Argentina must take inspiration from comeback run at Italia '90

No 1 who was astatine the World Cup successful Brazil 8 years agone tin hide the soundtrack to the tournament. It was provided by the massed hordes of visiting fans from Argentina who, wherever they gathered, belted retired a opus to the tune of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising."

The adapted lyrics had thing to bash with the Mexico 1986 tournament, erstwhile Diego Maradona deed heights of genius seldom seen earlier oregon since. They were not adjacent astir Argentina '78, the tract of their archetypal World Cup win. No, the lyrics to the opus focused connected a extremity scored successful Italia '90.

Then, arsenic now, Argentina suffered a astonishment decision successful the opening crippled of the tournament. From the position of the time, losing to Cameroon was astatine slightest arsenic overmuch a astonishment arsenic Tuesday's shocker against Saudi Arabia. But that squad picked itself up, dusted itself down and went each the mode to the final. Thirty-two years on, Argentina fans are hoping for a akin revival.

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It is fascinating that Italia '90 holds specified a spot successful the footballing folklore. But past again, Argentina is the state of tango, with its tales of acheronian romance, melodramatic twists and romanticist tragedy.

Perhaps things were simply going excessively good erstwhile the squad swaggered into Qatar connected the backmost of a 36-game unbeaten run. There was a fearfulness successful the campy that thing mightiness spell incorrect erstwhile it mattered most. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni talked astir it aft his broadside thrashed European champions Italy successful June. The Italians, of course, had been connected a agelong unbeaten tally -- and adjacent truthful had missed retired connected the World Cup. Something akin happened to Algeria. Better, 1 mightiness imagine, for thing to spell incorrect successful the archetypal lucifer of the World Cup -- erstwhile determination is inactive clip to enactment things close -- than successful the knockout stages, wherever decision means elimination.

And the concern of Argentina is much comfy than that of Germany, the different astonishment first-round losers to Asian opposition. Argentina bash not person to look Spain successful the adjacent game. Instead, it is Mexico followed by Poland, some of whom looked unimpressive successful their drab goalless draw. The Mexican wingers bash not look to airs the aforesaid menace arsenic they did 4 years ago. Argentina person knocked implicit Mexico 3 times successful the Scaloni years, without conceding a goal, and Poland person the aerial of a broadside excessively dilatory to springiness enactment to centre-forward Robert Lewandowski -- and excessively dilatory to enactment the Argentina midfield nether the benignant of unit that Saudi Arabia managed connected Tuesday.

After Tuesday's match, Scaloni said that helium had not been amazed by the Saudi approach, the precocious antiaircraft enactment that squeezed the play and prevented his squad from establishing their customary bushed of diligent passing. This raises an evident question: if this had been expected, past wherefore were Argentina truthful mediocre astatine dealing with it?

There has been an aerial of euphoria astir the nationalist squad implicit the people of that agelong unbeaten run, and particularly since the triumph of past year's Copa America. The broadside person been baptised the "Scaloneta" -- the Scaloni squad, successful tribute to the singular communicative of a antheral with nary erstwhile elder coaching acquisition who took the squad to their archetypal elder rubric since 1993. But 45 atrocious minutes against the Saudis person been capable to bring the prolonged honeymoon to an abrupt end.

Argentina loves an analysis, and paper articles and TV debates person gone successful extent into the flaws and failings of the daze defeat. The existent trial of a squad is ever erstwhile it goes down -- not a presumption that Argentina person had to look excessively often successful caller times. Under pressure, a squad with a beardown thought became a squad with nary idea.

Scaloni's broadside has been based connected association, connected combinations of passes that turn quicker adjacent to the opposing goal. True, the wounded to Giovani Lo Celso has not helped matters. He was a captious portion of the cardinal midfield trio, and erstwhile helium was forced out, Scaloni confessed that helium does not person an perfect replacement. Even so, Argentina should surely person done amended successful their efforts to get down the Saudi defence. The champion solution would person been a speedy midfield operation followed by a guardant walk from a runner from deep. Instead, Argentina ne'er managed to enactment this out, and persisted with agelong balls up to the strikers that resulted successful 10 offside decisions going against them.

Has Scaloni, then, trained his squad for lone favourable situations? Is determination nary different crippled plan? And wherefore were his substitutions truthful ineffective? Has the rookie manager made a mistake by not taking an out-and-out centre-forward arsenic a backup? And did helium walk excessively agelong hoping for players to retrieve earlier having to driblet 3 from the squad?

In the agonising days earlier the Mexico match, each these questions and much are being debated. There is 1 mode to unopen them up: a triumph connected Saturday and a revival of the anticipation that, conscionable arsenic successful Italia '90, Argentina tin marque it each the mode to the last by taking the scenic route, showing the benignant of grit that volition beryllium sung astir successful years to come.