The right back who rose to prominence with River Plate is one of the players Lionel Scaloni cannot call upon for the upcoming semi-final. In the match between Argentina and Croatia, the coach faces a disciplinary hurdle that will keep one of his options off the field in this critical phase of the tournament. The issues center on two players who reached their second bookings of the competition, ruling them out of the semi-final clash against Croatia due to accumulate cautions from earlier rounds.
The Argentina national team was poised to meet Croatia in one of the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, a game watched with keen interest by fans in both the Americas and beyond. Scaloni had to contend with suspensions that would affect the lineup, specifically involving Marcos Acuña and Gonzalo Montiel. Both players had collected second yellow cards in the course of their campaign, with Acuña receiving a caution in the group stage and Montiel picking up his second in the previous round against the Netherlands. This disciplinary tally meant that neither could participate in the semi-final match, altering the strategic approach for Argentina as they prepared to face the European challengers.
Despite losing the right-back position in the domestic league to Nahuel Molina Lucero, the Sevilla defender Cachete had remained a trusted member of the squad. He had already contributed important minutes as a substitute in several key games—against Mexico, Australia, and the Netherlands—where Argentina needed to manage the result and maintain control of the match. His role was as a dependable option to step in when necessary, providing experience and versatility to the back line during a tense phase of the tournament.
The first caution for the Sevilla player occurred around the 43rd minute of the opening half in the group stage. That warning sign indicated the risk of accumulating disciplinary points, a pressure that can alter how a coach rotates his squad in such a high-stakes event. The second booking arrived in stoppage time, in the 109th minute, during the crucial encounter with the Netherlands. The late card cemented the decision to exclude him from the semi-final lineup due to the tournament’s rule on suspensions after reaching the threshold for cautions.
As a result, Scaloni faced the reality that this particular semi-final would proceed without Acuña and Montiel, two players whose influence and familiarity with the system had been shaping Argentina’s approach throughout the tournament. The regulations surrounding disciplinary records meant the suspension would temporarily remove them from the squad, potentially reshaping the defensive and midfield configuration that had been developed across the knockout rounds. If Argentina advanced beyond the semi-final, those players would be available again after the applicable suspension period, potentially returning for the final or, if needed, the third-place play-off. This dynamic forced the coaching staff to rethink personnel options and adapt tactics accordingly, seeking balance between maintaining defensive solidity and preserving the attacking intent that had characterized the Albiceleste’s performance so far.
In examining the broader implications, the incident underscored how the World Cup format intensifies the impact of disciplinary decisions. A single player’s absence can shift the entire dynamic of a match, affecting pressing patterns, width in attack, and the availability of alternative build-up options. Scaloni’s challenge was to assemble a lineup capable of enduring the pressure and leveraging the team’s strengths, even as the absence of regulars created openings for others to seize responsibility and demonstrate their readiness on the world stage. The situation also highlighted the depth of Argentina’s squad, with capable replacements expected to step in and contribute to a performance aimed at advancing to the final stage of the tournament. The semi-final against Croatia thus carried added weight, not just for the result but for the broader narrative about resilience and strategic adaptability in international football’s pinnacle event.
Source: Goal