Argentina vs. Venezuela Preview

I’m very hopeful for the team’s development. Does anyone have a complete list of the squad (all players called up)?

Messi should have the number 10. We’ll see what happens.

Vamos Argentina carajo!!!!!

I think it was Deigo Maradona who said that Mario Kempes is the man who put Argentinian football on the map. I may agree somewhat but seriously wasn’t that prestigous # 10 jersey of Maradona that made argentinian football famous? Isn’t it becuase of this jersey and the man who made it famous that argentina has billions of well wishing fans around the world.

My point is this: no one in the current squad or previous NT members should wear or should have worn # 10 jersey. The jersey should have been retired long time ago. Napoli knows what that shirt represented for the city and the fans, it is time that argentina FA show respect and retire that jersey.

About the games, I think it is time that Deigo kicks some serious Chavez and Bolivian rear end. lol. Let’s see who becomes the first unfortunate Maradona victim on the weakend. Bolivia too thinks the weather is going to help them.lol

yes, it was DIEGO MARADONA who made football the no. one sport/game on the the planet. Even in Bangladesh he is not to be compared to anyone not even to Pele

Anyone goes against DIEGO, goes against me.

those silly Bangladeshians. Now I can’t say that Maradona was far or close to Pele’s super-human abilities, but it was pretty clear who was the better player, and team mate. Plus, Maradona acquired the help of God somehow, on one or two occasions, and he took all the credit along with the trophy. In all seriousness tho, I hope he has turned his life around and has the discipline to lead a team. If not, this will be an spectacular failure that may tarnish some of that gold.

I dont understand what is going on with the blog,
as soon as there is some sensible thing going on …there comes an unwanted comments related to none’s interest… from EPL, to comments on a country.

Do we have some news about the NT squad, what are the inside news…

I think the AFA did try to retire the #10 for the NT back when Diego was very ill and looked like a 50/50 chance he’d make it. But was rebuffed by FIFA- something like if the retire the # they also lose the player- something like that if I remember.. but then again my memory on these matters isn’t great.

I think given the history of the number, it would be nice to see Messi wear it. At the end of the day, if the man who made the #10 for Argentina famous thinks someone on the field is ready to wear it, then that’s fine with me.

Other than that, it’s still a number. What matters is that they play at the level they’re capable of playing.

Anyone else hear that Diego might field a 4-3-3? Maybe against Bolivia, but not against Venezuela. There is no need to play with 4 at the back at HOME against Venezuela. Brazil, but not Venezuela. If it’s true, I would imagine something like this:

Zanetti—Samuel—Heinze—Papa
———–Mascherano———–
Maxi————————Gutierrez/Di Maria/Gago
Messi—–Milito/Lopez—-Aguero

That looks weird, I know. If he does field a 4-3-3 that means Gago will have to play on the wing because I doubt he’ll want to break that chemistry he has with Mascherano. So either Gutierrez on the left to attack and defend, Di Maria to bring speed and crosses to our #9 or Gago. Personally, I’d like either Guti or Di Maria.

I really want to start playing with a target man. With all the players that mark Messi, it would leave Milito/Lopez open. I just hope for once Aguero plays a good game with the National Team. His only good one was against Brazil in the Olympics. NO Messi/Tevez/Aguero, PLEASE. Not the 3 midgets up front.

PS: Looking at that formation, our line-up is gonna get smoked if we ever get caught on a counter-attack:(

Oh and give Messi the #10.

Watch 10 you should also read the blog entry before commenting on it.

Julian made this point,”I also think that Messi should be given the #10, he deserves it. It wouldn’t surprise me if he comes out with the #10 shirt on Saturday. Wouldn’t that be something special?”

I thought the jersey should be retired becuase no one has done what deigo did. It is relevent point which was brought up by the blogger.

No more comments or news from this side until this blog goes back to what it used to be.
Que les garúe finito….

Why is everyone so sensitive here? If someone says something you dont like or want to respond to then dont. We all know that we have some regulars here and then some people that drop by in a sincere effort to chat about Argy futbol and then some that just want to create havoc. At the end of the day we have a person that will delete anything to offensive.

