Lionel Messi is the Manager of Argentina. Lionel Scaloni is Honored to Lead a Talisman for the World Cup
Lionel Messi says Argentina’s shock 2-1 opening game defeat against Saudi Arabia has made them stronger at the World Cup; Gary Neville says Messi and his team-mates are on a ‘mission’ to win the tournament – the only trophy that has so far evaded the 35-year-old
Lionel Scaloni was in tears after Lionel Messi inspired his Argentina side to the World Cup final with a 3-0 win over Croatia and said it is an “honour to train him”.
A historic final against either France or Morocco will take place on Sunday at the same location after Messi scored and set up Julian Alvarez on Tuesday night at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
The 35-year-old, whose five goals in Qatar are only surpassed by teammate and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, has given himself one final chance to win the one trophy that eludes him.
Messi’s 2006 World Cup teammate Scaloni says the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s accomplishments are propelling the entire country forward.
“I am honoured to train him and see him play,” said Lionel Scaloni, the head coach of Argentina, broke down in tears during the post-game celebrations.
“Every time you see him play, it serves as a tremendous source of inspiration for his teammates, supporters, and everyone else in the world.”
When it comes to the discussion of the greatest footballer in history, Messi’s lack of a World Cup trophy has been the only real criticism leveled at the former Barcelona forward, as both Pele and Diego Maradona have won the trophy.
According to Neville, Messi has the ideal setup thanks to Argentina’s organizational structure, giving him the chance to excel at the other end of the field.
“It does feel like a mission for him the World Cup, to him and the rest of his team,” Neville told ITV.
“As far as how they are playing, they are all so unified around him. They almost seem to be saying, “We are going to keep a clean sheet, we are going to be impossible to play against, we are going to do everything right, and then he will win us the game.” That is what is taking place.
He added: “Argentina has a front-row genius and ten fighters. Additionally, they have the tournament’s best crowd. During the competition, they developed.
“It’s a mission that Messi is currently carrying out by himself.”
The unexpected loss to Saudi Arabia in Argentina’s opening match, according to Messi, has strengthened his team. He also praised his teammates’ attitude.
The forward also seems to have allayed any concerns about his fitness after he momentarily appeared to feel his hamstring during Tuesday’s victory over Croatia.
Speaking after the match, Messi said: “This is really entertaining me. I feel great and strong enough to take on any challenge. A lot was given up in the previous game.
“Although we were worn out today, we mustered the fortitude to secure the victory. Because we anticipated that they wouldn’t have the ball, we played very well and preferred to play this way. We anticipated having to flee. We did an excellent job of preparing.
The new study discovered non-Hispanic Black men and women 65 to 74 years old had the highest rates of drug overdose deaths among older adults by racial and ethnic groups examined in 2020, at 67.3 and 12.0 per 100,000, respectively. This finding is consistent with prior research showing a larger increase in the rate of overdose deaths of unintentional or undetermined intent among Black individuals – and a higher rate of such overdoses overall. In that age group, the rate for Black men increased by 31% from 2019 while it increased by 21% for Black women.
In 2020, the fatal overdose rate among men 75 and older was 10.2 per 100,000, and it was highest among black people. With 3.8 per 100,000 women, whites had the highest rate in that age group.
The study identifies fentanyl and other synthetic opioids as the main factor contributing to the rise in overdose deaths among older Americans and the general population. According to the study, the mortality rate among people 65 and older associated with such drugs increased by 53% between 2019 and 2020, rising from 1.9 deaths per 100,000 to 2.9 deaths per 100,000.
One of two studies published on Wednesday that revealed a concerning pattern in older Americans’ substance use was the one in question. A second study revealed that the mortality rate among people 65 and older due to alcohol-related causes increased from 17.1 per 100,000 in 2019 to 20.1 per 100,000 in 2020. 11,616 adults 65 and older died in 2020 due to problems brought on by alcohol.
In 2020, there were 43.4 alcohol-related deaths for every 100,000 men aged 65 to 74, compared to 12.9 for every 100,000 women in the same age group. Men had a rate of 21.5 per 100,000 older adults compared to women’s 5.3 per 100,000.
“During this World Cup, I am extremely happy. I can support the team.”
He added: “We had gone six matches without losing, so I would say the first game—the loss to Saudi Arabia—was a hard blow. We did not anticipate losing to Saudi Arabia after such a strong World Cup opening.
“The entire squad was put to the test, but we showed just how resilient we are. Even though it was very challenging, we were successful in the other games. Every game was a final, and we knew that things would get difficult for us if we lost.
“I’m hoping that the final on Sunday will be one of the five finals that we’ve won. Due to minute details, we lost the first game, but it made us stronger.”
Image source: edition.cnn.com
News source: skysports.com
