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Lionel Messi narrated his team's struggles following the draw at Venezuela.
A frustrated Lionel Messi blamed the condition of the pitch for his team's performance and disappointing result against Venezuela.
The Albiceleste were held to a 1-1 draw by La Vinotinto at Monumental de Maturin, as they failed to win in a second consecutive CONMEBOL qualifier game.
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14:45 - 11.10.2024
'I will choose him' — Arsenal icon Mesut Ozil settles Ronaldo vs Messi debate
Former Arsenal and Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil has settled the never-ending GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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15:20 - 11.10.2024
Lionel Messi on why took so long to re-join Argentina camp ahead of drub Venezuela draw
Messi has explained why he took a while to link up with the Argentina side shortly before they were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela.
Last international break, Lionel Scaloni’s side suffered their first defeat since November 2023, with a 2-1 defeat to Colombia. They failed to bounce back in the match against Venezuela after Salomon Rondon’s strike cancelled out Nicolas Otamendi's opener to force a draw.
What Messi said
The match was initially delayed due to heavy rainfall, and upon resumption, the waterlogged pitch made for a difficult football match. Speaking after the game, Messi highlighted how the stadium conditions complicated the game and affected their performance.
"It was very difficul;, it makes for very ugly matches,” he said, per MirrorUk. "We could not complete two passes in a row. In the second half, we did it on the right a little more, but it is difficult to play like that.
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“Very little is played. We tied because the field didn't help us do what we wanted, we had to do another game than the one prepared for.
"But we were prepared because we fought, won the battles, played with the error of the rival. We couldn't risk much by playing with passes to the back. In the first half we made a couple passes to the back and the water would stop it, and complicated it. We did the game we could with the water."
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