As for the game I have stated my preference for a 3 5 2 but could live with the proposed 3 4 3 since it is quite the same. For me what is the most important is to get 4 to 6 points so we can take some of the pressure off and Maradona can start putting together his tema and line up for 2010. For right now the number one priority for Maradona is to win the game not build the team. Once we are in a better position he can field the line ups he most wants to try out ofr 2010.

One thing is clear and that is gago and mascherano will start in the midfield and aguero and messi will start upfront. As I stated in the other thread i would love to see Maxi and Di maria as the other midfielders and maybe four defenders with Zanetti at the back. If you want a lot off offense than three at the back and throw Tevez in front of the midfield but behind Messi and Aguero.

If I play the prediction game I think its 4-4-2

—Mache—
—-Gago—
Maxi—Messi —
—-Milito-Aguero–

It will be a very awkward/late time for me to watch it live, but cant help that for so many years so cant help it now .

the 4defense and GK is assumed and not mentioned.

Personally speaking “Watch 10 you should also read the blog entry before commenting on it”, I did not understand it so Ignored the point… hope it doesnt hurt anyone

Carrizo, Díaz, Angeleri, Heinze; Maxi Rodríguez, Gago, Mascherano, Jonás Gutiérrez; Messi, Agüero y Tevez.

According to Ole this is what Maradona has in his mind as the starting line up. He will try it out in practice and see how it functions. The key is that Jonas and Maxi defend the wings. If he does not like what he sees then he will insert Zanetti at the back and not start tevez. He might also start Di maria in place of Jonas if he has four defenders in the back. These seem to be the three posssible line ups now.

Which one does everyone prefer?

Choice one : 3 4 3 with tevez
Choice two : 4 4 2 with Zanetti and Jonas
Choice three: 4 4 2 with Zanetti and Di Maria

I say we try the 3 4 3 .

On another note did anyone else see the Newcastle game? Collocini was booed almost constantly by the Newcastle fans.

What has Heinze done in the past year to deserve even a call up? Is it his birth right? Or we don have any quality defenders?

Hienze is a good in giving correct instructions to the defense line although forgets to maintain it himself, so possibly the person who is doing the knowledge transfer on a team in transition.
I am quite upset on Aguero’s performance against Malaga (in fact whole Atletico Imploded).
3-4-3 is interesting but considering Diego’s and NT’s qualification at stake , I doubt that he will try that. If Heinze is left out then may be he will try it .
at this moment I prefer 4-4-2 with DiMaria

The one positve about a 3 4 3 is that Heinze is more of a central defender with one of the midfielders dropping to the outside when we are defending. I am sure that as soon as we are at full force we wont have heinze playing anymore. He will be replaced. But for now he is much better in a three man defense than in a four when he is the outside defender.

The 3 4 3 maradona is thinking about playing is basically a 3 5 2.

The 3 4 3 maradona is thinking about playing is basically a 3 5 2. TUDDUTAH STATED…..

THATS WHY i chose it it can swing between attacking 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 and defensive 3-5-2 with ease

it just makes sense to me i suppose a 4-3-3 version of that line up is also possible

I agree I like the flexability. I would like it even more if we couild have Di maria in place of Jonas but maybe that will come with time and Di maria showing that he can defend a little.

I hope he goes for a 3-4-3 against Venezuela. That should be a game where we don’t get too much trouble at the back. I hope Messi gets the #10, but he said himself some weeks ago that he still prefered the #18 so I guess he won’t get the #10. To see a player like Montenegro get the #10 would be a terrible joke. He is just a squad player. The AFA tried to retire the #10 jersey allready in 2002….in my opinion I would love it if no player used that jersey after Diego. But if we have to give it to someone, there is no one that deserves it more than Messi. It’s only a number, just a jersey….but at the same time it’s not just a jersey. We all know that in Argentina and in South America that jersey and that number is almost holy.

