Reigning champions Argentina reached the semifinals for a second straight World Cup by beating Switzerland 3-1 in extra time in the quarterfinal, but even amid the joy of victory, head coach Lionel Scaloni is not fully satisfied with his side’s performance. He believes there is room for further improvement before the hugely important semifinal against England.
Speaking to the media after the nerve-racking win at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Scaloni said: “We have many things we can improve. But moving forward through a win is the most important thing. Today is certainly a historic day.”
The Argentine coach also praised semifinal opponents England. In his words: “We are going to face a team that plays great football and has an excellent coach.”
But Scaloni said facing England would bring no change to the way his side prepared. “Whether the opponent is England or Norway, we would have a good team in front of us. Every team that has reached this stage is strong,” he said.
With the quarterfinal going the full 120 minutes, he now sees the players’ physical fatigue as the biggest challenge, and is placing the greatest emphasis on being fresh before the semifinal. “The most important thing now is for the players to recover quickly,” he said.
Argentina had been held 1-1 in regulation time against Switzerland. Julian Alvarez put the Albiceleste ahead with a fine goal in the 112th minute of extra time, and Lautaro Martinez added another late on to seal the 3-1 win.
The victory has brightened Argentina’s dream of reaching a second consecutive World Cup final. Argentina and England meet in the tournament’s second semifinal at the Atlanta Stadium in the United States on July 15.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report