Repeating a team is not always healthy, implementing changes is not always sick

In the popular imagination of someone who becomes a football analyst every four years, the fact that a coach makes five changes after a defeat means that he is ‘lost’. It doesn’t matter if he wore 36 games without losing, 36 games in which he never repeated the same formation. Yes: the last time Lionel Scaloni copied the eleven from one game to another was in the games against Venezuela and Brazil in the 2019 Copa América, the last defeat he had suffered until the stumbling against Arabia.

For a team to be “from memory”, let alone at the roster level, It’s not a sign that all is well. Because in club football, that of long tournaments where there is always revenge, it is normal for a coach to find his formula. But the World Cup practically does not give revenge. In fact, a goal from Mexico before Lionel Messi’s left foot could leave the Argentina team from Qatar.

The Albiceleste goes from low to high and that is a good sign. Although he started everything against the Arabs, with Leo’s penalty and Lautaro’s goals disallowed, He had 90 minutes of maximum care: the second half against the Asians and the first half against Tri. In the middle, the variants: to face Tata Martino’s team, Scaloni decided to switch to the wings (Montiel and Acuña for Molina and Tagliafico), to a central defender (Lisandro Martínez for Romero), to the ‘ 5’ (Guido Rodríguez for Paredes) and a trainee (Mac Allister for Papu Gómez). The reasons ranged from physical to lack of football rhythm, from adapting to the rival to looking for new alternatives. The results took time, but they came. Argentina defeated Mexico with a touch of Messi’s magic wand and a great goal from Enzo Fernández, who came off the bench to settle.

Benfica’s triumphed in the run-up to the game against Poland as decisively as the previous one. But the DT waited. First he rehearsed with the same eleven. Then he analyzed the variants. And an hour before the meeting, the surprise: not because of Cuti’s return, nor Molina’s, nor Enzo’s own income through Guido Rodríguez. The one who also came out was Lautaro Martínezhis Bull, the one who appeared with two goals, canceled due to millimeter offside, but who couldn’t go on the circuit against Mexico and hit few balls. Within Julián Álvarez, more versatile, less of a firm reference in the face of what was expected to be a coarse, rigid and withdrawn defense.

Y reading, with Monday’s paper, was perfect. La Araña was 9, from the left, turned right, left the area to unload and ended the story with a great goal. Y against defenders who never lost position, it was unbearable. Enzo Fernandez. That a 21-year-old boy who just appeared, who made his debut in the National Team three months ago, stops 30,000 people shouting “Enzo Enzo” regardless of whether they came from River, Boca, Chacarita or Belgrano explains it’s exceptional, of those who are not in abundance, of those who seem designated to mark an era. And Scaloni hoped it was the right time for him to stop being the substitutes’ helper wheel to become a starter.

After such a display of high football, change requests are turned into requests to repeat the same eleven. But only Scaloni has the answer. And if, after analyzing Australia, you decide that Lisandro Martínez, or Paredes, or Lautaro or whoever should return, changes in search of the best version are welcome in a match in which, from now on, Only 90 minutes will take your ticket home empty-handed.