Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni said his team truly stepped up despite missing Lionel Messi in their World Cup qualifier win over Uruguay.
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Argentina stepped up despite missing Messi
La Albiceleste were without Messi for Friday’s World Cup qualifier in Montevideo, along with Lautaro MartÃnez and Paulo Dybala.
The match seemed destined for a draw until Thiago Almada’s stunning 67th-minute, 25-yard strike.
Scaloni praised his squad for showcasing their depth and resilience.
“The national team is a team. When one is missing, the other enters,” he said.
“We had very important casualties, but we have great players to go out on the field.”
“The team is always beyond names. Luckily, we can put players in and the team doesn’t suffer.”
Argentina played a “complete game”
Argentina’s only setback came in stoppage time when Nicolas Gonzalez was sent off for a high challenge on Nahitan Nandez.
Still, the late red card didn’t ruin the night for coach Lionel Scaloni, who praised his team for stepping up Messi’s absence.
“On the right side, they created some situations for us. In the second half, we corrected [those], and another game took place.”
“The team played a complete game, absorbed the pressure of the opponent. When we had to play, we did it and when he had to score, too. I was satisfied, not because I won, but because of how the team performed.”