I think that is futbol it is a mistake to retire jerseys. I mean we couild have hundreds of year of the Argentina NT and I think it brings honor to a player that everytime someone wears a certain number they have a legacy to fulfill. If every twenty years you retire a number before you know it no one could be a 9 or 10 or 7 or 5. not to get to abstract but in a couple of hundred years all the players would be wearing 21 21 etc? Sorry kinda of out there comments

#10 shirts are for enganches. As Messi is a mediapunta…

ALBO,
Honestly, your insulting words in last posts towards the British person were pathetic and sadly surprising from someone like you. I’m not judging you, but man, I was wondering what happened in your head at that moment…

4-3-3, 4-5-1, 3-5-2,… Whatever the formation we use, wherever we play (in altitude or not), Argentina should win at least 3-0 against teams such as Venezuela or Bolivia. At least. We aren’t Chili or Paraguay. What I want to say is that chosing one formation instead of another isn’t going to be decisive against these teams. They aren’t Italy or Germany.

ARG10,
In a 4-3-3, the 3 midfielders have nothing to do on the wings (which are for the fullbacks) Don’t worry about Gago : )

Concerning 4-3-3, as I said many times before, I would not like to see us playing like this because I fear too much dribblings from our forwards. On the otherside, if we play collective and possession futbol, with movements all over the place, I let Maradona choose his system, whatever it is…

In the second half, against Ivory Coast 2006, Pekerman played 4-3-3 (4-1-4-1), it was nice:

———————-Pato——————–
Burdiss——Ayala———Heinze——-Sorin-
——————Mascherano——————
Saviola——-Cambiasso—Maxi——–Riquelme
———————Crespo——————-

Remember?

Thanks WATCH10 for your always interesting posts from Australia.

Vamos Heinze ! Vamos Coloccini ! VAMOS ARGENTINOS !

The #10 jersey was retired in 2001 but later reinstated when Argentina submitted the squad list to fifa for the 2002 world cup which included player kits 1-24 which goes against Fifa’s 1-23 player kit rule. Fifa rejected the list and Ortega was finally awarded the #10.

Football is always constantly evoloving and that is why i think the #10 shouldn’t be retired although it technically cant according to fifa.

#10 shirts are for enganches. As Messi is a mediapunta…

Maxi I dont agree with that as both Maradona and Pele wore the number 10 and i think they both had more in commen with Messi than Riquelme. Why do I always get this little feeling that you are not that big of fan of Messi? You are very quick to defend attacks on Heinze and Collocini but dont seem so fond of Messi. He deserves number 10 and Heinze does not deserve to be on the NT anymore. Just my opinion. I agree with you about the fact that we should beat both are next opponents no matter the configuration but remember that these are the games that Maradona can maybe tinker a little more with ideas that he cant try against france or italy.

I must confess I am not a messi fanatic.
He is one of the Argentines who has risen too fast too soon due to his special talents.
Now this is good enough for me to like him, but I like him in the same level of Aguero /Zarate/Higuain etc , so why I am not a fanatic for him…
since he do not fall into that elegant style of the enganche (till now), he is has an amazing style of his own but even Aimar was amazing but with frequent injuries he lost lots of the physical and mental stuff that made him so good.
If Messi can keep himself in the same form and improve further in his areas of need then we have a legend, so till next 2 years I wont give him #10… I wont give this kid a responsibility that has changed career graphs of so many more random than the stock market.

The argentine #10 jersey doens’t mean more than barcelonas #10. Maradona also played witht he #10 at barcelona.

If Messi can stand the responsibility to bear barcelona’s #10, that belonged to Maradona, Ronaldinho…, he certainly deserves argentina’s. His performance this season proves that beyond doubt. By the way, Maradona wore the #10 when he was just 21 at the 1982 world cup.

I almost forgot, Riquelme also had the #10 at barcelona.

MAXILOPEZ
You’re right. In a 4-3-3 it is for the fullbacks, but if we do use a 4-3-3(which was rumored, thats why I brought it up) Zanetti would get smoked on the counter attack and Papa doesn’t seem to have much speed either. And thats the reason why I put Maxi and Gutierrez on the wings. They can attack and defend if we do use a 4-3-3. We don’t have Sorin anymore to run up and down the pitch. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I want to play a 4-3-3, that’s probably the last thing I want.

