The ex-Albiceleste ace believes the four-time Ballon d'Or winner will
ensure Gerard Martino's men are crowned South American champions
in Santiago
Former Argentina defender Oscar Ruggeri feels that the side stand
a good chance of achieving Copa America glory against Chile on
Saturday because Lionel Messi has found his very best form just in
time for the final.
The Barcelona star had been well shackled for most of the
tournament but then dominated his country's semi-final clash against
Paraguay on Tuesday, recording three assists as they romped to a
6-1 victory.
After watching the captain's performance against the Albirroja,
Ruggeri - who won the World Cup in 1986 and Copa titles in 1991
and 1993 - now expects the 28-year-old to shine in Santiago.
"When we played in 1991, we didn't have [Diego] Maradona [who
was suspended] and now they have [Lionel] Messi,” he said at a
press conference.
"Messi is being marked by three or four, so he's emerging and it
was possible to see that in the last goal against Paraguay.
“There is much talk about Messi, but we have [Angel] Di Maria
and [Sergio] Aguero, who is a player who occupies the empty
spaces left by opponents. [Javier] Pastore seems to be the big
character of Argentina.
“In addition, I believe the bench in Argentina is not normal. You
look around and have many options. You look to the bench and see
[Carlos] Tevez and [Gonzalo] Higuain, who can come in and play
at the same level.
Argentina contest the showpiece event with hosts Chile, whose star
playmaker Jorge Valdivia is tied with Messi for the tournament lead
in assists, but Ruggeri played down any comparisons given their
different styles.
“In my country they always do comparisons about who is better,
Messi or Maradona, but to compare Messi and Valdivia is even
worse because they are different players,” he continued.
The ex-Boca Juniors and San Lorenzo man also felt that the
familiarity of the Argentine squad with one another could make the
difference in the final.
“We can be champions but remember that this is a final and
anything could happen, as the teams that reached the final are the
best,” he said.
"Martino did well to keep the base, because the players have known
each other a long time and I believe they can be successful
tomorrow.”
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