Phillip Lahm: Argentina waited for Messi to solve every problem in 2014
Argentina are the favourites to win the FIFA World Cup, former Germany World Cup winning captain Phillip Lahm has said. Lahm, who led Germany to the trophy in the 2014 edition of the tournament said that the biggest difference between Argentina then and the Argentina now is that the current team plays for Lionel Messi instead of looking to him for solutions.
“The quarter-finals are starting – Argentina is my favourite for this FIFA World Cup. In 2014 his teammates seemed to be waiting for Lionel Messi to solve everything on his own against us – in 2022 they play for him,” Lahm wrote in a column for The Guardian.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final 0-1 against Germany where Mario Gotze scored the winning goal. Lahm, the captain of that side was all praises for Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. He wrote in his column that the former player knew what leadership meant.
“And Scaloni shows what leadership with expertise means. He can be expected to coach a major European club at some point. The Iberian culture of ball possession, coupled with the mentality of South America – there could hardly be anything better in world football,” Lahm wrote.
The current German national team were knocked out of the FIFA World Cup in the Group Stages, and Lahm said that the European teams should learn a thing or two from South American teams.
“Europe can certainly learn something from Argentina and South America. Germany have a lot of talent but lack order and a plan. Italy are the opposite: the structure is there but they lack daring and action on the offensive. Spain have a superior style, but the desire to go one-on-one is somewhat lacking and so is fighting back, leaving a not-with-us feeling. In Qatar, Spain played rondo, which, as we know, does not involve scoring goals. Football is child’s play, they say in Germany, because all you need is a ball and two school bags as posts. In Spain, you don’t even need the school bags,” Lahm wrote in his column.