We have to face it, unless someone has a great breakthrough season next year, this is the defense for 2010. Our coaching staff seems to think that Gonzalo is from Uruguay and not Argentina, so he’ll never play under the shirt again. Garay and Pareja aren’t doing very well with their clubs and it looks like they will be overlooked. Zabaleta will not get a shot ahead of Zanetti. Insua’s not getting his chance with Liverpool. BUT Mascherano has been playing at right back and Cambiasso at center back(with their respective teams), so maybe thats how Cambiasso will get a shot on the team!

Guys the game is away for another three days so we can talk about whole lot of issues that are related to nothing. lol

No offense to 3rd world people. People can now see the difference between 3rd world mentality and the world where respect is everything. I am glad that napoli is on the right side of the line. RESPECT!

Coach Tod

#s are #s unless they happened to be famous and got retired like # 23 Chicago bulls. This is my question, what is the problem if # 10 jersey is retired and the guy who plays that position wears # 42? Don’t tell soccer is turned to American football. lol.

Anyway as long time Deigo warrior fan we are entitled to see that Jersey out of circulation.

The line up

I am watching the game to see if Di Maria is playing and some Chavez rear end is kicked.

Mion Bercelona are losers and I don’t know why would anyone want to retire any of their jerseys, even the one that Deigo wore. Lol

i would like NT to play the 4-2-3-1 formation:

——————-Carrizo—————————

Angelari——-Demicheles—–Samuel———-Zanetti(i don’t trust heinze or papa)

—————-Mascherano——Veron/Gago—————-

Maxi/Messi————–Messi/Tevez————-Dimaria/Levazzi/Maxi/Jonás

———————-Aguero/Tevez/Milito———————–

Here are some pictures from the first training session:

http://www.sportsya.com/english/soccer/home/gallery.php/South_American_Qualifiers_2010_Argentina_training_session.html?id_galeria=4079

Here are more images for Getty. Scroll down on the page for more. Just looking at these images makes me feel like school boy circa 1990. I cannot wait for the game on Saturday.

http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?contractUrl=2&language=en-US&family=editorial&p=argentina&assetType=image&src=quick

you’re right ajnyc–

looking at maradona chesting the ball reminded me of when I was a little kid. Goose bumps! The pressure these guys must be under to play a national game in Arg now…

Napolifan
Stop using terms like “third world” or “third world mentality” i am sure u don’t know anything about it..There’s no such thing as “third world” in 2009 because there’s no first world or second world, its not the 80’s man….

guys – do you know who is showing the games on television? Will they be televised live in the US?

Maradona was a midfielder. Messi is a forward. That’s the big difference between them. It’s the opinion of all true futbol specialists, in Argentina and all over the world. They are right.

ARG10,
Papa is a little bomb don’t you think? He reminds me of French Lizarazu. Yes, in a 4-3-3, the sides are for the fullbacks…and the forwards/wingers. What frightens me the most with this system is to imagine Tevez & Messi dribbling too much. I’m sure it would satisfy many Barca fans who don’t even care about Argentina’s futbol culture. Also Messi would have a limited role, like at Barca (he’s more than only a winger). Messi should be in the center of the action. His talent deserves it. He can be absolutely outstanding under Maradona.
I’m like you, playing 4-3-3 is the last thing I would like to see. I hope Maradona is going to bring some confidence to Lucho and start him for next games. Why is Veron so appreciated by the coaches? He belongs to the past. Time to move on with the new generation and the 2006 players. We need to prepare 2010, at last…

I remember the time when people from all countries were posting here. It was nice.

Blatter has told once more, than doping isn’t a problem in football. He’s ignoring this, giving the green light to many clubs to do what they want with their players. It’s incredible. What a bastard he is…

Alexa – it will be shown in the US, but its on PPV. The South American Qualifiers are controlled by Jump TV. Its think its like 20 bucks to watch the game.

I will try, and I’m sure others here will as well, to post streams for the match before it begins. So dont worry if your cable/satelite tv provider doesn’t cover it.

oh damn, I thought it was going to be on Fox Sports Espanol

My prediction: Argentina 5 Venezuala 0

Four goals in the first half and a goal or two in the second half.

