La Paz is worried about Messi. ”Reuters
Do those bad memories of eleven years ago still haunt Lionel Messi? When he thinks of that match, is he still upset? Maybe. That is normal. It is normal for Messi to have a thousand fears before he faces La Paz's Estadio Arnondo Siles at 2pm Bangladesh time tonight against Bolivia.
What happened eleven years ago? In the 2009 World Cup qualifiers, Diego Maradona's team lost 7-1 in La Paz. A hat-trick was scored by Joaquin Botero, the highest scorer in Bolivian history, one by Marcelo Martিনnez Moreno, one by Alex Rodrigo da Rosa and one by Didi Torrico. Midfielder Luco Gonzalez scored a consolation goal for Argentina.
Not that Argentina went down to play with a weaker team that day. Messi, Javier Macherano, Carlos Tevez, Javier Janetti, Maxi Rodriguez, Gabriel Hynesa were all in the starting XI. Bolivia danced and left Argentina. There is only one reason. The venue of the match is Hernando Siles Stadium in La Paz at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level. Not only Messi, but anyone who goes to play against Bolivia at home, the weather in La Paz is the biggest opponent. The game is far away, the visiting team has difficulty in running properly, it is difficult to breathe. The bounce of the ball on the field is not understood. Bolivian players are accustomed to playing in such an environment, which is why they often take advantage. "Every goal from Bolivia hit me in the chest," Maradona said after the match. Even if we had nightmares before the match, we thought it would be impossible. '