Just before the England-Argentina semifinal, mind games are at their peak. Gary Neville has criticized the Argentinian center-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez, while Joe Cole boldly claimed Lionel Messi would be “put to sleep.” After the first barrage of statements from the former England players, it was time for Argentina to take countermeasures, and Coach Lionel Scaloni didn’t hold back.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“I don’t know, but I’ll tell you this: When I retire, I won’t criticize any player whatsoever… Whether he’s Argentinian, Japanese, Chinese, or English…,” The Touchline quoted Scaloni.
The drama unfolded after the former England players started the mind games before the Argentina-England game. Gary Neville controversially dubbed the Argentinian defensive duo, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez, “the best-worst center-back pairing in the world” for their mix of extraordinary and erratic moments.
Former England international Joe Cole added fuel to the fire by stating Argentina’s star man, Lionel Messi, is going to be “put to sleep.” This caused a stir in the Argentinian press. Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher suggested England can exploit Messi’s defensive vulnerabilities. The Argentina manager tried to lower the tension, though:
“It’s just a soccer match,” he said.
The match carries enough weight. It will be Lionel Messi’s first-ever match against England. This is the same duel that featured Diego Maradona’s famous two goals in the 1986 World Cup and David Beckham’s sending-off after a confrontation with Diego Simeone in 1998. Despite murmurs of Argentina not playing its best, Scaloni isn’t hedging.
“The team isn’t playing as badly as people say. We must have done something right to reach this stage,” Scaloni said on Tuesday in response to suggestions his team hasn’t been at its best. “I’m grateful to the players. They’ve led us to three titles and now another semifinal. We’re just one step away, and we’re going to give it our all to get there.”
However, amid all the noise, England skipper Harry Kane took a realistic approach.
“Yeah, and no. I think it’s not something you want to focus too much on, surrounding the history. Yeah, that’s all part of it, and that’s what you guys [in the media] will talk about. And the fans will be involved in it. But from a player’s point of view, it’s us against a great team, who are smart, who are tactical, who know how to draw fouls, and know how to slow the game down.”
Argentina may not come as easily as the former England players are projecting.
