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Three things: How Lionel Messi’s absence will affect Argentina against Chile

By on June 5, 2016

Argentina still have the capacity to be the best team in the world despite the chaos that shrouds their preparations for the Copa Centenario and their tournament opener versus Chile is the ideal situation to prove it. Here are three things to look out for Monday night’s rematch of the 2015 Copa America final at Levi’s Stadium:

Messi’s absence looms large

Lionel Messi is famously small, standing at only 5’ 7’’, but his larger-than-life persona casts a long shadow and his fitness struggles are all anybody is talking about as the Selección prepare for Chile.

The usual buzz around Argentina’s training sessions in the Bay Area increased dramatically when Messi flew into San Jose on Friday morning following his testimony in a tax evasion trial in Spain. When Argentina trained at San Jose State University on Saturday night, a handful of fans lay flat on the ground just to glimpse Messi’s feet under the fence and as Argentina boarded the bus to training on Sunday night, it was the twenty-eight-year-old’s name that the throng of fans were chanting.

Yet it is unlikely that Messi will be fit in time to face Chile. According to ESPNFC’s Jeff Carlisle, he’s only done two jogs since arriving Stateside and nobody will benefit from rushing him back too early.

Said coach Tata Martino at Sunday morning’s press conference at Levi’s Stadium: “I’ll listen to the doctor, then I’ll talk to Leo to know if he still feels pain. And then I’ll have my say from the tactical side, although I’ll listen to the player’s opinion.”

Speaking in an interview with Chilean newspaper El Mercurio early in the week he said: “We’re hoping [Messi] is available for the game. His presence will be decided last minute, because the lumbar region is very delicate.”

Having picked up a back injury in Argentina’s friendly with Honduras last week, Messi trained on the sidelines on Saturday and Sunday and is surely going to lose the race against the clock to be fit for Monday night’s match.

Martino was adamant, though, that “with or without him our identity will not change.”

In Messi’s absence, the effect on the match-day atmosphere will be palpable but the real question is how Argentina can respond on the pitch. Martino has no lack of options at his disposal but his squad must not be fazed by the absence of their best player because a potent Chile will be quick to the punch.

Can Argentina end their drought amidst chaos?

Messi’s fitness woes aren’t the only controversy surrounding the La Albiceleste. The Argentine FA was thrown into chaos early last week after the Argentine government suspended the federation’s presidential elections and the FA reportedly threatened to withdraw the national team from Copa due to the government interference.

It was under these unfavorable circumstances that Argentina began their preparations for Copa in San Jose. Despite the controversies rumbling on in the background, they’ve had to maintain tunnel vision looking towards the opener against Chile.
Argentina will look avenge the memories of their last meeting with Juan Antonio Pizzi’s men in the final of last year’s Copa America final. Playing on Chilean soil, Argentina lost on penalties to add to a long list of major tournament woes. They were defeated by Germany in extra-time of the 2014 World Cup final the year prior and have lost all of their last four major tournament finals.

Argentina have won the Copa America fourteen times since 1921 but have also finished runners-up a record thirteen times and haven’t won a single major trophy since 1993. For this generation of Argentina stars this might be the best opportunity to end that drought. “There is no option but to win it,” said Javier Mascherano, per the New York Times.

Their tickets are the most expensive in the tournament and Martino, for one, characterized the meeting against Chile “a new opportunity,” instead of a rematch.

Chile mount title defense

Chile enter the tournament as reigning champions, having defeated Argentina on home soil in last year’s final. Their stout defense, rooted by captain Claudio Bravo in goal and Gary Medel in the middle, are well renowned for their ferocity and held four clear sheets out of six matches on their road to victory last year. Barring a bizarre 3-3 draw with Mexico in the group stages, they only allowed goal goal all tournament, defeating Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay.

Pizzi will hope for a repeat of last year’s final, which was scoreless through one-hundred-and-twenty minutes of open play before they won 4-1 on penalties.

Headlined by Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez and Bayern Munich’s Arturo Vidal up front, Chile score more goals than any other side at last year’s tournament and will hope to start with a bang against Argentina in what is set to be the headline match of Group D, contested alongside Panama and Bolivia.

Homepage photo credit: Christopher Johnson (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.