1/17/2024 0 Comments Ramiro funes mori position![]() It was Banega who quickly won the ball back to initiate the attack that led to Ezequiel Lavezzi’s goal and the 27-year-old came within a whisker of doubling the lead when he hit the post immediately after the restart. Thankfully for Martino and Argentina, Banega produced the goods and during a first half that La Albiceleste dominated, he and Di María combined to cause Brazil all manner of problems. Éver Banega – 7.5 There was a lot riding on the performance of Éver Banega after Martino named the Sevilla midfielder alongside the more defensive pairing of Mascherano and Biglia. Not the most progressive passer of the ball but Martino wants a leader in the middle of the pitch, protecting his back four and Mascherano does just that. Javier Mascherano – 7 El Jefecito produced what is now an expected Mascherano performance for Argentina and as usual every full-hearted challenge was greeted with huge cheers by his adoring public in the Monumental. Does the 29-year-old give Argentina much vertical thrust? No, but that is not his game Martino selects him for the solidity that is created and the responsibility is on the coach to find a different midfield formula if a disconnect with the attack exists. Biglia provided important cover to Roncaglia to his left and was vital in breaking up play and distributing the ball. Lucas Biglia – 7 Much of Lucas Biglia’s most important work goes relatively unnoticed but the Lazio midfielder does exactly what Martino asks of him in the centre. Always a threat in the air, Rojo was not too far away from winning the match with a header. Argentina’s full-backs are often guilty of not providing enough width but Rojo got forward well and put some decent crosses into the box. Emmanuel Más was given a torrid time by Antonio Valencia against Ecuador but up against the more dangerous, Willian, Marcos Rojo excelled. Marcos Rojo – 7.5 The return of Marcos Rojo to the left-back position proved to be a timely one as the Manchester United defender gave another reminder why he is the number one choice in the position. Strong in the air and comfortable on the ball, Funes Mori strode out of defence with the utmost confidence to initiate attacks. It is still early days but the Everton defender produced an assured performance against Brazil that could just see him become a regular at the heart of La Albiceleste defence. Ramiro Funes Mori – 8 As a defender at River that played on the edge and was slightly error prone, question marks over whether Ramiro Funes Mori could cut it at the highest level were justified. Was booked for a rather naughty challenge on Neymar in the second half. The signs of a promising partnership with Ramiro Funes Mori were evident and while the Everton defender may bring the easier on the eye, ball playing style, Otamendi brings the aggression. Nicolás Otamendi – 7 A typically powerful performance by Otamendi as the Manchester City defender continues to show why he has established himself as one of the top centre-backs in Europe. Roncaglia also surprised Brazil by providing a decent outlet for Di María on the overlap and although Douglas Costa found space to head against the bar prior to the Brazil goal, Roncaglia exceeded expectation. However, the 28-year-old stuck to his task admirably and Brazil could get no joy down their left. After being given a hard time by Jefferson Montero against Ecuador, the feeling was that Neymar and co would tear him to pieces. Facundo Roncaglia – 7 All eyes were on Facundo Roncaglia prior to kickoff with the expectation that if Brazil were to add to Argentina’s woes then the Fiorentina defender would be a contributing factor. There were a couple of decent (if routine) saves during a second half when Brazil began threatening more but the Manchester United keeper may feel he could have done better with Lucas Lima’s equaliser. Never the strongest with the ball at his feet, Romero looked nervous when the ball was played back to him and his kicking was wayward. Sergio Romero – 5.5 Club football’s most desired back-up goalkeeper usually never disappoints in an Argentina shirt but on Friday evening against Brazil, Chiquito did not produce his best performance. Ramiro Funes Mori made the step up to international football, Éver Banega pushed for a more regular role and Ángel Di María reminded Argentina supporters of his quality. The now famous Martino ‘idea’ appears to be gradually taking root and although the vital three points eluded them, there were some decent performances. Undoubtedly Brazil will be the happier side with Friday night’s 1-1 draw but Gerardo Martino’s side did at least show signs of promise.
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