Argentina manager says matches like round of 16 thriller are reason he coaches
· Yahoo Sports
ATLANTA — Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni rode the highs and lows of his team's 3-2 come-from-behind win over Egypt the same way fans and the huge press pack accompanying the Albicileste did.
He was nervous until he was overcome with joy.
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Scaloni said he told his players they need to soak up every moment of a day like the one in Atlanta Stadium, since their playing careers won't last forever.
"I recently told them I became a manager to have these feelings after I stopped playing. That’s why," Scaloni said in his post-match news conference. "Not because I like being a coach. I suffer like all of you guys when I’m on the bench. But the emotions that a soccer match give you, that Argentines get from a soccer match, is unmatchable. Creating that emotion again is incredible. That’s why I’m a manager."
In his playing days, Scaloni was defender and midfielder who played seven matches for the national team and had an illustrious club career with Deportivo La Coruña in Spain with additional stops at Lazio, West Ham United and several clubs in Argentina.
Now 48, Scaloni is loving life near the pitch, even if he wishes he still could be on it. But rather than feeling pressure as he leads the Argentina side into the final eight in what will be 39-year-old star Lionel Messi's last World Cup, Scaloni said his team it built in a way where the next level to pull is rather obvious.
"Look, it can seem like I have false humility. It's not fake or real humility. If I didn't have Lautaro Martinez on the bench, if I don't have (Nico) Gonzalez who runs like an animal, I could be a magician, but we've got the players. That's the reality," he said. "I tell them three or four things, I say how we can attack. That's it. That’s the reality.
"It'd be useless to say, 'We won because I put in Lautaro, who had several chances.' Who wouldn't have done that? I don't know. You’re down 2-0. What are you going to do? You've got to do it. That’s the reality. We, as the staff, tried for the team to flow. They know how to play. They're the ones It’s more than evident. There's no reason for me to put on a face and explain, 'The changes and everything.' The players play and that’s it."
The players will next be in action Saturday, July 11 facing the winner of Switzerland and Colombia with a rest advantage after that game went into extra time.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Argentina manager says matches like round of 16 thriller are reason he coaches