Colombia vs Argentina: James Rodriguez Shines as Argentina Falters

Without Lionel Messi, Argentina’s attack struggled, and their defense appeared unexpectedly vulnerable as they were convincingly outplayed by Colombia in a 2-1 defeat during World Cup qualifying.

Messi, still sidelined with the high ankle sprain he sustained in the Copa America final, might have made a crucial difference. However, with Messi absent, the team lacked creativity and failed to capitalize on their opportunities.

Colombia deservedly took the lead in the first half through a well-executed corner. James Rodriguez delivered a precise cross to the far post, where Yerson Mosquera headed in after Argentina’s defense was caught off guard.

Argentina responded after the interval when Nico Gonzalez sprinted past the Colombian defense and scored by slipping the ball through the keeper’s legs, equalizing the score.

Despite this, Colombia reclaimed the lead with a controversial penalty. Daniel Munoz was judged to have been fouled by Enzo Fernandez in the box following a lengthy VAR review. James Rodriguez confidently converted the penalty, despite Emi Martinez’s usual antics.

For the remainder of the match, Colombia maintained control. Although Argentina attempted some creative attacking plays, they rarely threatened Colombia’s goal. By the final whistle, Argentina was clearly outplayed.

Here’s how Argentina’s players fared at Estadio Metropolitano:

Goalkeeper & Defense

– Emi Martinez (5/10): Unable to prevent the opening goal and ineffective in stopping James’ penalty despite his usual attempts to disrupt.

– Gonzalo Montiel (5/10): Substituted at halftime after a lackluster performance marred by a needless yellow card.

– Cristian Romero (5/10): Struggled to contain Luis Diaz and later, Duran, showing discomfort throughout the game.

– Nicolas Otamendi (6/10): The more reliable of the center-backs, managing his tackles and maintaining a degree of solidity.

– Lisandro Martinez (6/10): Showed better stability on his side of the pitch but missed a crucial chance at the end of the first half. Clearly more effective in central defense than as a makeshift left-back.

Midfield

– Rodrigo De Paul (6/10): Put in a strong effort but was inconsistent with the ball and got caught up in altercations with Diaz.

– Enzo Fernandez (4/10): Had a forgettable game with poor passing and minimal impact. His mistake led to the penalty that decided the match.

– Leandro Paredes (6/10): Completed all his passes but didn’t influence the game significantly. Argentina often performs better with Mac Allister in his role.

– Nico Gonzalez (6/10): Relatively quiet until he scored a crucial equalizer.

Attack

– Lautaro Martinez (4/10): Disappeared again for the national team after a strong performance at the Copa America.

– Julian Alvarez (5/10): Struggled to get into the game, failing to register a shot on target and not syncing well with Martinez.

Subs & Manager

– Nahuel Molina (5/10): More effective than Montiel after coming on at halftime.

– Marcos Acuna (6/10): Provided a gritty performance and was tidy with possession.

– Alexis Mac Allister (7/10): The team improved significantly with his introduction, highlighting his importance to the side.

– Giovani Lo Celso (N/A): Barely involved in the game.

– Paulo Dybala (N/A): Had no time to make an impact.

– Lionel Scaloni (6/10): Stuck with a similar lineup to the Copa America-winning team, but once again saw his side outplayed. Although they improved late on, the result was well deserved by Colombia. It was a disappointing performance but not entirely disastrous.