Zubi analyzes Argentina: “They’re not quite solid on defense”

Argentina was on the verge of a surprising elimination against Egypt when Lionel Messi stepped up. With a goal and an assist, the 39-year-old playmaker single-handedly ensured that the defending champion remains in the tournament. Other major soccer nations—including Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Portugal—were knocked out, all failing to advance past the quarterfinals.

Switzerland is also among the final eight. Murat Yakin’s team pulled off a historic upset in North America. “I said beforehand that Switzerland would make it to the quarterfinals,” Pascal Zuberbühler notes in “Heimspiel bei der Nati.”

Switzerland will face Argentina early Sunday morning (3 a.m.). The former Swiss national team goalie is particularly impressed by his opponents’ mental toughness. “Argentina simply has an incredible will—they were down 0–2 and still managed to come back. And then, of course, they have Messi, whom you can’t keep under control for the entire game,” the 55-year-old sums up.

Another expert on the Albiceleste is blue Sport editor-in-chief Andreas Böni, whose “half the family” lives in the country of 45 million. The Argentines are convinced that the Swiss national team poses no challenge, Böni explains. “In Argentina, they don’t yet know how good we are,” he jokes.

Zubi, on the other hand, makes it clear that the South Americans won’t take Yakin’s team lightly, especially since they’ve “escaped the noose twice” against Egypt and Cape Verde. He’s already spoken on the phone with Pablo Zabaleta, who serves with him on FIFA’s “Technical Study Group.” “I told him, ‘This is going to be very difficult for you,’” Zubi laughs.

"In the midfield, you get torn to shreds."

Lionel Scaloni’s players are all top-notch, Zubi continued, but: “They’re not quite solid in defense,” he said, highlighting their weakness. While defensive leader Cristian Romero and his teammates conceded only one goal in the group stage, they gave up two goals in each of the two knockout matches.

The defensive duo of Lisandro Martínez (right) and Cristian Romero was not unbeatable in the knockout stage.

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On the other hand, Zubi is impressed by the “strong midfield press.” “The Swiss can’t afford to play the ball into the middle—they’ll get torn to shreds there. They pounce on it like vicious dogs,” he warns. Once they win the ball, they quickly push forward vertically, explains the player with 51 international caps.

What does that mean? “The ball is played into the space between the opponent’s midfield and defensive line. Messi is waiting there to receive the ball—and then it all begins,” he explains.

The World Cup is shaped by the individual talent of exceptional players, Zubi explains. “Messi is an absolute superstar. But we also have other superstars in this tournament who are really rising to the occasion. The teams at the top all have a superstar on their roster.” The Swiss national team, however, is taking a different approach. “Right now, we’re truly a pioneer of the collective. I hope that this approach will lead to success for us here,” Zubi emphasizes.

The entire talk in the video