Doug McIntyre
football journalist
AL RAYYAN, Qatar – Angel Di Maria’s availability for Argentina’s squad in Friday’s World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands remains a mystery. Albiceleste Directed by Lionel Scaroni.
The 44-year-old manager sparred with reporters during Thursday’s combative press conference ahead of the game between the two world powers at the Lusail Iconic Stadium (2pm ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). , veteran forward Day Maria, who missed out on Argentina’s win over Australia in last week’s round of 16, can now face three-time World Cup runners-up.
Argentina’s Angel Di Maria attended a training session at Qatar University in Doha on the eve of the World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)
Scaroni said of Di Maria and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul: “Basically, they’re in good shape. We’ll see in training today and think about the line-up.”
The absence of Di Maria is a huge setback. The 34-year-old, who scored the winning goal against Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final to bring captain Lionel Messi his first home trophy, remains a key player in football. Albiceleste Despite having his 35th birthday early next year. The former Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and current Juventus attacker has scored 27 goals in his 127 appearances for Argentina.
Di Maria was injured and missed the semi-finals at Brazil 2014, the last time Argentina and the Netherlands met in the knockout stage of the World Cup. championship match.
If Di Maria isn’t healthy enough to go on Friday, he will miss the reunion with Dutch manager Louis van Gaal. After he left, he called van Gaal, one of the most successful coaches of the last 30 years, “the worst of my career.”
“I don’t like what he said” Orange In 2014, he admitted at his own press conference early Thursday.
Di Maria, whom Van Gaal called “a really good soccer player”, would not be unhappy if he didn’t get to play against his team.
Argentina and the Netherlands have met five times in the World Cup so far, four of them in the knockout stages. The two-time champion Argentina won its maiden title after defeating the Netherlands in the 1978 final with her 3–1 victory in extra time.
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