Argentina coach Scaloni says pressure his side are under leaves them having to 'play a war'
Argentina’s 2-0 win over Qatar gave Lionel Scaloni’s side a much-needed confidence boost, according to the Albiceleste coach.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the pressure on his players made it feel like they were at war after a 2-0 win over Qatar earned them a place in the Copa America quarter-finals.
Goals from Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero ensured the Albiceleste avoided a potential banana skin on a night when defeat would have sent them crashing out of the competition at the first hurdle.
Victory teed up a quarter-final clash with Group A runners-up Venezuela and Scaloni admitted the result was a welcome one after a gruelling start to the competition.
Argentina’s performances will have to improve if they are looking to lift their first Copa America trophy since 1993, with early displays meaning that an exit from the competition in the group stages was not out of the realms of possibility.
“We have things to improve but we are satisfied,” said Scaloni at his post-match press conference.
“We needed a game like that to gain confidence.
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“Especially in the second half, we played without fear.
“We will have to adjust some things against other types of opponents.”
Scaloni came under fire after his players lost to Colombia and drew with Paraguay in their opening games of the competition and failed to play with the confidence and urgency on display against Qatar.
He dismissed the impact of that criticism on him personally however, saying: “I never think of myself. I always think of the national team.
“I would like the message to be different, to be balanced at the end of the tournament. Everything surrounding the national team should be more balanced.
“Sometimes, these guys go out to play a soccer game and they seem to go out and play a war. With the pressure on them sometimes it is difficult to play.
“The message should be that while playing in the Copa America we are all on the same side.”
Argentina have only won silverware twice since 1993, with both of those being gold medals at the Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, while they came closest in recent history at the 2014 World Cup when they lost to Germany in the final.