According to clarin maradona today started practice with a 4-4-2 formation with the same France match starters(except Demichelis) but later opted for a 3-4-3 with Angeleri as libero(sweeper)and with Diaz and Heinze as stoppers.
The formation is as follows:
————Carrizo————–
————-Angeleri————
—-Diaz————-Heinze——
-Maxi—Mascherano–Gago—Gutierrez
—–Messi—-Aguero—-Tevez—-

The latter team scored 7 goals against a local youth team.

Well…was Maradona a midfielder? That’s a good question. I’ve got video tapes of 19 of the 21 games Diego played for Argentina in the World Cup. He was like a true midfielder only in 1994….where he played the enganche role. In most of the other games he was more often used as a forward. A forward that dropped deep, though……
But Maradona was for sure not only a midfielder.
And I would say that Messi today is more than a winger.

I predict a 2-0 or a 3-1 win for Argentina in this game.
But have I missed something here: Is Angeleri a sweeper?????????? I thought he was a fullback……
I have to say that a defence made up by Angeleri as a sweeper and with Diaz and Heinze as the stoppers, sounds terrible to me. In my opinion Samuel must be included no matter what formation Diego plans to use. I have changed my mind a bit about the team…I don’t wanna see a 3-4-3 after all…I have been thinking about it…and with Demichelis out I wanna see one of these two options:

4-4-2:
—————-Carizzo
Zanetti—–Forlin—-Samuel—Papa
Maxi——Mascherano—Lucho—Di Maria
————Messi—-Milito

or

4-2-3-1:

—————-Carizzo
Zanetti——Forlin—-Samuel—Papa
————Mascherano–Gago
Maxi————-Messi———Di Maria
—————–Milito

As per most news sources its Messi getting #10 on his back.
I would say its a step backwards for him, like every one in football world, this #10 is mystic, legendary, sacred… etc etc..yet its jinxed.
Every one, whoever took this could not come out of the shadow of this legendary #10 , we dont need another new Maradona, we need the Messi as he is and ever improving Messi.
I would prefer to give it to Tevez since his Psyche is completely different than the other candidates even if he might be on bench for most of the game.

Well this is just my thoughts, I might be wrong only time will tell.

I don’t like any formation with Heinze, period. Especially with only 3 at the back though!

I think, however, Maradona feels that Argentina can maintain possession in the midfield and will attack effectively against Venezuela, and feels that a different set of players and formation should be saved for Bolivia (more defensive, built on counters).

Messi as the 10? It’s a big step. I know people tend to say it’s just a number and what not, but in Argentina it’s more than that. Is the number 10 cursed? Maybe, maybe not. Tevez had it for a brief period of time(specifically in the Olympics) and did nothing more after that. Riquelme had it and he was hit/miss most of the time. Ortega had it and we all know how he turned out.

Is Messi going to be any different? Well, you have to give it to someone. Messi has proven himself in every tournament that he has played in so far(save the final of Copa America 2007). Can he handle the pressure? Again, he has in every tournament he has played in. WATCH_10 is right, only time will tell. As for me, I’m for it. 2010 is gonna be a “now or never”. Might as well give it to someone who can be the future of the team.

As for Angeleri playing the sweeper role… not sure. I suppose Maradona just wants to try out some things in defense and since it is Venezuela and in Buenos Aires, might as well do it now. I’m more than positive Zanetti, Demichelis and Heinze(not sure how that is good) will start against Bolivia. Just like ARGENTUBAN said, a different set of players and formation will be used against Bolivia.

I think the Sweeper idea is quite brilliant. It solves the problem of having 2 outstanding FBs, wich Argentina does’nt have. Now ther’s only need for one really fast player, who in dangeruos situations can control fast counterattacks. That role is very clear, and a well defined task for one player, no hesitation on who is doing what. And still he can be a factor in midfeild to.
I think Maradona want’s a team that’s pressing high, and keeping possesion. That tactic and situation can offcourse be vulnerable to counterattacks. Thus a Sweeper.
So it’s logical that Angeleri(who I haven’t seen much)as a FB, and running man, take that position.
I think it will help the 2 CBs to, making thier jobs more distinct. Less depending on speed.
It would have been more calm to have had Demichelis and Samuel as the 2 CBs, but let’s gamble a little when it’s only Venezuela at home.
I don’t mind letting in a few goals as long as we score more.
Gago is my main concern. Don’t think his passing abilities are up to notch. In the game against France he was working really hard, running, recovering balls, etc, but when it came to getting the ball forward, it didn’t really click. So what we have in midfeild is 2 Mascheranos, not sure if that’s necessary. There are other options, but nothing clearcut.

