Argentina wins World Cup dress rehearsal against Honduras 2:0 – Balerdi out of the finals

Messi and Martínez absent

Captain Lionel Messi was not in the squad due to a minor injury and watched the match from the bench. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, one of the heroes of the World Cup triumph in Qatar three and a half years ago, was also missing due to injury – he is recovering from a finger injury. Striker Nicolás Paz was also unavailable because of knee problems. Head coach Lionel Scaloni therefore used the match to deploy several newcomers and rest players carrying knocks.

Debutant Capaldo takes his chance

One of the newcomers was Nicolás Capaldo of Hamburger SV, who made his debut for the Argentine senior national team in defensive midfield and delivered a solid performance. Scaloni had announced beforehand that he would use the dress rehearsal to assess players who could play a role in the tournament. The fact that the team had no trouble controlling the underdog from Honduras despite the prominent absences was interpreted by the coaching staff as a positive signal.

Balerdi misses the tournament

A few hours before kick-off, the Argentine Football Association had announced that centre-back Leonardo Balerdi would miss the finals due to injury. The 27-year-old, who is currently under contract with Olympique Marseille and previously played for Borussia Dortmund, is dealing with a muscle injury in his right lower leg and will therefore sit out the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Balerdi has so far made eleven appearances for the Albiceleste. Who would take the vacated spot in the squad was initially unclear.

The Honduras side had not qualified for the World Cup finals on sporting merit and travelled to the match without pressure. The Central Americans held their own at times but ultimately had no chance of an upset against the individually superior Argentinians.

Outlook on the opening match against Algeria

As early as Tuesday, Argentina will play its final warm-up match before the tournament in Alabama, against Iceland. The defending champions' finals campaign begins on 17 June at 3:00 a.m. CEST in Kansas City with the match against Algeria. The opening match will be broadcast live by ORF1. Three days later, on 22 June, the Scaloni side will face Austria in Arlington at 7:00 p.m. CEST – that encounter will be shown live by ServusTV. Group J also includes Jordan as well as the already mentioned Algeria and Austria.

With regard to the squad, it is becoming apparent that Scaloni will have to improvise personnel-wise for the upcoming tasks. In addition to the long-term injured around Balerdi, Messi and Emiliano Martínez, findings from the match against Iceland will also feed into the final nomination in the coming days. The fact that a Bundesliga professional like Capaldo was allowed to make his debut in Texas underscores the depth of the squad and the coach's willingness to more strongly involve players active in Europe.