Things Looking Messi For Argentina | Thebigtip

They may have escaped with a draw, but Argentina’s performance against Colombia this morning leaves the two time world champions looking anything but the team that was considered a strong favourite to win their 15th Copa America on home soil.

With stars such as Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez once again producing below par performances, Argentina were made to look second rate against the Colombians, who should have garnered a result given the amount of chances they produced.

Utilising a 4-1-4-1 formation, Colombia strangled the life out of Messi and company. The Barcelona wizard continues to struggle in an Argentina side which does not make do with the glorious technical ability of players such as Xavi and Andres Iniesta – players Messi needs in order to produce the wonderous performances we are so often accustomed to seeing from him.

Argentina manager Sergio Batista has tried to build a squad that can play to Messi’s strengths. His decision to field the likes of Esteban Cambiasso and Ever Banega in the midfield to provide Messi with quality possession, has backfired significantly in the two Copa America matches played thus far.

Batista’s decision to include Carlos Tevez and Ezequiel Lavezzi in the forward line to accompany Messi has also failed to reap any fruit for the albicelestes, who have looked pretty toothless in attack.

In Batista’s defence, the Argentine manager does not have an entire season to mould a squad capable of playing like FC Barcelona. He has barely two months in fact to formulate a team capable of beating some of the best sides in world football.

Whilst the names are there, Argentina struggle to produce a champion team with a team full of champions. Colombia on the other hand do not possess the illustrious figures that Argentina do, but manage to play like a team that, on its day, can give the world’s best a massive fright.

Colombian midfielder Freddy Guarin controlled the tempo of Colombia’s ball playing very well, while Radamel Falcao was always a constant menace for the Argentine defence.

Colombia’s defence on the other hand was superb, with Mario Yepes and Luis Amaranto Perea disrupting the limited attacking threats the likes of Messi and Tevez presented for Argentina.

In short, Colombia deserved to win by a few goals, but were thwarted by a string of great saves from Sergio Romero, not to mention an inexplicable miss from Moreno with the goal at his mercy in the first half.

While Argentina managed to escape with a point, they must now head to Cordoba and beat Costa Rica to ensure a place in the quarter-final stages of the Copa America.

If Argentina continues to perform without any cohesion and footballing personality, then the two time world cup winners could suffer a humiliating group exit at a tournament where the likes of Messi and co. were expected to dominate.