Well…really can’t wait for the game…

i have read some articles on a few other websites and the most rumored line up with the 3-4-3 is being listed elswere to. i don’t like this formation or the line up.
first of all this 3 midget forwards will not work. our attack will be so
limited to the ground. didn’t we learn anything from the columbia game.
the back line is so inexperience and then you want to compound this by playing 3. samuel should start above all these other guys and like argentuban mentioned i don’t like any formation with heinze.
my hopeful line up

carrizo
zannetti-diaz-samuel-papa
maxi-macherano-veron-jonas
messi-milito

This is the lineup we need against defensive physical teams:

————–Carrizo———————

– Zanetti — Demichelis — Samuel — Papa

Mascherano — Gago

Messi — Lucho

Aguero/Tevez —– Milito

I’m not sure about the front 3 of Messi, Aguero and Tevez. Although the fast inter passing would be a pleasure to watch if it clicks.

Article by Marcela – http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/mar/26/diego-maradona-argentina-football

Some one quoted a Very interesting/funny comment about Argentina’s chances on WC10.

“Well omens may be there*

* Bilardo won in ‘86 after visiting Calcutta / Kolkata in 1984, Maradona visited Calcutta last autumn — so……
“

I think the 3-4-3 is mainly because it’s against Venezuela and Diego’s playing at home. We should win, even if the defense is suspect.

Pekerman made a smart choice last qualifiers by fielding two separate teams. I think Diego has this in mind against Bolivia. As some people have posted here.

With 3-4-3, I imagine it will be a quick-passing, possession game. I think Gago is ideally suited for this kind of game. He’s quick and more of a playmaker than Mascherano is. I think he compliments Mascherano well. I expect Gago to have a good game if he plays.

As for Heinze, the next time we play 4 at the back, I don’t see why Diego doesn’t try Zabaleta on the off-wing. With Samuel and DeMichelis in the middle.

At this point I am hoping for the 3 4 3 . I would like it much better with different defenders like demichilis Samuel and Gonzolo but this is who we have for now . I also like the idea of tevez because I think he can be a guy that plays back a little and helps recover the ball. He already does this a lot of Man U.

Also everyone that keeps saying that we should not play three at the back because we dont have three defenders that are good enough so we should play four does not understand that with this system both Maxi and Jonas will be defending the wings. This line up is actually meant to cover the fact that we do not have any great wing defenders right now and in fact in many instances you could argue that Jonas is playing a similar position to that of Sorin the last WC. Also I would say that gago and mascherano were great in the last friendly together and with tevez postioned iin front of gago it will give him more options on who to pass it too going forward . In the france game he four defenders behind him and five if you count Mascherano. Now he will have three defenders behind him on attack and Mascherano to his side with two wing options in Jonas and Maxi and three forwards. We will really find out how good of a passer going foreward gago is in this game.

Plz…Di Maria instead of Jonas.

I think the midgets can do well. Anyone of those players can be lethal to any defense, tall or strong, fast or whatever. They will try to control Messi with 2 or 3 players (one is definitely not enough) and that leaves room for the others.
Seen it so many times with Barcelona. Messi usually stays calm for the beginning of a game, then when the defense is getting somewhat tired, he snaps into gear. The confusion that follows usually ends in a goal or two.
So the other team is giving up, wich leads to an other couple of goals.
And then barca let’s up the pedal a bit. And the game is over.
I think defenses are quite scared of Messi(and rightly so). Never underestimate that. He will punish you.
The aireal threat of Barcelonas attackers is next to nothing, still they manage to to pound in goals. Don’t see why that can’t be done with the Midgets.

