In the 18th round of the South American World Cup Qualifiers Group Stage, Ecuador beat Argentina 1-0. After the match, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni attended the post-match press conference.
When talking about the game, Scaloni said: “At the start of the second half, we were all wary of picking up another red card, and that threw the game a bit off its original rhythm. We stayed positive throughout, though—because the team was fighting and facing the situation in our own way. I feel the second half belonged to us; we could have done more, but the chances didn’t come. We’re used to winning, but that’s not always the case. The team’s performance in the second half was different, and that’s a positive sign.”
He continued: “Our goal is to keep trusting the path and philosophy that have brought us this far. Ecuador is a strong team, and they proved that today. If they play like this going forward, they’ll bring a lot of joy to their fans.”
When asked about Thiago Mastantuono wearing the No. 10 jersey, Scaloni stated: “The No. 10 was originally supposed to be worn by Thiago Almada, but he couldn’t play, so we gave the No. 10 to Mastantuono. I think he performed exceptionally well—he always has the courage to try things, and he has a strong personality.”
Regarding Lionel Messi, Scaloni said: “We hope Messi is in good form. We had already decided not to risk putting him on the pitch today.”
