TV-less Argentine prisoners go on hunger strike

Argentina forward Angel Di Maria received a threat at his family home on the outskirts of Rosario early Monday morning, local media reported, amid a wave of drug-related violence in the city where Lionel Messi also hails from.

The message comes a week after Di Maria, currently playing for Portuguese champions Benfica, said he would like to end his career at his boyhood club Rosario Central.

Local media reports said a car left a sign in front of the private neighborhood where the 36-year-old usually stays addressed to the Di Maria family saying not even the provincial governor Maximiliano Pullaro could guarantee their safety if he returns to the city.

"Tell your son Angel not to come back to Rosario because we will kill a family member. Not even Pullaro is going to save you. We don't leave paper notes. We leave bullets and dead people behind," read the message, according to the news portal Infobae, citing police sources.

Rosario, site of one of the world's largest agro-port hubs, has seen an intense increase in violence by drug trafficking groups, as the city is - according to experts - a potential outlet for illegal drugs to other countries.

Argentine captain and Rosario-born Lionel Messi was also threatened in a letter last year after unidentified gunmen attacked a supermarket owned by his wife Antonela Roccuzzo's family.

The Argentine government said last week it will send a bill to Congress to allow the armed forces to intervene in internal security operations to fight drug trafficking and crime in Rosario.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has returned to the Argentina squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers after serving a suspension, while Valencia midfielder Enzo Berrenechea earned his first call-up by coach Lionel Scaloni on Tuesday.

Aston Villa's Martinez will return to international duty after serving a two-match ban from FIFA for "offensive behavior and violation of the principles of fair play".

In a match against Chile, Martinez made a lewd gesture with the Copa America trophy, while after a defeat against Colombia, he hit a local TV camera.

Berrenechea has been included in Scaloni's squad for the first time, with the 23-year-old making seven appearances and scoring one goal for Valencia on loan from Villa this season.

Valencia midfielder Enzo Berrenechea earned his first Argentina call-up by coach Lionel Scaloni on Tuesday. PHOTO: FACEBOOK

Youngsters Alejandro Garnacho, Nicolas Paz and Facundo Buonanotte, from Manchester United, Como 1907 and Leicester City respectively, have been recalled as part of the world and Copa American champions' generational change.

Captain Lionel Messi will lead Argentina away to Paraguay on Nov. 14 before they host Peru five days later.

Argentina sit top of the South American standings on 22 points, three clear of second-placed Colombia.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven) and Geronimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille)

Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), German Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Nehuen Perez (Porto), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United) and Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyonnais)

Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Leandro Paredes (AS Roma), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Enzo Barrenechea (Valencia), Thiago Almada (Botafogo), Facundo Buonanotte (Leicester City) and Nicolas Paz (Como 1907)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) and Valentin Castellanos (Lazio).

France midfielder Paul Pogba said the finals in Russia might be his last World Cup but he hopes he will be fit for more.

"It might be my last World Cup," the Manchester United player, 25, told a news conference ahead of Tuesday's Group C final game against Denmark.

France have already qualified for the last 16 and will secure top spot if they avoid defeat.

"I'm realistic, we don't know if I'll be called up, maybe other players will be better than me," added Pogba.

"I hope I'll play more. I've already had the chance to play two, some can only dream to play one."

Following a long and challenging journey to reach another Copa America final, 2001 champions Colombia are now one hurdle away from adding the sweetest cherry on top after having achieved a record 28-match unbeaten run.

Los Cafeteros, however, are faced with the task of ousting holders and 15-time champions Argentina – the last team to beat Colombia when the two sides locked horns in a qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup, where Colombia did not qualify while Albiceleste went on to bag the most coveted prize in the sport.

In this edition, Colombia's path to the final has been defined by remarkable resilience and determination. After topping their group ahead of Brazil, they edged past Uruguay despite going down to 10 men in yesterday's incident-packed semifinal in North Carolina.

Facing them are a team that have not been pushed to the edge in the USA. Argentina conceded just one goal throughout the tournament and boast a balanced and experienced squad, marshalled by inspirational Lionel Messi at his career's twilight, oozing with self-belief on the back of three major titles in three years.

Historically, Colombia have struggled against Argentina, with just one win in their last 12 meetings. However, this underdogs status might work in Colombia's favour, allowing them to play with a sense of freedom and without the pressure that often accompanies the superior side on paper.

Their last Copa America encounter saw heroics from Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez making the difference in tiebreakers. Nevertheless, the Men in Yellow can also draw inspiration from a historic match dating back 30 years, when they handed Diego Maradona's Argentina one of their heaviest defeats ever, a 5-0 thrashing, in a crucial 1994 World Cup qualifiers fixture, advancing into the main event as a result.

A couple of individuals who could script Colombia's success are their coach Nestor Lorenzo, who has guided the side in 25 unbeaten matches, and their talismanic captain James Rodriguez. With Lorenzo having been an assistant coach for Argentina, the 58-year-old is relishing the match-up with his homeland, up against compatriot and counterpart Lionel Scaloni.

"This is going to be very nice. I am going to be competing with players I met during my career and who I admire a lot," said Lorenzo after beating Uruguay, the charges of revered Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa.

"This is a group that wants to be a protagonist, that wants to win something, that is hungry and that is growing. We are moving forward," he added.

On the individual side of things, Lorenzo will bank on Rodriguez to play the protagonist-in-chief. The in-form playmaker yesterday became the first player to register six assists in a single edition of the competition, surpassing Messi's five assists in 2021.

The final, set to take place in Miami three days later (Monday 6 am, Bangladesh time), will be the first-ever Copa America final meeting between these two sides. While Argentina are seen as favourites to seal a record 16th title, Colombia's solid form leading up to their second-ever final could help etch their name in football folklore once again.

Sweden's preparations for their World Cup clash against Germany have been hampered by a stomach bug that has prevented three players from travelling to Sochi, where Saturday's game will be played.

Coach Janne Andersson revealed that defenders Pontus Jansson and Filip Helander, along with midfielder Marcus Rohden, were left behind at the team's tournament base further up Russia's Black Sea coast in Gelendzhik to avoid any danger of the illness spreading.

However, the hope is that they will recover to come to Sochi in time for the match.

"We have split the squad. We didn't bring them on the flight because we didn't know what had made them feel a bit queasy, but they will travel tomorrow," Andersson said at a press conference at Sochi's Fisht Stadium on Friday.

Sweden's team doctor said in a statement on the official Swedish FA website that the trio were "on the mend".

Of the three, only Leeds United defender Jansson played in Sweden's opening 1-0 win over South Korea, and that was because Manchester United's Victor Lindelof was ill.

Lindelof has travelled to Sochi and could return against Germany but there is a doubt over striker Isaac Kiese Thelin, who has an ankle problem.

While Sweden, who qualified for the finals after ousting Italy in a play-off, come into the game in a strong position, Germany are on the brink of a full-blown crisis.

A defeat at the hands of Mexico in the first match of their trophy defence means they cannot afford another slip-up in Group F on Saturday.

"This is really what you spend your whole career and life working towards. It is an extraordinary opportunity to be involved in a World Cup match like this," said Andersson.

"Whether we knock out Germany is one thing, but we have a chance to qualify and that is extraordinary."