KANSAS CITY (Special Envoy).- The scene has been repeated since the selection reached Kansas City. Each training session has, in addition to ball exercises, a corner reserved for differentiated work. At first they were Emiliano Martínez, Julián Álvarez, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel and Nicolás Pazwho were recovering from their injuries. Then he joined Leandro Paredes. Later, Nicolas Gonzalez. And this Thursday it was Nicolas Tagliafico which added a new cause for concern. There are just five days left until the debut against Algeria and the Argentine team, which in terms of football is in good shape, is still unable to have a calm preparation off the field.
Paradoxically, the team transmits confidence when it plays. They won the friendlies, showed variations, maintained a recognizable identity and were even able to overcome the losses without their performance suffering too much. But inside you can’t have peace. He arrived in the United States with a dozen soccer players suffering from physical problems, some left their injuries behind and others fell along the way. Thus, the countdown to the debut was filled with medical reports and changes in plans, even on the squad list.
The sensation is enhanced by the context. Kansas City is far from looking like a World Cup venue. The city, quiet and at times almost deserted, still does not show flags, t-shirts or gatherings of fans. The Argentines will arrive on the date of the match and many will not even base themselves here: they choose more tourist destinations, such as Miami or Dallas. This Thursday, the FIFA Fan Festival was even inaugurated, set up next to the National WWI Museum and Memorial: the vast majority of attendees were Mexican residents of the city, with very few Argentinians.
There is no World Cup atmosphere on the streets and at the Compass Minerals National Performance Center, the Sporting Kansas City complex, there is not much room for relaxation either.. Unlike other practices, in which jokes were part of the routine, this time the focus is almost exclusively on the players’ recovery.
The case that best summarizes this panorama is that of defense, a sector that seemed resolved and that ended up becoming a puzzle. The first significant loss was that of Leonardo Balerdiunaffected by a tear and replaced by Marcos Senesi. But Leandro Paredes’ recovery did not progress as the coaching staff expected. and that opened another debate: the possibility of adding Guido Rodriguez to reinforce a midfield. In the middle, the good performance of Agustín Giay In the friendlies he made him gain ground and also entered the discussion. But when the coaching staff seemed to lean towards an alternative, another problem appeared: the strain in the soleus suffered by Tagliafico and that left him aside for the debut. It is doubt for what is coming and, in some way, Scaloni He was also tied to his own words, when he warned that “if someone does not provide the minimum availability, they will be left out.” For now, there are no new changes in the squad list.
The injury to the left back completely altered the plans. Until now, the options to fill that position were Facundo Medina and Nicolás González. But on Wednesday the midfielder was also unable to train alongside the group and his situation opened a new question mark. This Thursday he returned to work normally, although the situation once again set off alarm bells in a week full of setbacks. So, Medina He began to emerge as the main candidate to occupy the side if Tagliafico It doesn’t arrive in condition. That decision, in turn, forces the center of the defense to be reinforced, because the player who emerged in River is also one of the alternatives to play as a second central marker.
Thus, the eventual presence of Medina on the left wing reduces the variants to accompany Christian Romero in the rear Yeah Nicolas Otamendi was not available, the candidates would become Lisandro Martínez or Senesi himself. Although that is not completely defined either: Lisandro also fights for a place with Otamendi and he could end up occupying that position from the start. In the end, each injury moves a different piece and generates even more uncertainty.
The last line, in fact, is the one that arrives most patched at the start of the World Cup. On the right side, Gonzalo Montiel and Nahuel Molina They have just overcome heartbreaks and will face their debut with very little filming. Rosemary He added some minutes in the friendlies, but will arrive with almost two months without playing an official match since the sprained right knee he suffered at the close of the European season. In the left sector the starter was injured and one of the natural alternatives is not 100% either. And behind all of them another unknown appears: the situation of Emiliano Martínez.
Scaloni He often repeats that in modern football you can no longer plan in the long term and that unforeseen events can always appear. The experience of Qatar, when he had to wait until the last minute for the recovery of several players and even modify the list, left him a lesson. But this time the feeling is different. Not because the injuries are more serious, but because the calendar is beginning to run out. The debut is just around the corner and the team is still waiting for the evolution of several players.
Perhaps that is why the excitement has not yet been felt around the team. Argentina Play well, win and leave a good feeling. But The road to debut became an obstacle course. And while the streets of Kansas City remain oblivious to the World Cup climate, the countdown that matters most is not the one against the game against Algeria: it is the number of days left until the medical report finally stops bringing news.
