Over the last few seasons, the depth of attacking talent available for the Argentina national team has frankly bordered on the ridiculous. Such is the quality at their disposal, Jorge Sampaoli was able to omit Diego Perotti, Lautaro Martínez and even Serie A leading scorer Mauro Icardi from his 23-man squad for this World Cup.
The merits of leaving out the last member of that trio – particularly after a campaign in which he bagged 29 league goals in just 34 appearances for Inter – was perhaps questionable, but with a starting XI that still contained Ángel Di María, Sergio Agüero and the mercurial Lionel Messi, the former Sevilla boss should still have had very little to worry about in their opening match with Iceland.
However, the Nordic side – who emerged as the surprise package of Euro 2016 – once again proved to be a resilient opponent, crowding out the Barcelona talisman and his widely lauded team-mates. They denied the Albiceleste time and space, frustrating them over a truly difficult 90 minutes, eventually earning a 1-1 draw that was celebrated long into the evening by Iceland’s thunderclapping supporters.
It was a performance that undoubtedly raises questions over Argentina’s approach as, time and time again, Messi looked to dribble through the middle of a well-organised and unbreakable defence. Only three of his 11 shots were on target, he was dispossessed no fewer than eight times, and he looked far more dangerous when moving out into wide areas where he was still able to get beyond the full-back and found far fewer players blocking his path.
Obviously, the pre-tournament injury suffered by West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini robbed the side of what has become its regular attacking lineup, but restoring Gonzalo Higuain would surely allow Messi to remain on the right flank more often. The Juventus striker stretches the opposition backline, occupying the central defenders and creating space for Messi, Agüero or Di Maria to exploit while posing a dangerous goal threat himself.
Now much calmer and with two years of delivering in big games behind him, joining the Bianconeri has made Higuain a vastly different player to the one who choked in the final four years ago. Particularly without Icardi to call upon, he is surely one man Sampaoli needs on the field. Their remaining group games against Croatia and Nigeria allow at least some room to find a workable system to bring the best from these players before the knockout stages begin, and Argentina cannot afford to squander such a valuable opportunity.
However, they also have issues to address at the other end of the field, Iceland’s equaliser highlighting the fragile nature of the Albiceleste’s own rearguard. As Willy Caballero proved when he could only palm Hordur Magnusson’s shot back into Alfred Finnbogason’s path, repeatedly leaving the Chelsea reserve ‘keeper exposed is a recipe for disaster.
Regular watchers of the Premier League would not be surprised to see a partnership of Marcos Rojo and Nicolás Otamendi failing, the duo hardly poster boys for defensive solidity and cohesion during their time in Manchester. As a result, it is difficult to understand why Federico Fazio was left out against Iceland too. Of course, those who watch English football might simply see the former Tottenham man as another unreliable option, but – much like Higuain – he has spent the past two seasons tearing up the preconceived doubts over his abilities.
Joining AS Roma in the summer of 2016, the 31-year-old has become a regular and reliable performer, shrugging off the heavy blow his confidence must have taken at White Hart Lane. Averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 4.7 clearances per 90 minutes in 2017/18, Fazio was central figure in his side’s progress to the Champions League semifinals and third-place finish in Serie A despite the team being completely overhauled.
But more than the raw statistics, it was his composure and assuredness that were most noticeable. Even as they lost Antonio Rudiger, Mo Salah and Francesco Totti, Fazio was part of a Roma squad that never lost its unshakable self belief and became a difficult-to-beat side under new boss Eusebio Di Francesco. They conceded just 28 league goals last term, and the Argentina man was vital to their tally of 18 clean sheets, which surely makes him a more reliable choice for Sampaoli than Rojo or Otamendi.
It will be interesting to see how the Coach alters his approach in the forthcoming games, but he could certainly benefit from placing his trust in Higuain and Fazio. They’ve earned it.
