Facing Argentina, Messi in Copa semis not overwhelming

As the U.S. Men’s National Team prepares to face Argentina in the semi-finals of Copa America Centenario, it’s hard not to notice the radical shift in emotions from head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Group A contained the U.S., Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay; Group B consisted of Brazil, Ecuador, Haiti and Peru; Group C was made up of Mexico, Uruguay, Jamaica and Venezuela; and Group D was comprised of Argentina, Chile, Panama and Bolivia. We started in the ‘90s and we had to inch our way up, ” retired defender Marcelo Balboa said. Kyle Beckerman appears likely to replace Jones, with Graham Zusi, Chris Wondolowski, Darlington Nagbe and 17-year-old Christian Pulisic the top candidates for the other two slots. USA head coach Jurgen Klinsmann shared high praise for the veteran forward following the match. Messi, the five-time world player of the year, is on top of his game again after recovering from a back injury and easing back into the lineup. Napoli forward Higuain still had plenty to do but skillfully directed a first time strike past Venezuela goalkeeper Dani Hernandez for a wonderful goal.

Bedoya was carrying a yellow card when he reacted to a foul called against him late in the Ecuador game by kicking the ball over the sideline. Three ended in victory: Brazil in the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals in Los Angeles, Spain in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semifinals in South Africa and Germany in an away friendly previous year. You want Johnson in midfield so he can contribute to the attack, and try to go after Argentine left back Gabriel Mercado. Also, if Klinsmann is as eager to see his team attack as he has been saying, then there’s no reason he can’t play his most unsafe winger in a wing role.

That’s not exactly the best way to go into a knockout-round game against the world’s top-ranked team, one that has shredded the competition in this tournament. “I’m happy for what it means and it’s nice to be next to “Batigol” (Batistuta), but for me tonight the most important thing is the result”, Messi said.

“Make it your moment”, Klinsmann recalled telling his players.

Johnson and Besler have the qualities to keep Messi occupied on the wing, but Argentina’s captain will often go where the space is.

Where: NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

“The focus is the qualification for the World Cup and we are not in the qualification zone, ” he said.

In the quarterfinals the US was matched against Ecuador, the No. 13 team in the world, which sits atop the table in South America’s World Cup qualifying tournament.

At his press conference following Argentina’s quarterfinal win over Venezuela, head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino assured reporters his team wouldn’t take USA lightly.

Klinsmann also pointed to Argentina’s lackluster start to 2018 World Cup qualifiers, which has included two draws and a defeat in six games, as a cause for optimism. “He’s powerful. He’s got the ability and the skill set that a lot of people should admire”.

Afterwards Messi played down his goalscoring milestone. Teams coached by Bacchi usually make a rotation for that role and he said that is “the ideal for a team.”.