Argentine Stars Unfazed by France: To Win Olympic Gold, We Must Beat Any Opponent

The Argentine U23 national team defeated Ukraine 2-0 in the third round of the Paris Olympic group stage, advancing to the quarterfinals as the second-placed team. They will face host nation France in the next round. Argentine players Álvarez, Thiago Amada, and Otamendi spoke about the match post-game, all expressing confidence.

Manchester City forward Álvarez stated that they have the ability to beat France and emphasized that to reach the final, they must defeat any opponent. “If we face France, we know what it means, given they are playing at home. But I believe we have the capability to overcome them. To advance to the final, we must beat any opponent. Whoever we face, we will give our all, and I believe we are in good form right now.”

Álvarez added, “We lost our first game and were very disappointed, but we overcame adversity. The team has grown stronger, and it wasn’t easy. We managed to do it, and now we’ll face any opponent. All teams play well and have their own characteristics and strengths. We strive to be strong in our own way, leveraging our advantages. Now we need to recover and prepare for the next match.”

Amada agreed with Álvarez: “If we want to win a medal, we must beat any opponent, wherever we play. Now we need to rest and prepare for the next match.”

“I was fortunate to score, but what’s most important is that we advanced. It was very hot, and the opponents played well, but we overcame the challenges together and won the game,” he concluded.

Otamendi downplayed the threat posed by France: “France gives me the same feeling as any other team. I’m aware of the rivalry between us due to the previous World Cup and recent events. Our goal is clear, and I try to make sure the young players understand that no matter who we face, we must maintain the same winning mentality, compete positively, and fight one match at a time – this is our clear objective,” said the Argentine captain.

He also highlighted the team’s spirit: “We didn’t start as we had hoped, but this shows the young players’ ability to overcome difficulties and turn the situation around when the match doesn’t begin well. We won the second game and secured an important victory today. It was very hot. The first two matches were played at 3 PM, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees. It was the same today. Honestly, it’s tough, but our goal is clear: to advance to the next round.”