‘Final specialist’ Di Maria makes the distinction for Argentina

Thirty-six minutes into the 2022 FIFA World Cup closing, Argentina’s Angel Di Maria had tears in his eyes. It had been a troubled event for the 34-year-old, lacking a lot it as a result of a quad damage. It promised to be an analogous lacklustre end for Di Maria because it had been in 2014, when he missed the ultimate as a result of damage, one which his nation misplaced to Germany in further time.

This time spherical, nonetheless, Argentina wanted their ‘final specialist’ – having scored the winner within the 2021 Copa America closing and 2022 Finalissima – and he stepped up. Di Maria gained the penalty for the primary aim, and scored the second to provide Argentina a 2-0 lead within the closing.

Modern soccer, and its European interpretation that has turn into the accepted tactical scripture, has altered the position of the standard winger. Wide gamers are sometimes anticipated to play as slender forwards within the inside channels because the full-backs overlap forward of them. Di Maria’s efficiency towards France was proof that the standard position can nonetheless do loads of injury.

The Juventus winger caught to the touchline, typically in acres of area, took on gamers one-on-one, and in a standard position as a left-footer taking part in on the left, whipped in supply after supply. In doing so, he produced the decisive moments of ingenuity.

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The first was a second of particular person inspiration. Getting the ball in area and taking it down the byline on the left, isolating Ousmane Dembele and taking part in him like a fiddle – beating him with ease after which getting his again to him earlier than drawing a naive foul to win the penalty. The second was a second of scientific ending on the finish of a sensational collective transfer.

Lionel Messi’s two-touch flick into the trail of Julian Alvarez, performed first time by him after which by Alexis Mac Allister, cropped proper onto his left foot as he side-footed dwelling and doubled the lead. The tears started flowing through the celebrations.

The narrative round his nationwide facet had at all times been tailor-made across the larger-than-life determine of Messi, but it’s straightforward to neglect the key position Di Maria has performed in Argentina’s domination of event soccer not too long ago – reaching 5 finals in eight years. Di Maria had announed that the 2022 World Cup shall be his final with Argentina. That it was time for the youthful technology to take over. It’s secure to say he signed off in fashion.

Dominating the left flank

The solely match Di Maria and Julian Alvarez have began collectively was the group-stage assembly with Poland, the place Di Maria performed on the proper and Alvarez left in a entrance three, permitting the staff to create overloads down each wings.

When the beginning XI was introduced, it appeared coach Lionel Scaloni had gone for the same line-up, particularly contemplating France’s conservative strategy is much like that of Poland’s. Scaloni had different plans, as an alternative going for a 4-4-2 set-up to match France’s four-man midfield off the ball.

This recreation plan was efficient for 2 foremost causes. The first was that it allowed the combative Rodrigo De Paul, often a central fairly than huge midfielder, to double up on the proper alongside full-back Nahuel Molina and maintain Kylian Mbappe quiet for a lot of the recreation.

The second was permitting Di Maria to be current in acres of area down the left wing, and switching the play out to him from midfield on each single alternative they obtained. With Alvarez’s darting runs throughout the line of defense, France defender Jules Kounde needed to always transfer slender, that means area for Di Maria, and even when there was somebody marking him, it was the defensively weaker winger Dembele. Di Maria dominated the left flank so prolifically that it led Didier Deschamps to hook off Dembele previous to half-time for Randal Kolo Muani.

This refined tactical change was consultant of Scaloni’s strategy all through this World Cup, astutely analysing problematic areas within the opposition and tailoring his staff to assault these areas. Perhaps becoming, then, that the ultimate was gained as a result of an analogous change.