What's wrong with Argentina?

Copa America 2011: Argentina continue to stutter and what is wrong with Messi?

So it seems that, in Argentina, even the wind can tackle Messi. Sure, the Barcelona phenomenon may have banged in over 50 goals in all competitions during the domestic season. But in the company of his fellow compatriots the poor guy just cannot catch a break. In Argentina’s second Copa America 2011 group A game – a 0-0 draw with Colombia – such was his misfortune that on the stroke of half-time, out of nowhere, he somehow suddenly tumbled to the ground, dispossessed with nobody near him. When it rains, it floors.

Not that it rained on the whole team. Let’s be clear, Colombia were full value for a point at the very least and should really have capitalised on the numerous opportunities created to win an entertaining game. If Argentina are looking to draw positives from this game, here they are: 1) they did not lose and 2) …erm…well, hosting a tournament is nice.

Or is it? At the end of the match the Albiceleste were booed off the field with chants for Maradona raining from the stands, a point all Sergio Batista could possibly wish to claim from a game in which Colombia should have had a first-half penalty after a foul by Nicolas Burdisso on Adrian Ramos went unpunished twice: once for the foul and then after an appalling miss by Dayro Moreno, who somehow contrived to miss an open goal on the rebound.

That the chance initially came out of a moment’s brainfreeze from Gabriel Milito only served to highlight the suspect nature of Argentina’s defence. Milito, slow on the turn and regularly outpaced by the lively Radamel Falcao, forms one half of a central defensive partnership that looks as if it might fall asleep any minute. As if to prove the point, in the 89th minute the Barcelona defender’s partner Burdisso turned in his own half under no pressure whatsoever and passed the ball straight to substitute Teófilo Gutiérrez, offering him a route on goal. His shot was straight at the keeper and, like so many other chances Colombia created, opportunity was lost.

Burdisso and Milito do not look like the solid foundation upon which a tournament-winning team is built. Carlos Tevez had no ideas. Messi uncomfortable. Banega uninspiring. Lavezzi took the one moment of genius from his number 10, a peach of a through ball in the 33rd minute, and finished like a rotten apple. Manchester City’s Pablo Zabaleta had a decent game, in for Marcos Rojo. But lack of width from the full-backs remained a problem for the hosts, denying Messi an outlet so regularly offered him at club level.

Unfortunately for Rosario’s finest, the “why can’t he do it for his country” debate rumbles on. The narrative is unfair because the answer is so simple. It has nothing to do with whether Messi sings the national anthem or not, or if he prefers tapas to choripan and empanadas. It’s just that the ten players around him at Barça are better than the ten players around him in la Selección.

His tactical deployment is of course another issue. Here, in front of his family in the stands, Messi played as false nine and then trequartista, after Batista changed the system to a 4-2-1-3 in the second half. In making poodles out of panthers Batista has a lot to answer for in the eyes of the Argentine public right now, and his substitutions were met with jeers. Argentina are not playing well. But attempts to explain away Messi’s form as borne out of some romanticised preference for club over country is unfair.

For their part Colombia, now on 4 points and virtually through to the quarter finals, will be disappointed. Udinese’s Pablo Armero was excellent, the back four defended one-v-one situations extremely well in the final third and Falcao was very lively when allowed to run at Argentina’s defence. A handful of sumptuous passes from Fredy Guarin weren’t taken advantage of, especially as Argentina defended progressively higher and higher up the pitch. The Colombians offered far more fluidity and creativity in attack than their illustrious hosts.

0-0 it finished then, in a game whose scoreline revealed little of the storylines within.

Source:http://www.just-football.com/2011/07/copa-america-2011-