Transcendental duel for the 'Tri' and the 'Albicelestes.' Gerardo Martino said on Friday that he has no doubts that he wants Mexico to beat Argentina despite the ties that bind him to the South American country and the fact that it could prevent Lionel Messi from winning the only major trophy missing from his palmares.
Argentina lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their debut, so a defeat against the Mexican team would eliminate them from the World Cup. On the other hand, Mexico drew 0-0 against Poland and their chances are intact.
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When asked if he would have any problems defeating Argentina and leaving Messi with no chances of being a world champion, "Tata" was categorical.
"Let me ask you the same question: What would you do if you were in my position?", Martino asked a reporter at Friday's press conference. "I know where I was born, I can tell you the place, the characteristics of my city, the sanatorium where I was born, but I work for Mexico and I want to win the match." responded the Argentine coach.
"When it comes to football, I put it into the context of football. I know that the future of both teams may depend on tomorrow, but we work for Mexico and we want the best." added the 'Tri' coach.
When asked how to deal with Mexico's biggest threat in Saturday's clash, Martino did not spare praise for the PSG player: "With Messi, you have to be attentive because we know that in a few minutes he can resolve the match for you."
Martino has a clear objective: "We prepare ourselves with the illusion of going as far as possible in the World Cup. We have to think that with a favorable result we can be close to the round of 16."
"Tomorrow is a key match for both teams. We will seek to play the match with our game plan, but we also know about the opponent and it may not turn out the way we want. The future of both teams depends on what happens tomorrow. When we saw the schedule, we never imagined this scenario, but we work for Mexico and we want to win," concluded 'Tata' Martino.