The team that once lost to Vietnam's national team causes concern for Messi and Argentina at the World Cup

Argentina remains highly alert at the World Cup as their group includes an opponent who was previously defeated by Vietnam's national team.

Entering the World Cup as the reigning champions, Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni refuses to allow any complacency. He consistently reminds his players to respect every opponent, despite the Buenos Aires public considering this group relatively easy. According to Scaloni, a major tournament always holds unpredictable surprises.

The 47-year-old coach affirmed that Argentina will revive the spirit that led them to victory in Qatar: “We will strive to replicate what we did in the previous World Cup, fighting for every ball, not giving the opponent a single chance.” This is particularly notable since one group rival was once defeated by Vietnam after a penalty shootout at the 2019 Asian Cup, that team being Jordan.

The loss to Vietnam at the 2019 Asian Cup, marked by Công Phượng's explosive goal, once raised doubts about Jordan's resilience, but that defeat became a turning point.

The West Asian team has undergone a complete overhaul, transformed strongly, and regularly reaches advanced stages in continental tournaments. This transformation means Jordan enters the World Cup with a completely different mindset, forcing Argentina to be cautious despite being the reigning world champions.

Scaloni also recalled the painful lesson from Qatar 2022: “Like in 2022, we said there are no easy opponents. You have to play every match with the highest concentration.” The 1-2 defeat to Saudi Arabia in the opening match remains a memory he cannot forget, which is why the Argentine strategist is even more vigilant against opponents considered underdogs.

Not only that special opponent, but the other two teams in the group also earn Scaloni’s high regard. He praised Algeria, calling them “a good team with many talented players,” and also showed respect to coach Vladimir Petkovic. Austria was also commended for “an excellent qualifying campaign”, having topped their European group and displayed impressive consistency.

With all these factors, what seemed like an easy group for Argentina has become much more challenging. Scaloni understands that even a moment of carelessness could threaten Argentina’s quest to defend their title.

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