MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he understands the reaction of Uruguayan players entering the stands to protect their families after Wednesday's Copa America semifinal between Uruguay and Colombia.
In the unpleasant incident in Charlotte, North Carolina, Uruguayan players, including Darwin Núñez and Ronald Araújo, took to the stands and clashed with Colombian fans. Tournament organizers CONMEBOL later said it would open an investigation into the incident and the players' involvement.
On Friday, coach Marcelo Bielsa vehemently defended the Uruguayan players ahead of the third-place match against Canada, which will be played on Saturday. Bielsa mainly blamed CONMEBOL, but also local organisers for the lack of security.
“If you look at what happened, and there is… [no other process to escape] “And they're attacking their girlfriends, their mothers, a baby, their wives, their mothers… what would you do?” he said.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Sunday's Copa America final against Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium, Scaloni called the images “very sad” and recounted how relatives of the Argentina national team faced a similar situation when crowd trouble delayed the start of a match between Brazil and Argentina at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium last November.
“When we saw family members involved, we had to run to the locker room,” Scaloni recalled.
On Wednesday's events, he added: “The images are bad. I don't think you can blame them, seeing their family in the middle of a tumultuous situation that is not fair. It's maddening. We need to see that.”
“The players are the protagonists and we ask them to be an example, but when these things happen I don't think anyone would have reacted any differently. It's natural.”
“But I hope it doesn't happen tomorrow. We hope it will be a celebration between the fans of Argentina and Colombia. We can't be thinking about what happens if one side celebrates. We have to learn once and for all… The images seem to be from 50 years ago and that worries me for tomorrow.”
Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez echoed Scaloni's comments.
“It's bad to see, it's not something I would encourage my colleagues to do, but when you see your children and wives at risk, it's a normal reaction,” he said. “What happened with Darwin and [Mathias] Olivera is normal. It is sad and I totally agree with them. I support the Uruguayan players.”
The scenes also prompted a sympathetic response from Colombian midfielder Juan Fernando Quintero.
“It's sad what happened, the families are not to blame,” he said. “We do what we can on the pitch and look after the families. We don't want these things to happen in football. I understand that emotions are running high, but you try to be respectful in your position. Nobody wants these things to happen. The game cannot be marred by this incident. Aggressive people who are to blame should not be allowed into a stadium, especially when there are children around who are not to blame.”
Martinez added that he hoped there would be sufficient security for Sunday's final.
“More attention needs to be paid [Sunday]”Especially because there is more alcohol in the final,” he said. “We have to reinforce security and make things more enjoyable for the fans… Whether we win or lose, we should celebrate that both teams are in a final.”
As for the match, many eyes will be on Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez, who has contributed six assists during the tournament, a Copa America record. But Scaloni said it is important for Argentina not to focus too much attention on Rodriguez, especially since winger Luis Diaz is also in great form.
“He's a great player, it's a pleasure to watch him play,” Scaloni said of Rodriguez. “For football, he's great. But for us, we haven't focused on one player, but on the collective. Colombia is a good team and we're going to defend the team. We'll try as a team to stop them and own the game.”
Scaloni stressed that Argentina needs to play its game, rather than react to what Colombia does. With Lionel Messi in the lineup, that is certainly possible.
“We have a way of playing that when we take possession of the ball the team becomes stronger,” said Scaloni. “We don't see any other way than to counteract all the good things they have. We see it that way, we want to be in possession of the ball.”
Martinez added that his team must also adapt to whatever happens and draw on their experience from previous finals, including triumphs in the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup finals.
“We all have a plan until the final is played,” he said. “There are a lot of factors in a final… We have experience of playing in it and winning it, but finals are played and we try to win. There is no plan anymore, the heart is a big part of it.”
