Tanto se acostumbró a ganar Argentina en el último tiempo que un empate como visitante contra Ecuador no le cierra demasiado. Se quedó con una cierta bronca porque le igualaron con un penalti discutido. Eso sí, un rato después del partido de cierre en las Eliminatorias Sudamericanas entendió que se trataba de un detalle. Nada importante. Puede disfrutar lo esencial. Después del fracaso en Rusia 2018, se reconstruyó, armó un equipo nuevo, hizo feliz a Messi, fue campeón de América y desembarcó con mucha antelación en el Mundial. Puede gozar de todo eso y de algo más. Argentina y Leo viajan invictos a Qatar.
Esta Argentina de Messi ya suma 31 partidos sin perder, con 20 victorias y 11 empates. Esta igualdad en Guayaquil le permitió igualar el mejor invicto en la historia albiceleste, un récord que ostentaba aquella Selección que a principios de los 90 tenía como técnico a Alfio Basile y como jugadores a Gabriel Batistuta, a Claudio Caniggia, a Diego Simeone… Y no es casualidad. Lionel Scaloni supo armar un grupo de acero, ya ultra afirmado, ganador, con una columna potente, con variantes.
En Guayaquil, Argentina no logró afirmarse en los 20 minutos iniciales. Ecuador imponía su velocidad y lastimaba, en especial por la banda que marcaba Gonzalo Montiel. En una formación albiceleste confirmada poco antes del partido y con múltiples sorpresas, tal vez el menos esperado como titular, Gerónimo Rulli, respondía a la altura de las circunstancias en un par de episodios complicados.
Sin embargo, el gol que merecía Ecuador lo terminó gritando Argentina por su inmensa jerarquía individual. Messi estableció un par de combinaciones con Alexis Mac Allister y Rodrigo De Paul; Nicolás Tagliafico metió el centro atrás; y Julián Álvarez, en su primera vez celeste y blanca desde el arranque, festejó su gol seleccionado número uno con una media vuelta de derecha. Como para que Pep Guardiola y el Manchester City sonrían.
Lo intentó Ecuador controlando y manejando la pelota. Ya en ventaja, Argentina se ordenó y reguló en un contexto de calor y de humedad que al visitante en Guayaquil suele afectar. Messi pareció sentir el cansancio en el segundo tiempo. El otro Lionel, Scaloni, movió el banco de suplentes, pero nada se modificó demasiado.
Rulli para un penalti pero no logra evitar el gol
Sin embargo, muy cerca del epílogo, ya en el segundo minuto adicionado, hubo una mano ínfima de Tagliafico descubierta por el VAR y discutida al extremo. Rulli dibujó un atajadón y le tapó el penalti a Enner Valencia, pero el ecuatoriano capturó el rebote y empató. Argentina se quedó con un mal rollo pasajero. La idea era ganar, pero no perdió. Cada día parece un equipo más sólido, más serio, tanto que llega a Qatar gozando un invicto histórico. Ahora le resta aguardar qué le dice el destino en el sorteo del viernes y esperar que ningún imprevisto de mal gusto la altere antes del Mundial.
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