Who will save the Argentina team?

(Baonghean.vn) - Although they did not compete successfully in the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers in South America, the possibility of Messi and his teammates being present in Russia next summer is still very high.

Save yourself first

There are only 2 more rounds of the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers in South America to officially end to find out which 3 teams will follow Brazil to Russia and which team will have to play a play-off match with the representative of Oceania for the remaining ticket. According to the rankings, Argentina is temporarily in 5th place with 24 points, equal to Peru (ranked 4th) and only 1 point more than Chile (ranked 6th).

That shows that if coach Sampaoli and his team cannot win a maximum of 6 points in the last 2 matches against Peru and Ecuador, the possibility of being knocked out of the TOP 5 is almost inevitable. That means, the "Tango dancers" will have to stay home to witness the biggest football festival on the planet taking place in the summer of 2018... on the TV screen.

Therefore, there is no other way but for Messi and his teammates to save themselves first. In terms of strength, Argentina is still rated much higher than the two opponents Peru and Ecuador. With the presence of a series of great players such as Messi, Dybala, Otamendi, Di Maria, Aguero, Romero... Coach Sampaoli and his team are capable of defeating any team, not just Ecuador and Peru.

If Argentina plays to their full potential, it will not be too difficult to achieve favorable results. Admittedly, in the two matches against Uruguay and Venezuela, the "Land of Tango" team has not shown its true ability and reputation as a giant. However, objectively speaking, the machine built by architect Sampaoli is constantly improving compared to the pale face under coach Bauza.

Messi and his teammates could not hide their disappointment after the draw with Venezuela. Photo: Internet

What Argentina – Sampaoli still lacks is the ability to finish and a little luck. In about 1 month from now until the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers return (early October), the strategist born in 1960 will know how to overcome and fix the shortcomings of the team. At that time, Argentina will become a powerful team, capable of sweeping away all opponents.

Not to mention, the Albicelestes (Argentina's nickname) hold the right to self-determination. As long as coach Sampaoli and his team win all 6 points, the ticket to Russia will be in their hands without having to worry about the results in other matches. Even if Argentina cannot save themselves, there are still other forces ready to help them.

FIFA lends a hand?

Russian President Putin once said: "The 2018 World Cup cannot be without Argentina and Messi". This is not surprising, because of the reputation and stature of the team that won the championship twice (1978, 1986) and the presence of star Messi in the squad, Argentina received a lot of "favors" from the host country and FIFA. They will find every way to help coach Sampaoli and his team pass the qualifying round.

Everyone knows that the World Cup is increasingly moving away from a purely sporting event. Instead, political and economic factors have a huge influence. Without Brazil, Germany, Argentina... the appeal of the finals will be greatly reduced, the biggest football festival on the planet will be much less exciting.

Similarly, the absence of Messi, Ronaldo... will affect revenue from advertising contracts and stadium tickets. Reducing Messi's suspension from 4 matches to 1 match is FIFA's first move in the plan to help Argentina qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Henry's handball in the France - Republic of Ireland match in 2009. Photo: Internet

In the past, FIFA and the host country have repeatedly publicly supported big teams on their journey to the finals. Remember, before the play-off match between Italy and Russia in the 1998 World Cup European Qualifiers, tournament organizer Platini did not hesitate to declare: "The World Cup can be without Russia, but it cannot be without Italy."

Platini's "outspoken" statement has causedPhoneRussia and its fans were furious. After that,PhoneItaly has passedRussia national team, with the referee's decisions somewhat favoring the "blue team".

That was nothing compared to the “Hand of God 2.0” scandal in the second leg of the 2010 World Cup qualifying play-off between France and the Republic of Ireland. At the Stade De France, striker Henry used his hand to block the ball before making a favorable pass for Gallas to score. Henry’s foul was clear, but the referee acted as if nothing had happened. And France advanced to South Africa, while the Republic of Ireland was eliminated in disgrace.

Recalling the above events, we can see that the possibility of Messi and his teammates not being able to attend the 2018 World Cup is very unlikely. Not only does the Argentina national team have the ability to save themselves, but even FIFA will be ready to support them, so that the ticket to the finals will definitely be in the hands of coach Sampaoli and his team./.

Thanh Hung