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Argentina vs. Belgium: Inconsistent Attack Hurts Argentinians’ Chances in Semis
Published: July 5, 2014
Lionel Messi hasn't just demolished the argument that he doesn't perform well for his country in this tournament; he's also literally dragged his team through to the semifinals with his creative performances and goalscoring exploits.
Argentina has scored eight goals in this tournament; Messi has been directly involved in five of them (four goals, one assist). One of those eight scores did come courtesy of a Bosnia and Herzegovina own goal as well.
Messi has often dropped deep into midfield to pick up the ball, pulling him away from the final third at times. It's not always the best area for him, yet he still manages to conjure up magical moments like this, via Squawka Football:
The Barcelona star isn't the issue. It's the players around him who have struggled at times to put together well-rounded performances.
ESPN Stats & Info pointed out Angel di Maria's constant involvement in the team's attack when he was substituted off the pitch in the 33rd minute:
Twenty-five shots—but just one lone goal to show for it in the tournament.
Gonzalo Higuain, scoreless in his last six games for his country, hit the winner in the eighth minute against Belgium. Via ESPNFC:
There was little else for Argentina in this game. Of its 10 shots in the game, just two made it on target, as per WhoScored.com.
English football legend Gary Lineker noted he hadn't been involved too much up to this point in the tournament:
The Washington Post's Michael Caley believes the issue for Argentina lies in coach Alejandro Sabella's emphasis on wide play:
I think ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football
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