Argentina-Sampaoli: Journey to 'hell'

(Baonghean.vn) - After a disappointing draw with Peru in the penultimate match, Argentina has dropped to 6th place and the risk of not being able to get a ticket to Russia next summer is clearer than ever.

The official news that the former Sevilla FC coach has agreed to take over the hot seat left by his predecessor Bauza has made Argentine fans extremely excited. What he has done for the Chilean national team (winning the Copa America 2015) and bringing Sevilla to 4th place in La Liga 2016/2017, Coach Sampaoli is expected to become the "savior" to help his hometown team overcome difficulties - specifically, win a ticket to the 2018 World Cup.

The belief of Argentine fans was even more grounded when coach Sampaoli's debut in Albicelestes went like a dream. In his first time as captain of the Argentina national team, coach Sampaoli helped Messi and his teammates defeat their rivals Brazil with a score of 1-0, in a friendly match held in Australia. Just a few days later, in the "lion island" of Singapore, the Argentina national team crushed the home team with a resounding 8-0 victory.

Coach Sampaoli (middle) at the contract signing ceremony with the Argentine Football Federation. Photo: Internet

Following two successful friendly matches against Brazil and Singapore, coach Sampaoli and his team embarked on their journey to the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in South America, with a trip to Uruguay to face Suarez and his teammates. Although they only returned with 1 point, the performance of the Argentine players deserved to receive praise from Tango fans. After 15 matches, Albicelestes ranked 5th on the rankings and the right to self-determination was still in the hands of the team wearing blue and white stripes.

However, the disappointing draw with Venezuela right at home in the 16th round of the tournament for Messi and his teammates was nothing short of a humiliation. Against a team that was not highly rated in terms of strength and motivation (no chance of competing for a ticket to Russia) like Venezuela, the failure to win 3 points was entirely the fault of coach Sampaoli and his team.

Fortunately for Argentina, direct opponents Colombia and Chile could not win to break away from the rankings (Colombia 1 - 1 Brazil, Bolivia 1 - 0 Chile).

Captain Messi (number 10) dribbles the ball amidst a siege of Peruvian players. Photo: Internet

Thanks to that, entering the match with Peru in round 17, the Tango team still "reigned" in 5th place on the rankings with 24 points (less than Peru in the secondary index). Just need to win the "6-point" match against the opponent, coach Sampaoli and his team will certainly jump up at least 1 place (4th place) and have a wide open door to owning 1 of 4 official tickets to the 2018 World Cup Finals. Unfortunately, Messi and his teammates did not complete that seemingly easy goal.

During the 90 minutes at La Bombonera, the Argentina team dominated the game and created delicious opportunities. Messi, Benedetto, Di Maria, Rigoni... took turns missing obvious opportunities. With each failed shot, each passing minute, coach Sampaoli and his team got closer to the gates of "hell". Unable to defeat their direct opponent Peru, the right to self-determination passed from the hands of the "Tango dancers" to other teams, including Peru.

The disappointment of Argentine fans after the draw with Peru. Photo: Internet

Dropping to 6th place, with only one round left in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in South America, Argentina's chances of reaching Russia next summer are almost gone. Not only have they lost the right to decide in the battle for 4 official tickets, but even the play-off spot has become extremely difficult for Albicelestes. In the final round, Messi and his teammates have to play away at Ecuador - a place where Argentina has not won once since 2000.

Thus, the journey of coach Sampaoli and his team has reached the gates of "hell". If they defeat Ecuador, Argentina will secure a place in the play-off match with New Zealand, otherwise, in the summer of 2018, Messi and his teammates will have to sit at home and watch the biggest football festival on the planet on the small screen. The disaster of 1970 - Argentina was not allowed to attend the World Cup in Mexico, preparing to repeat itself with the team that won the championship twice (1978, 1986).

Argentina - Sampaoli's journey started like a dream, but the possibility of ending in "hell" is quite high.

Thanh Hung