00:00Take it four, Messi denied by an outstretched leg of the...
00:04That's the defender, and then, of course, the flag did come up in delayed fashion, which we all love so
00:09much.
00:10Now, these are the sort of things that you have to be careful about if you're Argentino.
00:15Lautaro Martinez gets in behind, ends up being in an outside position, but he's in a 1v1 situation against a
00:21goalkeeper.
00:22And sometimes, some of these Argentino players are so, I suppose, occupied with the idea of giving the ball to
00:31Messi
00:31that you end up missing out on doing your job and what you usually do very naturally.
00:38And in this case, Lautaro Martinez, if Lionel Messi were not on the field, he's not even looking to pass
00:45that ball.
00:46He's going through his goal, and he's going to finish, at least try to finish the chance himself.
00:54Only three additional minutes to be played.
00:58But back to the question of Argentino's first choice, starting 11, Ali.
01:03Do we know what it is? Does Lionel Scaloni know what it is?
01:06I believe so, and it's most of the players that came on in the second half, in the early part
01:12of the second half.
01:15Yeah.
01:39I believe their decisions to be made in the left-back position.
01:43We'll see what the progress of Nicolás Tagliafico is over the next couple of days.
01:48Yeah.
01:50The right-back position, as well, maybe one in question.
01:54Gonzalo Montiel had been carrying an injury.
01:56It feels like, perhaps, I don't think he is.
01:59We'll start the World Cup.
02:00At least, seemingly, that has been the plan as of now.
02:04But they've been waiting on Gonzalo Montiel and see whether he was going to be fit enough to play.
02:10They will Martinez, we assume, is going to be in goal.
02:13We haven't seen anything from Julian Alvarez.
02:17So my guess would be that in the first game, Lautaro Martinez will start.
02:21Yeah.
02:24There's now, well, Molina as well, who's still trying to get back to fitness.
02:29We haven't seen anything from him.
02:31That's why it sort of leads me to believe that Agustin Giay will get the initial opportunity.
02:36Mm-hmm.
02:39Yeah, which would be really something, wouldn't it, for the 22-year-old to almost come out of nowhere.
02:46And in the center back position, if you were really thinking about starting Nicolás Otamendi in that first match,
02:54then why give him so many minutes as he did against Honduras and against Iceland tonight?
03:00It tells me that maybe Cristian Romero and Lissandra Martinez are the ones that are going to play.
03:06Although Otamendi seemingly is always ready for Lionel Scaloni.
03:15So that's another question that you may have in terms of position and players that are available.
03:22Last chance perhaps for Iceland.
03:24Once it came in, could Jonsson did get ahead to it.
03:33Good work on the left-hand side, but could Jonsson almost feels and looks as if he's surprised that the
03:38ball is coming to him.
03:40You're center forward, but you've made a run.
03:43You have to anticipate that the ball may fall to you.
03:45He seems surprised, and there's the chance.
03:50Very hard indeed, wasn't it?
03:53But that is that.
03:55It is next stop, Kansas City, for Lionel Messi and company.
04:00Comfortable 3-0 win here against Iceland.
04:03The perfect preparation for a week's time.
04:06Algeria next is Lionel Scaloni.
04:08And his troops will begin the defense of the World Cup Trophy 1 so thrillingly in Qatar four years ago.
04:17Ali, plenty to enjoy in the second half particularly.
04:20Yeah, I thought that Argentina were a different team in the second half, and certainly because of the presence of
04:27those players that we think are going to start the first match.
04:29And of course, Lionel Messi being on the field makes all the difference in the world.
04:32They're a different team with him on the field.
04:35What he can do, what he can do, what he can see, what he can create.
04:40How quick was John Trent Tyson trying to get the jersey for Lionel Messi?
04:45The whistle hadn't even blown, and he was already asking for the jersey.
04:49I suppose I don't blame him, but in terms of the exercise, a useful exercise for Lionel Messi, a useful
04:56exercise for Lionel Scaloni and Argentina.
04:58He gets on the field, of course a goal, creates an opportunity with his first touch, and you just know
05:05that Argentina have a completely different energy and dynamic movement with him on the field.
05:10Yeah, almost a totally different game, wasn't it, when he appeared at the goal number 117, and the Arby Celeste
05:24colours as well.
05:25So that will do it for us on this road to 26, hope you enjoyed it, and the World Cup
05:30is next, folks.
05:32For myself, Adrian Healy, and Ali Moreno, it's good night from Auburn.
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