The participation of the Argentina Under-23 National Team at the Summer Olympics ended with elimination after losing to Australia, the victory against Egypt, and the draw against Spain.
Due to these results, the Argentine side finished third in the group, with Egypt ahead in second with the same points but possessing a better goal difference. Coach Fernando Batista spoke to the media, where AS relayed the assessment of what the tournament was for the national team.
The first question that Batista answered is over their final fixture against Spain, where they drew.
“Spain is a rival that plays well, with footballers who have been together for a long time. I think we were up to the task, perhaps with more drive than with play,” Batista said.
Another question that the Argentine tactician answered concerns his squad’s performance at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Despite Argentina crashing out in the group stage, Batista is proud of his squad’s performance during these fixtures.
“In the last part of the game, we ended up attacking the rival goal. Likewise, we have to analyze beyond this game. It was not a disappointment at all. I have anger and sadness, but I am proud of the players who came here,” Batista said.
The player’s on this Argentina squad are a part of the future for the senior national team, considering the days of Lionel Messi can’t go on forever, so Batista is excited for what the next few years look like for the South American country.
“We are working on a project. Logically we had the dream of going as far as possible, but this does not end here. The path began four years ago in Youth Teams. We have to be calm. For us, it was a tournament that helped us to continue working as we have been doing. May this not change our path,” Batista said.
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