So much for Argentina dominating Bolivia in the opening Copa America match. Hosting the tournament and with an obscene amount of talent on their roster, Argentina were supposed to cruise in the opener. They've been better than Bolivia, but they haven't dismantled the underdogs and they haven't created many chances. In fact, the 0-0 halftime scoreline is actually rather fair if you just take a look at the chances each team has had.
Copa America 2011, Argentina Vs. Bolivia: Disappointing Scoreless First Half For Hosts
Lionel Messi has been bright, but he hasn't gotten much service and has had to drop deep to get touches. Ever Banega has been the best player on the pitch, tackling and getting forward regularly, but he's not getting much help from either of his midfielder counterparts, Javier Mascherano and Esteban Cambiasso. Meanwhile, Carlos Tevez had the match's best chance just after kickoff when he was unmarked for a header on a Messi free kick, but he sent it well wide of the goal.
When you have Fernando Gago as the worst player on your team, Angel di Maria, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Diego Milito on the bench, you should not have any issue at all with Bolivia, but Argentina are. Is the pressure of being at home and trying to end an 18 year trophy drought getting to them?
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