Argentinian football team prepares for friendly matches in China
The Argentinian football team is gearing up for two friendly matches against Australia and Indonesia on the FIFA date. Although not all the players who were summoned have joined yet, Lionel Scaloni is leading the team in training and preparing for the matches. The first match will be held on June 15th against Australia at 9 pm in Argentina, at the Los Trabajadores stadium in Beijing.
Training in Beijing
The National Stadium in the Chinese capital was the site of the first training session carried out by the Argentinian national team. Lionel Messi, the brand new Inter Miami footballer, and the core players who won the championship in Qatar, such as Rodrigo De Paul, were present. De Paul, who was seen with a new look, dyed his hair light blue and white, representing the Argentina national football team.
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New players joining the squad
Several new players are joining the Argentinian team’s new process in China. Alexander Garnacho trained with the senior team for the first time, while Gio Simeone, who recently won the Serie A title with Napoli, and Lucas Ocampos, who won the Europa League with Seville, were also present. Other new faces were also seen in Walter Benitez and Facundo Medina.
Upcoming training sessions
The team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will have their second training session on June 14th, starting at 8:00 am Argentina time (7:00 pm in Beijing). The list of footballers called up will soon be complete, with the inclusion of Julian Alvarez, who was unable to join the team earlier due to Manchester City’s participation in the Champions League. Another player, Thiago Almada, who played for Atlanta United in the MLS, was also unavailable due to club commitments.
Garnacho, Simeone and Ocampos, three footballers who were not in Qatar 2022, but will begin to be part of Lionel Scaloni’s process in the Argentinian team
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Notable absentees
Almost all of the players who made history in Qatar 2022 are part of the Chinese tour, with the exception of Franco Armani, Lautaro Martinez, Lisandro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez, and Angel Correa. Lautaro must undergo treatment for his right ankle, while Lisandro is recovering from a fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his right foot. Dybala didn’t end the season in the best physical shape, and Franco Armani wasn’t called up due to the tour being far from Argentina.
Upcoming friendly matches
Argentina will play two friendly matches during this FIFA date. The first match, on June 15th, will be against Australia, the team they eliminated in the round of 16 of the Qatar 2022 World Cup with a 2-1 victory. This match will be held at the National Stadium in Beijing, popularly known as “Bird’s Nest.” The second match will take place on June 19th, at 9:30 pm in Argentina time, when the world champions will visit Indonesia in Jakarta.
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The original article is written by THE NATION