Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has said that there are plenty of things to improve after the nation progress to the quarter-final stage of the Copa America. Argentina managed just one point from the games against Paraguay and Colombia, and they still managed to secure qualification for the final eight after a 2-0 triumph over Qatar.
Speaking after the game, Scaloni acknowledged that there were positives to take forward after the team played with confidence in the second half against the Asian champions. He added that they need to adjust more depending on the opposition and the players are feeling more at war with the pressure and expectations of the tournament.
He told reporters: “We have things to improve but we are satisfied. We needed a game like that to gain confidence. Especially in the second half, we played without fear. We will have to adjust some things against other types of opponents. Sometimes, these guys go out to play a soccer game and they seem to go out and play a war. With the pressure on them sometimes it is difficult to play.”
Argentina have not won any major trophy over the past two-and-a-half decades but they have reached finals. Indeed, they have managed to reach the pinnacle stage of each of the previous editions of the tournament where they have eventually succumbed to penalty shoot-out defeats at the hands of Chile.
The South American giants are scheduled to face Venezuela during the quarter-final stage of the tournament and a victory could potentially see them face Brazil in the next round. Should things go their way, Argentina can brace themselves for a third-straight Copa America final where they have the chance of coming against Chile once more. The holders will know their quarter-final opponents after their final group stage game.
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