Scaloni’s Anger Despite Victory: What Happened?
The Argentine coach was upset by the poor condition of the grass in the opening match of the Copa América.
After Argentina's 2-0 victory over Canada in the opening match of the 2024 Copa América at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Lionel Scaloni expressed frustration with the poor quality of the pitch, stating it was not suitable for the players.
"It was similar to the Saudi match, with the difference being that we played on a decent pitch there. With all due respect. Thank goodness we won, because otherwise, it would have sounded like a cheap excuse to sit here and say this. We knew seven months ago we were going to play here, and they changed the turf two days ago. It’s not good for the spectacle. Sorry. The stadium is beautiful, and with the synthetic turf, it must be spectacular, but today’s pitch was not suitable for these types of players,” Scaloni commented.
Additionally, the Argentine coach made it clear that the pitch did affect the team's gameplay, saying, “The idea was to do something else,” but the inability to pass the ball effectively “because of the pitch and how Canada positioned themselves,” made it difficult.
On the other hand, Scaloni also highlighted the team’s good character and the importance of winning the first match of such a significant tournament.
"The important thing is that, no matter what, the team always shows up and responds in one way or another. This gives you peace of mind. Even in an ugly, strange game, the guys create scoring chances and defend like lions. From the negative side, I still want to analyze the situations (of goals) they had to make decisions later. But I think we played, not a very good match, but a match in line with how the pitch was and what the opponent allowed us," the Argentine coach stated.
