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What’s the story?
Argentina legend Diego Maradona has reacted harshly, following his nation's poor start in the Copa America 2019.
The former Argentina captain mocked the current national side by saying that even Tonga, who are ranked 202 in the FIFA rankings, can beat them. He also urged Lionel Messi and company to show more passion and pride when wearing the famous Albiceleste shirt.
In case you didn’t know….
Argentina started their Copa America campaign in the worst possible manner as a well-drilled Colombia side beat them 2-0 in a Group B fixture.
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After a slow first half, Lionel Scaloni's men looked a lot more threatening in the second half, only to concede two late goals from Roger Martinez and Duvan Zapata, which sealed the victory for Colombia.
Barcelona talisman Messi missed a golden opportunity to put Argentina in front, just before Martinez's goal. Messi literally missed an open net to break the deadlock as he headed wide from close range.
However, when asked about Argentina's poor start in the post-match press conference, Messi insisted that there were a lot of positives to take from the match.
“There are positives to come out of this, we are ready to accept the challenge that we have. There is no time to complain, we have to look ahead, we have to raise our heads and continue, there’s still a lot of the tournament left."
The heart of the matter
Maradona, who helped Argentina to win the 1986 World Cup, criticized his nation's performance against Colombia.
When asked to comment on Argentina’s Copa America opener, TyC Sports quoted Maradona as saying,
“You see, even the national team of Tonga can beat us.
"There is the prestige of the team that we created when we played ... What now remains of all this? A national team shirt needs to feel like your mother."
What’s next?
Argentina will next play Paraguay in a crucial Group B fixture on Wednesday.
Also see : Copa America Standings, Barcelona Transfer News.
