Iran and New Zealand tie in vibrant Group G duel

Scaloni’s warning

The world champion Argentina already has a clear message: no confidence. Next Friday in Miami, the Albiceleste faces Cape Verde in the round of 32 of the World Cup, a duel that the South Americans face as favorites, but with their feet on the ground.

“I was not surprised by Cape Verde, because they are a good team, fast, that plays well and has quality,” said Lionel Scaloni after beating Jordan 3-1.

Cape Verde, with just over 500,000 inhabitants, debuted in a World Cup with three draws: 0-0 against Spain, 2-2 with Uruguay and 0-0 against Saudi Arabia. Their tough defense and stellar goalkeeper Vozinha have kept them undefeated in their last 15 games, except for one loss. In the African qualifiers they did not lose.

“They are a tough rival, who is going to make things difficult for us because they have already made things difficult for Spain. And above all because of the things that are being seen in this World Cup, we have to be careful,” warned Scaloni.

Argentina closed the group stage with 8 goals for and 1 against. Messi, at 39 years old, has 6 goals in the tournament and 19 historic goals. The team occupies first place in the FIFA ranking, with a squad valued at almost 1 billion dollars, compared to 60 million for Cape Verde. But the coach and the players avoid any triumphalism.

“Any team will try to put us in difficulty. Game by game,” recalled Leandro Paredes, citing the defeat against Saudi Arabia in Qatar 2022.

Defender Nicolás Otamendi added: “Cape Verde got the results they did for a reason. They competed, they are an aggressive team.”

Argentina arrives rested: Scaloni preserved the starters against Jordan. Messi played 30 minutes and scored from a free kick, becoming the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup games. The team seeks to repeat the title that no champion has achieved since Brazil in 1962. If it beats Cape Verde, it will face the winner of Australia-Egypt in Dallas.

Even without an official presentation, Esteban Solari is already leading the university team. His arrival took place after the resignation of Efraín Juárez, and the Argentine strategist comes from Pachuca.

The bond with the institution is deep. Solari played for Pumas in 2007 and now returns as technical director. In his first statements from La Cantera, he expressed:

“Representing Pumas as a coach is a great pride”

The coach stressed the value of university identity and the sense of belonging. He promised to defend the club’s colors and give back to the fans a team with character.

One of his main challenges, he said, is to transform pressure into positive energy for the team. He also announced that he will look for a team with leadership, an offensive vocation and a constant attacking attitude.

Solari knows that the challenge is great. But his history with Pumas gives him a special starting point. Now, the fans wait to see his ideas on the field.

Emma Raducanu will not play at Wimbledon. The British tennis player, the 2021 US Open champion, announced her retirement on Sunday night via Instagram due to a stress fracture in her right leg.

She was scheduled to debut on Court 1 on Monday against Antonia Ruzic. The injury had been dragging her since the clay season, but it aggravated during her participation at the Queen’s Club, where she reached the final before losing to Donna Vekic.

On Sunday morning, at a press conference, he still expressed hope of playing. Hours later, a scan changed everything.

“I’ve done everything I can to try and get to the start line tomorrow, but after a final scan tonight, the discomfort I’ve been managing has turned into a stress fracture and I’ve been medically advised to stop pushing. Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really hard to take,” Raducanu wrote.

The Briton has not won another WTA tournament since her surprising title in New York, where she qualified from the qualifying phase at age 18. However, her performance at Queen’s Club showed flashes of her best tennis.

“Queen’s, during that week, was a lot of burden for me,” he declared hours before. “Five games after not having competed for a while. But I’m just handling it with my team the best I can, exhausting all options.”

Wimbledon thus loses its most relevant local card. The organization has not commented on the replacement in the box.