Julián Álvarez Regains Form for Argentina's 3-2 World Cup Push as European Tests Loom
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Jul 10
Julián Álvarez Regains Form for Argentina's 3-2 World Cup Push as European Tests Loom
1 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 10
Summary
Argentina head into Saturday's quarterfinal against Switzerland with renewed belief in Julián Álvarez after the forward delivered his best display of the tournament in the 3-2 last-16 win over Egypt.
Álvarez's revival matters because Argentina have leaned heavily on Lionel Messi, who played 120 minutes against Cape Verde and then went the distance again versus Egypt after earlier lighter workloads.
Two straight 3-2 knockout wins over African opponents also exposed problems Scaloni must fix quickly — shaky defending, vulnerability to counterattacks and Lisandro Martínez's struggles in the air.
Switzerland offer a sterner European test in Kansas City, and Argentina may need a more efficient, less chaotic performance if they are to defend the title and navigate two more potential European opponents.