Speaking after his team’s 2-0 win over Poland, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni spoke of his frustration at the short gap between the final group stage game and his team’s last 16 meeting with Australia on Saturday. Scaloni said:
“The conditions are not right… It seems crazy to me. If we were in the first two groups, we could have had one more day of rest. Now it’s 1am in the morning and we’ll recover tomorrow, which means we’ll only have Friday to prepare for the game.”
The second-round game with Australia will be Argentina’s fourth in 12 days in Qatar with just 72 hours between kick-offs against Poland and the Socceroos. Scaloni, meanwhile, insists the last 16 tie will not be a simple match, saying: “Anyone who thinks that there is an easy game in football today is wrong.”
GWFN
