Messi has the Argentine version of Alba, the snake oil resurrected by Atletico Madrid

In the warm-up match against Puerto Rico, Argentina used a lot of newcomers, and Messi started the game. Nicholas Gonzalez, who was originally a winger, was converted into a left back and became a highlight of this game.

This attacker has regained his second spring after moving to Atletico Madrid this season. He contributed 2 assists at the left back position, plus an own goal. His passing success rate was as high as 92%, and he even played a bit like the Argentine version of Alba.

After all, Gonzalez has speed, confrontation, and strong running ability. He goes up and down the wing and complements Messi's passing.

Just like this attack, Messi's signature pass passed the opponent's defense. Nicolas Gonzalez advanced at high speed and then entered the penalty area and sent a cross, finding Lautaro, allowing the latter to easily score.

With this goal, Lautaro became the fourth scorer in the history of the Argentine national team, second only to Messi, Batistuta and Aguero.

Gonzalez can play both in the center and on the wing at Atletico Madrid. His commitment on the defensive end is good, but after all, he is an attacker and is not suitable for fighting on the defensive line and facing wingers one-on-one.

So his best position can be as a full midfielder who can transform into a second forward at any time, playing a role in both offense and defense. At the same time, he has a certain amount of confrontation and tonnage, and can move inward to protect the midfielder.

Such a player is still very important to the Argentina national team. He can not only play as a winger beside Messi, but also become the attacking point behind Alvarez or Lautaro when they lead the team.

Another characteristic of Gonzalez is that he is very good at seizing second offensive opportunities. The other two goals he participated in in this game were both from the back position, attacking from the outside, and achieved very good results.

His finding a good state is of great significance to Argentina, because if a team wants to play well in a tournament system like the World Cup, it exactly needs green leaf players like Gonzalez who are athletic and have fighting spirit.

Perhaps Argentina is not the most luxurious national team in today's football, but they have been able to win all the championships in the past three competitions because, in addition to their core players, they also have a large number of unique role players who can run and rush.

In major competitions, teams that are not bright in the east and bright in the west are the most terrifying. Who dares to say that Gonzalez will not be a surprise for Argentina in the upcoming World Cup.