On June 28, CEST, in the third group stage match of the FIFA World Cup, Argentina defeated Jordan 3-1. Afterward, Argentina coach Scaloni held a press conference.

The first part of the press conference is below.

What is your initial assessment of these first three matches, having secured 9 points?

Scaloni: Overall, it's positive after winning three matches, especially because we've involved all the players, which has always been our objective. I believe all players should not only appreciate the opportunity to participate in the FIFA World Cup, but also get real playing time. Fortunately, we gave them minutes, and I think they delivered, as it was a difficult match. The opponent is a good team; they defended compactly and didn't give us much space. Fortunately, the players played well, and that's the key: keeping everyone available and then evaluating for the future. Of course, if we can continue to rely on them, they've proven to me that they can.

What satisfied you most about today's match, given the rotations and tests you made? Also, how is everyone's fitness? The schedule will be more intense, almost a match every three days if you advance. What do you think about the players' physical condition?

Scaloni: Today, the only player on the bench who couldn't play was Cristian Romero. We hope he recovers; if not, we'll use other players. We know that from now on, the intervals between matches will be shorter. Previously, it was a match every five or six days, but from the knockout stages onward, things will change. We'll also play in Miami, where the weather is hot, and the match times are difficult, but everyone has played in such conditions, so we have no complaints. However, overall, aside from Cristian Romero, whom we hope recovers, all the others are fit and available.

Three wins in three matches—Argentina is one of the teams with the most goals in the group stage and has conceded the second-fewest goals. The dressing room seems to be in excellent form. How do you keep the team grounded and prevent them from getting overconfident?

Scaloni: There's nothing to get overconfident about. We need to keep advancing, keep playing, and keep giving our best. As I said yesterday at the press conference, this shirt means always giving your best, always putting in all your effort, doing your best, and trying to win. That's what they did today, and they will continue to do so. They have it within them, and I won't tire of repeating: they are naturally competitive, and that will be the case, at least during my tenure. I believe Argentine players have always been this way, very committed to the national team. We just need to let them continue to prove it on the pitch.

Messi came on as a substitute in the second half, and the stadium immediately erupted, with fans chanting his name. He scored again, extending his streak to seven consecutive FIFA World Cup matches with a goal, constantly breaking records. Are you surprised when you see him, or are you used to it? How do you feel about it?

Scaloni: What you see, I also see. Every time someone asks me this question, it's a bit embarrassing for me because I don't know what else to say. The only thing I can add is that today he could have easily played the full 90 minutes and perhaps continued to extend his legendary record, but he chose to give playing time to his teammates, also considering the upcoming matches. That says a lot; he's not just thinking about the numbers that outsiders talk about.

So I'm very happy because he made that decision. I spoke with him, and he said it was the best thing to do, and I agreed. It shows his attitude toward the national team, the team, and his teammates. It's very good. As for the rest, I have no more words.

You just mentioned Messi, and Lo Celso and Lautaro also scored. How important is it for both of them to score for the national team? Does it also boost their confidence?

Scaloni: I don't think we ever doubted Lautaro, Álvarez, or Lo Celso. Goals are always welcome, of course, but they've been doing excellent work. Lautaro's performance has been exceptional, and even without goals, we're very satisfied with him. He has been very committed since joining us and is a very professional player. Of course, if they score, it's better for them and for the team, but even if they don't, we're equally satisfied.

Why did you choose to start with Álvarez and Lautaro together? Did that meet your expectations? One quick second question: on a scale of 1 to 10, what grade would you give the team after the group stage?

Scaloni: I don't do 1 to 10; I'm not used to grading that way, but I can say that we're in good form. It's hard to say at what specific level, but we're really doing well. Now the FIFA World Cup enters another phase. The reason for choosing the two to start together is, first, to give Álvarez more playing time, since he hadn't started before, only appearing twice as a substitute. I always say balance is key.

Today I felt the team could afford to use both. Overall, they performed very well; they always play well when they're together on the pitch, for example, against Paraguay, and also at the Monumental stadium. The two can complement each other very well.

But I always say, it depends on the match; there are different types of matches, and you need to find balance. The team can't lose that balance, otherwise situations will arise that you don't like, players will become unhappy, and teammates will feel uncomfortable. Our objective is to maintain that structure and balance.

Today we tried to get them to play together, and overall I'm very satisfied; they also created chances and contributed to the attack, which is very good.

As a coach, how do you feel about 5 players making their FIFA World Cup debut? You've lived through those moments yourself.

Scaloni: This is an unforgettable moment in their lives, I can imagine. In fact, when organizing the substitutions, we were trying to solve a puzzle to get these players who needed to play into the match without disrupting the team's overall balance. This was also one of our objectives for today's match, and we achieved it, which leaves me very satisfied.

I hope they truly understand what it means to wear the national team shirt and play in the FIFA World Cup. Based on their performance and reactions, I think they do. So I'm very proud of that: we've had almost all our outfield players make an appearance, only the goalkeepers haven't been rotated yet, and overall I'm very satisfied.

Why did you choose Palacios to play at right-back today? This is a position I've never seen him in before.

Scaloni: First, Palacios has tried this position in training, and we believed this position needed a rotation option. We're very satisfied with that choice, especially since it wasn't an easy match.

Traduzido por IA.

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