Argentina are probably the single-most talented team in this Copa America. The only team that could clearly challenge them on that level was Brazil, but with Neymar suspended that's no longer a question. The got punched in the teeth by Paraguay in their first match when they started to coast in the second half, but otherwise they got through their group and won it with almost arrogant ease.
Argentina won their Copa America group, but still haven’t shown how good they are
Argentina easily won their group, which might be scary because they have yet to play at their best.
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
The scariest part for their future opponents? Argentina didn’t play anywhere near their best in those first three matches.
They’re much, much better than four goals in three matches. In fact, you could definitely say that Argentina never even really got out of first gear in the group stage -- they’re capable of outright dominating matches. Maybe it’s the shorter turnaround between games, maybe they were just saving themselves for the knockout rounds, but Argentina never really displayed their full style and authority they’re capable of.
Take Saturday's match against Jamaica. Gonzalo Higuain scored a lovely goal early in the match, turning and firing through a crowded penalty area in the 11th minute. Argentina could easily have scored three or four more by the half hour mark, but some impressive goalkeeping from Dwayne Miller and not-quite-on finishing from Argentina's front line, including Lionel Messi, kept the scoreline at 1-0.
By halftime, though, Argentina were in something of a containment mode. Jamaica were putting ten men behind the ball every time the Albiceleste were in possession,and even though there were chances to slice the Reggae Boyz open, Argentina didn’t really take them. They’d eased off the throttle to conserve energy, playing keep away and making sure Jamaica didn’t have too many chances to score.
Some are critical of Gerardo Martino and his side, saying they’re playing dour football or looking frustrated or whatever other accusations pundits are throwing their way, but that ignores one crucial fact of Argentina’s Copa America run so far: they haven’t needed to be any better, except when they lost focus against Paraguay. Even then, they held on to the point they needed. Uruguay were dire in the second match, and Jamaica simply aren’t good enough to really compete with Argentina.
They’ll have to be better in the knockout rounds, though, and you can expect to see Argentina kick it up a notch or four once the games have a higher level of meaning. The risk they run is that they can’t shift in to a higher gear once they need to -- that’s certainly happened to other teams in similar circumstances in the past -- but it just doesn’t feel like that’s a likely outcome for Messi and company, especially with how the rest of the Copa America field is shaping up.
With Brazil hamstrung by Neymar’s suspension and Chile failing to live up to expectations so far, Argentina have a record-tying 15th Copa America title in their sights. They’re too good not to win the next two matches to make the final. They’re so close to having the bad taste of the World Cup final and their disappointing run in the last Copa America washed away. Now they just need to start playing to their ability in order to take that last step and grab the trophy that’s waiting for them.
See More:
