World Cup unpredictability has become the defining theme of the current FIFA World Cup, according to Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni, who believes the gap between traditional powerhouses and emerging teams is rapidly narrowing. His comments are the latest ahead of Argentina’s Round-of-16 draw against Egypt, and are after a difficult start despite a clean sheet thus far.
Argentina advanced to the knockout round after a 3-game group stage with all victories coming by a wide margin. But that was tested in the last round when they had to come from behind and beat Cape Verde after the two teams had played a close 3-2 game. It was a sign of a wider trend in the tournament of elite teams failing to find a footing.
But no team has emerged as a “front-runner,” Scaloni said, pointing to several players that spring to mind. France has a penalty to clear Paraguay, Spain needs a late winner over Portugal and Brazil and Germany have been knocked out. Scaloni says that this trend is indicative of structural and environmental issues affecting performance from team to team.
Player fatigue is also a factor, he said, as many top players have played in busy club schedules. Also, match intensity and execution have been affected by external factors like travel needs, pitch quality and climate.
Undeterred by all these factors, Scaloni was measured in his satisfaction with Argentina’s developments. A winning four-match streak – even a knockout game of high pressure – is a sign of consistency of operation despite not meeting the peak technical standards.
So, from a tactical perspective, Argentina’s style is becoming more pragmatic, with a focus on game control rather than free play. This reflects the overall tournament environment, where effectiveness and flexibility are becoming more important than the old-fashioned dominance.
