Copa America 2015 Preview: Argentina
Overview
Redemption awaits Argentina.
Representing a nation where the only thing more popular than its steak is its football, La Albiceleste will look to bounce back from their heartbreaking loss in last year's World Cup final by capturing a 15th Copa America title.
Success at the Copa America might only provide Argentina with a shadow of the satisfaction that World Cup glory would have supplied, but there should be zero doubts over just how hungry Gerardo Martino's side are for silverware.
Argentina is eyeing the Copa America crown like a gaucho salivating over a cut of beef, knowing that anything short of winning the competition will be viewed as a failure. Of course, these are the natural expectations that surround the national team wherever it goes.
Few teams look as threatening as Argentina when in possession of the ball. The idea of Lionel Messi launching a counterattack down the pitch, surrounded by the likes by Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria, and Gonzalo Higuain, is enough to trigger nightmares.
Then there's Carlos Tevez, whose return to La Albiceleste will somehow be worked into the attacking equation, and Ezequiel Lavezzi, who can make an impact off the bench like no other.
Spare a thought or two for the defenses that will be cut open like a juicy steak.
At the back is where Argentina often gives cause for concern. However, that's simply a result of being eclipsed by the wealth of talent in attack. 'Keeper Sergio Romero proved his value between the posts at last year's World Cup, and what national team would deny a backline that includes Pablo Zabaleta, Ezequiel Garay, Nicolas Otamendi, and Marcos Rojo?
Like last year's World Cup, the most recent edition of the Copa America saw Argentina exit in traumatic fashion, falling to Uruguay, their eternal rivals, in the quarterfinals on home soil. If La Albiceleste can calculate how to get the most out of their geniuses, there won't be any need to cry for Argentina yet again.
Group Stage Schedule
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 - 06 - 13 | Argentina vs. Paraguay | 18:30 | Estadio La Portada de la Serena |
| 2015 - 06 - 16 | Argentina vs. Uruguay | 20:30 | Estadio La Portada de la Serena |
| 2015 - 06 - 20 | Argentina vs. Jamaica | 18:30 | Estadio Sausalito |
All times are listed in local time
Projected Starting XI
Sergio Romero; Pablo Zabaleta, Ezequiel Garay, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Rojo; Ever Banega, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Gago; Lionel Messi; Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain.
New manager, same old tactics.
Based off its squad, Argentina will almost certainly take the pitch at the Copa America with the 4-3-3/4-3-1-2 formation that was so successful at last year's World Cup.
The formation allowed La Albiceleste to get the most out of their wealth of talent in attack and, more specifically, Lionel Messi, who benefited greatly from having Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain moving wide to create space while Javier Mascherano, featuring as a holding midfielder, attempted to find him once Argentina collected possession.
It remains to be seen just how Carlos Tevez will work his way back into a side that have found fluidity without him in their starting XI.
El Capitan
No introduction needed.
It would be fair for the public of Argentina to assume that the city of Rosario, the birthplace of Lionel Messi, is the real Church of the Nativity.
Nations would kill to have a player of Messi's qualities born within their borders; the type of footballer capable of capturing silverware for a national team on his own, even if he takes the pitch alongside 10 pylons.
Of course, Argentina is yet to win a competition with Messi in its squad.
However, the Copa America, a tournament featuring only 12 sides, will provide the phenom with a perfect opportunity to rectify that, as he dribbles mercilessly through opposing midfielders and defenders before producing a Maradona-esque finish, or slides the ball to one of the sub-geniuses in Argentina's attack.
Always a joy to watch at the international level, Messi's value is incalculable to an Albiceleste side in search of its 15th Copa America title.
The Star
It was only a few years ago that a debate existed over who could contribute more to Argentina between Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez.
That conversation ended abruptly following the 2011 Copa America.
The past four years have seen Aguero establish himself as a next-level superstar on a national team comprised of superstars; a player who can thrive playing alongside Lionel Messi while allowing Messi to thrive in return.
Aguero and Messi, who struck up a friendship at the 2005 World Youth Cup, complement each other perfectly. The former's presence on the pitch creates space for the latter to work his dark magic.
For a long time, there were questions over how Argentina could get the most out of Messi. Who would be the sidekick that allows him to replicate his club form? Who would be the No. 2 that ensures he lives up to expectations with the national team?
With his keen eye for goal merely an added bonus, Aguero is the answer to those questions.
The Young Gun
Glancing at Argentina's Copa America squad serves as a reminder of how the nation isn't exactly churning out masterminds as they once were.
Couple that with Gerardo Martino refusing to use the competition as a chance to experiment, and what's left is a national team featuring next to no players under the age of 25.
That being said, the quarter-century mark is still young in football terms, and 25-year-old Marcos Rojo will be instrumental in ensuring that Argentina doesn't lose matches in which they score two or three goals - a problem of sorts in the Lionel Messi era.
Rojo was the youngest player on Argentina's World Cup squad, and is the youngest member of the team's aging backline. He did well at the World Cup and can provide flashes of brilliance at left-back, but is ultimately still unproven, and can be a liability due to his addiction to yellow cards.
Burning Questions
- Will Lionel Messi put Argentina on his back and guide La Albiceleste to their 15th Copa America title?
- How does Carlos Tevez, who essentially lost his spot in Argentina's squad following a disastrous 2011 Copa America, work his way back into an attack that's doing just fine without him?
- Can Sergio Romero produce the reliable type of performance that helped Argentina reach the final of last year's World Cup?
Odds and Ends
Nickname: La Albiceleste
Most caps: Javier Zanetti (145)
Top scorer: Gabriel Batistuta (56)
Best Copa America result: Champions (1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993)