Tata Martino assured that he will seek to beat Argentina in Qatar 2022

After meeting the members of Group C, several experts agreed that Argentina will be the rival to win for the Mexican National Team. When confirming the news, among fans there was a doubt about the performance that the Tricolor will exhibit in that match, since it is the representative of the native country of Gerardo Martino. However, the coach of the Aztec players denied that their nationality influences their decisions and will seek to beat the Copa America Champion.

During a talk with the Tiro Libre program, the strategist gave his impressions and opinion about the teams he will face between November 22 and 30, 2022. In this regard, he confirmed that although he will seek to make an effort to ensure that, together with his work team, his country of origin is recognized, he will work to get Mexico's three points before the team of Lionel Scaloni.

“As an Argentine, along with my entire coaching staff, (I seek) to leave Argentina well standing by doing respectful work, appropriate behavior in the place I occupy here in Mexico. That's the way. For the rest, as a football coach, what I intend is to put together a good team and that I win. That is outside nationalism,” he stated on the program.

The fact is that both historical and current statistics point to South Americans as broad favorites to win the match and, even, rank in the round of 16 as leaders in the sector. The most recent achievement that supports Lionel Scaloni is the 2021 Copa América championship, when Lionel Messi won his first trophy with the national team. In that sense, the best player in the world will seek to march towards the title.

In addition, although they did not finish the qualifying phase on their way to Qatar as the best team in the Southern Cone, they achieved sufficient score, as well as a solid football deployment and the consolidation of a competitive squad on all lines of the pitch. These characteristics have been recognized by Martino.

“Argentina has done a very good tie together with Brazil. He qualified very authoritatively, that's why he is there as the top seed. For the rest, I don't put football in the same orbit as nationality, which, from my point of view, has nothing to do with the ball,” he acknowledged.

Throughout the world championships, Mexico and Argentina have faced each other three times. All of them have been favorable for the albicelestes and, even, some defeats have left the aspirations of the Tricolor in the way. The first time they played was in Uruguay 1930, where the score was a scandalous 6-3.

The second meeting in the history of the World Cups was in Germany 2006. In the round of 16, a goal by Rafa Márquez thrilled the Mexicans with victory. However, Hernán Crespo was in charge of the draw and Maxi Rodriguez eliminated Mexico in overtime with a shoe against Oswaldo Sanchez's goal.

Four years later they collided again in the same instance, although the difference increased to 3-1 in favor of Argentina. Thanks to this, the rivalry between combined has been cultivated. This is how Martino will have the obligation to break the unfavorable trend and transcend beyond the fifth match. Although he looks like a victim today, the strategist acknowledged that the landscape can change.

“We have seven months ahead of us, commitments in April, May and June. Again in August, September, the previous one in October. Everything has an organization where, now that we know when we make our debut, it is most likely that Argentina will not be the rival of September. From that we have a program of work between now and the end of the World Cup”, he concluded.

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