break them down defensively. However, Argentina were ruthless when it mattered as Lionel Messi put them ahead, before Julián Álvarez pounced on Mathew Ryan’s mistake to extend the lead. This was enough of a cushion for Argentina to see the game out despite […]
Argentina showed some improvement over the structural issues they have faced in possession so far in the tournament as they advanced into the knockout rounds here. Their opponents Poland played an extremely passive game and contributed almost nothing going forward, allowing Argentina to dictate play easily throughout. Tactical analysis and match report by Josh Manley. Poland […]
The struggles of Argentina to progress the ball when they had possession combined with a determined Mexico defense meant that very little was created in this game. In the second half though, Lionel Messi’s strike from distance put Argentina ahead, and they were able to defend their lead with relative ease before Enzo Fernández added […]
Saudi Arabia brought an ambitious gameplan into this match, looking to impose themselves on the game by pressing Argentina’s buildup and deploying an offside trap to stay high up the pitch. This looked exploitable at various points, but Saudi Arabia were able to take their limited chances at their other end of the pitch, scoring […]
While in some national teams like the Netherlands or Spain the coach is the superstar of the project, Lionel Scaloni has followed a more player-based approach. His flexibility and diplomacy allowed him to build the most consistent Argentina of the Messi era, with particularly strong possession and counterpressing phases. This tactical preview has been written […]
The iconic scene of the 2021 Copa América lasted just under thirty seconds. Two men in a close embrace, degrading the mix of celebrating and crying teammates to a mere background image, much like they have done countless times with their footballing qualities. Neymar congratulating his friend Messi on finally winning that international trophy was […]
Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino, and Dani Alves carried Brazil past an Argentina that had their chances in the second half. Tactical analysis and match report by Om Arvind. Due to time constraints and a dearth of quality managers, it is quite a rare occurrence to see a well-drilled and tactically advanced team in international football. […]