In the 8th round of the World Cup South American qualifying group stage, Argentina defeated Colombia 1-2 on September 11th, Beijing time. After the match, Argentina's head coach Scaloni attended a press conference to give a comprehensive review and comment on the match.
Scaloni began by saying that although the team lost the game, the overall performance was positive. He emphasized that the team showed courage and had the chance to win the game, but a penalty kick call completely changed the course of the game. Scaloni recognized the team's hard work and struggle and praised the performance of their opponent, Colombia.
Talking about the penalty call in the second half, Scaloni said that it pained the team. He revealed that he had told referee Muñoz that he was the only one who did not protest against the call. According to Scaloni, the penalty was a huge blow to the team and tilted the game psychologically. Nevertheless, he still emphasized that the team fought on the field until the last moment.
Regarding the high temperatures in Barranquilla, where the match was played, Scaloni said that the timing of the match was unreasonable and that it had an impact on the players' performance. He believes that these hot conditions were fair to both players, but were clearly not suitable for a quality match. Scaloni also mentioned some controversial scenes in the first half, such as the situation where Alvarez was stepped on but was awarded a foul, but said he could only accept the referee's decision.
Speaking about his dissatisfaction with the match, Scaloni was outspoken in stating that the penalty call was his biggest gripe. He emphasized that the penalty not only affected the outcome of the game, but also gave a huge psychological boost to the opponents. However, Scaloni also admitted that even after the penalty, Argentina still had a chance to equalize.
For the opponent Colombia, Scaloni gave high praise. He believes that the Colombian team has excellent players and excellent tactical system, and the team operates well and deserves this victory. Scaloni also said that Argentina will congratulate Colombia on their victory and look forward to meeting again in future matches.
Speaking about the welcome Argentina received, Scaloni said the crowd in Barranquilla cheered their team on, but the atmosphere of friendship seemed to wane by the time they reached the stadium. Still, he thanked the Colombian side for the warm reception and respect shown to the Argentine team.
Finally, Scaloni talked about the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) system. He believes that VAR should play a bigger role in the game to help referees make more accurate calls. Scaloni suggested that referees should see images of the whole process when viewing VAR, rather than just focusing on the moment that looks like a foul. He hopes that the VAR system will be improved and refined in the future.
