XtraTime Web Desk: After the Argentine players like Lionel Messi criticized the pitch conditions in Brazil during the Copa America, now it’s turn for even the host nation to criticize it. Tite slammed the state of the pitch at the Arena do Gremio after Brazil scraped past Paraguay to reach the Copa America semifinals on Thursday.
The tournament host was held to a 0-0 draw in the quarterfinal in Porto Alegre, but edged through 4-3 on penalties to set up a meeting with either Argentina or Venezuela. But Tite — whose team squandered numerous chances after Fabian Balbuena was sent off for Paraguay — was unhappy with the state of the surface, labelling the situation “absurd.”
“It is absurd, at a high level, to have a field so difficult to play,” he told a news conference. “The guy has to give three touches to play. It’s absurd.”
Brazil was unable to make the most of its chances in the final half-hour after Balbuena was sent off for denying Roberto Firmino an obvious goalscoring opportunity. But a save from Alisson to deny Gustavo Gomez and Derlis Gonzalez miss in the shoot-out set up Brazil, with Gabriel Jesus tucking away the winning penalty after Firmino also failed to convert.
Tite knows what could await his team in the last four, especially if Argentina can overcome Venezuela on Friday. “Very large individual technical quality. As a challenge for all teams, they have to adapt when they have the best in the world,” he said.
“Messi is unquestionable.”