2023-09-12 18:34:09
For the match against Bolivia, Lionel Messi was even left out of the substitute bench
They already play for Hernando Siles, the Argentine team against Bolivia. The Argentine team wants another victory and defend its status as world champion.
Everything is ready for the action to begin at the Hernando Siles. The Argentine and Bolivian teams have already entered the playing field and in five minutes the duel for the second date of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup will begin.
Although he will not be part of the players who go to the substitutes’ bench, Lionel Messi is sitting with the rest of his teammates on the playing field. In order for the captain to be in that sector, a special permit was obtained, since they can only occupy a place on the bench with those who are officially registered for the match.
It will be the second time that Lionel Messi has been absent in a qualifying match against Bolivia. The precedent dates back to 2018, when he had to serve a sanction for an expulsion. The Argentine captain traveled with the team and watched the game from the locker room. That team was under the technical leadership of Edgardo Bauza and the national team lost 2-0.
Several of the starters from this clash with Bolivia will play for the first time in La Paz: Emiliano Dibu Martínez, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez. The coaching staff closely monitors these players to know how they will respond to the demands of the game.
The fans of the Bolivian team in the streets mock the absence of Lionel Messi, since the news circulated quickly that the captain of the Argentine team will not start and will not go to the substitutes’ bench.
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In each match that the Argentine team plays, the rituals are maintained and one of the most characteristic features Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes. The two Argentine midfielders, before each team match, go out onto the playing field and walk towards the center of the field, chat and eat candy.
In the last hours they resolved that Lionel Messi does not occupy a place on the substitutes’ bench. The coaching staff had already agreed that he would not be there from the start, but a couple of hours after leaving for the stadium it was determined that the captain would not be a substitute, since due to the accumulation of matches they did not want to risk him physically.
For the match against Bolivia, Lionel Messi was even left out of the substitute bench
This is the formation of the Argentine team that will face Bolivia, at the Hernando Siles stadium: Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi and Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister; Ángel Di María, Julián Álvarez and Nicolás González.
The Argentine players want to avoid the psychological effect of altitude, which is why they asked the members of the coaching staff to not have oxygen tubes visible in the locker room. In addition, they asked to prevent it from spreading that they need boost, the individual respiratory supplement that they brought to La Paz to avoid suffering from shortness of breath.
A mural painted in Plaza Tejada Sorzano was the subject of criticism from the people of La Paz and caused the mayor to abandon its presentation. It includes the Argentines Lionel Messi, Diego Armando Maradona on the Argentine side and the Bolivians Marco Etcheverry, Ramiro Castillo and Carlos Borja. In the run-up to the match between both teams, local fans had protested because they considered it an “exaggerated” welcome gesture for the Argentine team. In the midst of the controversy, Mayor Iván Arias defended himself and said that the painting had been made with private contributions. But there will be no official presentation.
“One Argentine shirt is sold for every four Bolivians,” Giane tells LA NACION. He works at one of the many stands selling t-shirts in the vicinity of the stadium where the match between Argentina and Bolivia will be played, for the South American qualifiers. Two hours before the start of the match, the Albiceleste fans make themselves noticed and begin to take their places at the Hernando Siles, which has already opened its doors.
One of the stalls selling t-shirts and items near the Hernando Siles stadium in La Paz
Fernando Costa, president of the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF), confirmed that expectations for this Tuesday’s match are maximum. “We have broken a fundraising record, more than a million dollars were raised and we are happy because the game will be followed all over the world,” said the top leader of Bolivian soccer. On Monday, the last 3,000 seats remaining for the match were sold at a good pace, so the Hernando Siles stadium will be packed, with more than 41,000 people in the stands.
The furor to see Argentina in La Paz is such that the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) announced a record collection for this Tuesday’s match: more than a million dollars – Credits: @JORGE BERNAL
Although the Argentine captain scored three times in the last qualifying match, La Pulga was never able to celebrate in Bolivian territory. He was present four times, but played three games. In 2017 he traveled, but could not play a minute because he was suspended by FIFA. In his debut in La Paz, the man from Rosario took a rout: it was 6-1 for Bolivia with Diego Armando Maradona as coach. In the second match, in 2013 (heading to Brazil 2014) he tied 1-1. And the third time was the charm: in 2020 Argentina won 2-1 thanks to goals from Lautaro Martínez and Joaquín Correa. Thus, Messi’s record in the highlands is reduced to three games, with a win, a draw and a loss.
A young Lionel Messi regrets after missing a chance in the match against Bolivia in 2009; That day, the team led by Diego Armando Maradona lost 6-1 – Credits: @Maximiliano Luna
The Bolivian forward, a reference for his team, asked his fans to support the green team, and not to get carried away by the euphoria of having the current world champion, Argentina, in the Hernando Siles. “It is important that we unite, together we are strong. We cannot be separated, we cannot support two teams, we have to be united. “This is how a competitive team is formed,” Martins asked.
“We are going to play for all of them, for the entire country, for the entire country, for a victory that we want,” added the Independiente del Valle (Ecuador) forward. Gustavo Costas, Bolivia’s coach, also urged his fans to cheer on the team this afternoon in La Paz.
Argentina and Bolivia faced each other 41 times. The albiceleste team dominates the record, with 29 wins, while those from the highlands won seven times. There were only five ties. The last precedent is from September 9, 2021, at the Monumental stadium. After the coronavirus pandemic, that day the winning of the Copa América in Brazil was celebrated. And the team led by Lionel Scaloni won 3-0 thanks to three goals from its captain: Lionel Messi.
With Marcelo Martins as standard bearer and scorer, Gustavo Costas (Bolivian coach) has a team in mind to counter Argentina and win their first points in the qualifiers towards Mexico, Canada and the United States 2026. In their presentation, La Verde fell by 5-1 against Brazil in Belem.
The probable Bolivian team is the following: Guillermo Viscarra; Roberto Carlos Fernández, Jairo Quinteros, Adrián Jusino, Marcelo Suárez, Diego Bejarano; Gabriel Villamil, Fernando Saucedo, Jaime Arrascaita; Víctor Ábrego and Marcelo Martins. Coach: Gustavo Costas.
Marcelo Martins and Gustavo Costas, at the press conference prior to this Tuesday’s match between Bolivia and Argentina – Credits: @AIZAR RALDES
Until the last moment, Lionel Scaloni will keep the question of whether or not Lionel Messi will be there against the highland team from the start. The captain underwent tests on Saturday that ruled out a muscle injury, but the string of games (one every four days) makes the coach think about not risking him from the beginning. Leandro Paredes and Alexis Mac Allister are fighting for a place in the middle of the field, while Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez are fighting to be the 9.
Lionel Scaloni observes the movements of his team in one of the training sessions prior to this Tuesday’s match between Argentina and Bolivia, for the South American qualifiers – Credits: @LUIS ROBAYO
Thus, the likely Argentine team to play against Bolivia is as follows: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Christian Rosemary, Nicholas Otamendi, Nicholas Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Leandro Paredes or Alexis Mac Allister; Angel Di Maria, Nicolas Gonzalez or Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez or Julian Alvarez. Coach: Lionel Scaloni.
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