Argentina out to spoil Chile´s party – Martino

Argentina coach Gerardo Martino praised Chile for the way the nation has treated his players in the 2015 Copa America campaign, but said there will be no sympathy for their hosts in the final on Saturday.

Martino and Co. have been based in La Serena for the majority of the tournament, and both players and coaching staff have consistently praised the town and the treatment they have received from the locals.

But that will be put to one side as 14-time champions Argentina attempt to spoil the party in Santiago.

“We have been treated wonderfully here,” Martino said at his media conference on Friday.

“But this is football. We have to play with the ball and try to win the game.”

Argentina have faced several defensive sides in this tournament so far, with Paraguay, Uruguay, Jamaica and Colombia all setting up to stifle their formidable forward line.

However, Martino is confident Chile will come out and attack in the capital city.

“It’s very difficult for them to change their style,” he said.

“They have been insisting on an idea for some time now, so they may change personnel, but when it comes to the game itself and how they approach it, Chile will be the same as they always are.” 

Saturday’s decider will mark Argentina’s second major final in the space of a year, having reached the World Cup showpiece in 2014.

Argentina lost the final to Germany 1-0 after extra time.

“There’s an emotional aspect here,” he said. “But the players know all about that because they played in the World Cup final.

“They know exactly what they are going to face. In these cases, the importance of the prize tends to divert the attention away from the match, so I think the best thing we can do is to ensure we play like the team we are usually.”