National team training in Miami: Messi’s smile, full of Garnacho and news for Scaloni :: Olé USA

He completed his second training session. The Argentina national team at the Inter Miami stadium, which Lionel Messi knows well. And it was number 10 who seemed very comfortable, not only because of the chosen venue, but also because he was part of a team that brought him important joy. The captain left a smile in the middle of the roar, his face changing a little when it was his turn to go to the center in a crazy (shell), but, of course, it didn’t last long. His job is to drive his opponents crazy.

Thinking about the upcoming friendly matches ( Sunday 9/6 vs. Ecuador to Chicago and Friday 14.06 vs. Guatemala in Maryland), but above all wisely June 20, debut day at the America’s Cup. (against Canada in Atlanta), Scaloni assembled a full lineup for the second day in a row and began sketching out in his head the teams he would try or the ones he would test before the tournament. Of course, there are several contenders for a place on the final list.

Almost all the players mentioned by the coach went to the Florida Blue training center. Almost because Germán Pezzella continued his differentiated work in the hall (in mid-May he suffered a microfracture of his toe), and Guido Rodriguez also performed special exercises, while Huevo Acuña and Nahuel Molina moved in at the same time groups.

These days, and especially the training sessions, will be key to finish Scaloni’s conviction that each of them deserves a place in the final squad of the America’s Cup. For example, Manchester United man Alejandro Garnacho knows he has a good chance of being there, but he still left it all in practice.like when he jumped to pick up a ball and get out of the madman’s way.

Nine practices and two games is what the coach has with all the elements in hand to make a final decision in which he will have to rule out three players and the deadline is June 15, the day the coach will wait to make a decision. .

Scaloni doesn’t want the same thing to happen to him as he did ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with a team already champion of the Americas and with players who arrived in full competition at the time he was. The World Cup was played, the coach gave a shortlist of 26 people, and when he assembled the group in Abu Dhabi, he realized that not everyone was physically fit for the maximum assignment, which worried him.

The coach had already marked the field during his first public appearance in the US: he warned that this would be test time for most (obviously not Messi and some of the untouchables from Skaloneta) and that he might even call someone who “is in the preliminary list”, even if you are not in Miami now.

The coaching staff’s biggest concern is how the players who are recovering from injuries or stoppages are doing. And there are a few people who need to find their best form. Because Nahuel Molina, Germán Pezzella, Marcos Acuña and Enzo Fernandez are in the final stages of recovery. Although Lisandro Martinez has added some minutes in Manchester United’s final games of the season – he played a key role in the FA Cup win against Manchester City – he needs more training and training and friendlies will provide that.