HOUSTON -- Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino considers it "only logical" that the United States will want to neutralize Lionel Messi in Tuesday's Copa America Centenario semifinal.
Speaking in his news conference at Houston's NRG Stadium, Martino said he expects the Barcelona striker to receive plenty of attention from Jurgen Klinsmann's defense on Tuesday.
"We have ways to confront the attention that Messi gets," said Martino. "Some teams mark him personally, others get physical and surround him with players. I think the fact that there is a coach that is going to try to neutralize the best player in the world is only logical. But it's another thing if it works."
Martino also hinted that Messi could be seeing more time on the right flank against the Americans, similar to where he played in Argentina's 4-1 quarterfinal win over Venezuela on Saturday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
"We decided it was more convenient to play Leo on the right versus Venezuela. Venezuela was playing well in the middle. We moved Leo and he got the ball a lot more on the right. That could be the case on Tuesday, or not, depending on we are doing in the game," said Martino.
He added: "We want to play a game more like the second half of Ecuador versus the USA."
Despite two fewer days of rest and a late Sunday night arrival into Houston, Martino does not expect his team to suffer from fatigue.
"There is no problem. We traveled [Sunday], we chose that day because it was the most convenient. We rested and we train [Monday] and tomorrow we'll play with no problem," said Martino, who added that a decision on Angel Di Maria would be made after training.
Asked repeatedly about playing against the host nation and the difficulty that entails, the former Barcelona manager hopes that any fans Mexican national team fans from Houston's large Mexican-American community offer their support to La Albiceleste.
"We hope that playing here in Houston, the Mexican fans will make us feel more at home," said Martino.