Argentina coach confirms Messi will start on the bench against Jordan
· Yahoo Sports
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi will get a deserved rest and start the final World Cup group stage match against Jordan on Saturday on the bench.
"Messi will play a little bit later," coach Lionel Scaloni said in a news conference on Friday.
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"He'll definitely play the second half. I spoke with him, and it was the best decision, so his team-mates can get playing time. It won't hurt him or the rest of the team. We'll see how many minutes he plays," he added.
In the two previous games, Messi was in the starting line-up and scored five goals to become the all-time top World Cup goalscorer with 18 overall.
Messi won't be the only starter the coach will rest against Jordan. Argentina has already advanced to the knock-out stage as Group J winners and Scaloni emphasized that all of his players deserve to play.
"They're fantastic players, too," he said.
The personnel changes could also lead to a shift in tactics.
"Maybe. At the very least, we have to be prepared. We've been working on it," he said.
"We're seeing different ways of playing (from other teams): the team that defends, the team that counter-attacks, the team that focuses on a strong defence. What I do think is very difficult for a team, at least for ours, is to radically change its style of play.
"You can change some things, but not everything, and you have to be aware of what the opponent has. In the World Cup, there are teams that achieve results in different ways, but the strong teams will be the ones that ultimately prevail."
In the round of 32, Argentina will face the runners-up of Group H, which includes Spain, Uruguay, Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia.