Leo had good and bad moments at high altitude, a complex scenario for any footballer, especially in La Paz.
South American football may not be the most attractive nor will it feature the big European figures, but it undoubtedly has a very high degree of difficulty. Not only because all rivals are complicated and can fight hand to hand against anyone, but because it contains some spices that make it unique. And one of them is that the always controversial height .
HOW DID THE ARGENTINE SELECTION DO AT THE HEIGHT OF PEACE?
While for some it is an unfair advantage and must be eradicated, for others it is a natural condition that must be accepted without question. Opinions aside, the truth is that CONMEBOL and FIFA both accept that Bolivia as Ecuador and, to a lesser extent, Colombia play their home games La Paz, Quito and Bogotá allowing them to use that variation to their advantage.
Although no one born can easily adapt to playing in those conditions, many of the footballers who compete or took part in the Libertadores or Sudamericana cups have very likely had to visit one of these two cities more than once. This is obviously not the case Lionel Messi who nevertheless never shied away from the challenge.
Three years ago, in the 2-1 victory over the Hernando Siles, for the second date of the qualifiers towards Qatar 2022, It was the seventh time that Leo had to climb and the third time at 3600 meters in the Bolivian capital.. He had never won in the highlands of La Paz and, moreover, he had been the protagonist of one of the most overwhelming waterfalls of the Albiceleste, when, with Diego Maradona as coach, they were defeated 6-1. After that match, played when he was just 22 years old, he had said it was “impossible” to play there.
His other experience there was a 1-1 draw in the 2013 qualifiers, which is remembered as the day Sabella brought oxygen tanks to help the players. During the Russia 2018 qualifiers, La Pulga did not play because he had insulted one of the assistant referees during the previous match against Chile and FIFA had ex officio suspended him.
The remaining four matches are divided between the Ecuadorian and Colombian capitals. There were three games against the Tricolor and one against the Cafeteros , a total of one win, one draw and two losses, in which he scored four goals . His only victory came in the 2800 meters in Quito, as the team led by Sampaoli achieved passage to the World Cup after winning 3-1 with three goals from Messi. The draw was also thanks to those payments: a 1-1 in 2013 in which Sabella used him as a substitute, a real rarity. Before that, they had lost 2-0 in 2009. Against the Colombians it was their first experience of this type, when Argentina, led by Alfio Basile, traveled to 2,600 meters in Bogotá in 2007 and came back with a 2 – 1 against. The ’10’, which was wearing the ’18’ at the time, had made it 1-0.
ALL MESSI’S MATCHES UP TO DATE WITH THE ARGENTINA NATIONAL TEAM:
20-11-2007 | Colombia 2-1 Argentina | South American Qualifiers | Bogota (2640m)
01-04-2009 | Bolivia 6-1 Argentina | South American Qualifiers | La Paz (3640m)
06/10/2009 | Ecuador 2-0 Argentina | South American Qualifiers | Quito (2850m)
26-03-2013 | Bolivia 1-1 Argentina | South American Qualifiers | La Paz (3640m)
06/11/2013 | Ecuador 1-1 Argentina | South American Qualifiers | Quito (2850m)
10/10/2017 | Ecuador 1-3 Argentina | South American Qualifiers | Quito (2850m)
13-10-2020 | Bolivia 1-2 Argentina | South American Qualifiers | La Paz (3640m)
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Will Messi, playing in the MLS, surpass Cristiano Ronaldo in goals?
Source: Goal