Gerardo Martino, the head coach of the Mexican national team, expects a tough game against Group C rivals Argentina on Saturday at the Lusail Stadium, but he promises to do anything to help El Tri win: “There is no other answer than for Mexico to win.”
His team comes into the game with one point after drawing 0-0 with Poland. Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa saved Robert Lewandowski’s penalty in a heroic move that kept hopes for the round of 16 alive. On the other hand, Argentina has no points because it lost to Saudi Arabia 2-1 and is currently in last place in Group C.
Even though Gerardo Martino knows how much trouble Argentina can cause on the World Cup stage, he says his heart is with Mexico.
“Mexico has to win, and we will try to help Mexico win because there is no other solution. I can tell you where I was born, the sanatorium, and what my city is like, but for Mexico to win, I have to do the impossible.”
But it won’t be easy for them to get to three points. Lionel Messi felt bad about how he played in the loss to Saudi Arabia, but he and the other Argentinian players have said they will come back stronger.
Tata Martino points out that Argentina’s bad result might fool Hirving “Chucky” Lozano.
“It’s because he had a bad afternoon before. What can we do? We always have to prepare for the game with the idea that Messi will be at his best. We can’t make assumptions that he won’t get it. Often, you can figure out how to win a game in five minutes. “We have to pay him our full attention,” Tata Martino said.
The game against Argentina is “key” for Mexico, just like the game against Poland.
“I don’t think there are that many different needs. For us, tomorrow’s game is a very important one. I think this game is important for both teams. Argentina has played, especially at the beginning of the Scaloni cycle, while waiting for spaces. In the last stage of the games, he feels much more at ease. We try to make most of the game happen with our ideas, but with such a strong opponent in front of us, we have to think that the game might not go the way we planned,” Martino said in his analysis.
“Sometimes when you draw, it turns out well, and sometimes you deserve more. We know that we should have won more against Poland and that a tie doesn’t make us happy. It’s hard to determine the number without considering how the game has changed.
Mexico needs a win against Argentina to keep its hopes of making it to the round of 16. If El Tri won, the Albiceleste would finish last in Group C and be out of the running.