Well said toddutah! Gago only had Papa and the wingers to pass to, mainly Gutierrez and in some cases Maxi, since messi and aguero both played ahead of france’s midfield. In this case there wont be any wingbacks and gago will probably have a free role throught the midfield. Also, like you mentioned, Tevez will at times move back into the midfield and take a psudo-enganche role with Messi running up at either sides of the opponents half just like he does with barcelona. I dont completely agree with the probable lineup but I think this adventureous formation can prove to be quite fruitful in regards to the players Argentina has.

My lineup with explanation would be as follows:
3-4-3
——————-Vilar*——————–
——————Samuel———————
——-Diaz—————–Heinze———–
————–Mascherano–Gago—————
–Maxi—————————Gutierrez—
————————–Tevez————–
———-Messi—Milito**——————-

*Carrizo is no longer a starter for Lazio and Vilar, in my opinion, is the more experienced and better keeper on the list.
**A target man is always fundamental. Milito should be given another chance but I doubt Maradona is willing to sacrifice his son-in-law from the starting role.

***I forgot samuel. He seems to me the most experienced at playing the sweeper role.

I’m OK with three at the back if we maintain an attacking mentality and don’t have Heinze in the lineup.

Sorry – Heinze scares me. When he is off, he really sucks. And that’s all too often and too risky for me.

hey guys i just saw the Maradona press conference live on TV… and all the interviews with all the players.. He still didn’t release an offical starting list of players for Saturday. The only one that he said who is starting is CARRIZO. It looks like he wants to hold off, maybe he will be like DUNGA and wait till the last day! Also Messi, said he doesn’t care if he gets the #10 or not, it doesn’t matter to him, though he did say he wants to make Argentina, the fans, and Maradona proud on Saturday. They all want to do well for Maradona’s debut at home. There’s a lot of hype here in Argentina for the game… Fans are not caring about the soaring costs of tickets… everyday people are buying tickets…looks like it’s going to be a full house at the Monumental! Maradona said he wants the crowd to explode! he wants the excitement of the national team to come back.. he wants everything for Argentina.. His press conference was very professional.. it wasn’t the typical Maradona, he kept his cool, i liked that… good for him.

Amit Maradona’s team will beat Ven by large margins without Di Maria. The problem is however what kind of conclusions would the bosses draw from such victory. If they think they can win a WC without a major Di Maria and Zarate contributions then they are in for a rude surprise.

“Everybody is gotta a plan until they get hit” Mike Tyson lol

janus is the perfect winger come side midfielder come wing back come full back IN PLAIN ENGLISH THE NEAREST THING TO A KILLY GONZALEZ OR SORIN WE HAVE

DE-MARIA IS A GREAT ATTACKING PLAYER WINGER/PLAYMAKER BUT HIS NO LEFT SIDED WINGBACK/MIDFIELDER LIKE JANUS IS

U NEED SORINS/ZANETTIS/KILLYS FOR THAT ROLE NOT DE-MARIAS GET IT LOL

WITH A FRONT 3 OF THAT GILD YOU DONT WANT OR NEED DE MARIA

Hi Guys,

Just wanna share with you that we just concluded our FIRST ever podcast on Mundo Albiceleste. Please feel free to drop by at my blog to listen to it.

Him UK you live in a bubble. Which one of the two players is a winner?

The last great competition Di Maria won argentina for the Gold Medal. His contribution was equal to Messi. What did your guy do except you saying “janus is the perfect winger come side midfielder come wing back come full back IN PLAIN ENGLISH THE NEAREST THING TO A KILLY GONZALEZ OR SORIN WE HAVE” lol

Me, I go with a winner who has both great talent and the ability to grow with the pressure.

Here is the link to our podcast

http://mundoalbiceleste.blogspot.com/2009/03/mundo-albiceleste-podcast-01.html

It seems that maradona will either opt for a 3-43 or 4-4-2. I would like to see:

3-4-3
———————–Carrizo—————————-

—-Demi/Forlin———-Samuel—————–Diaz/Heinze—-

Zanetti/Maxi———–Masch——-Gago/Veron———–Jonas/Maxi

Messi———————-Aguero/Milito————-Levazzi/Aguero/Tevez

4-4-2:
———————–Carrizo—————————-

Angeleri———Demi/Forlin———-Samuel—————-Zanetti

Messi/Maxi———–Masch——-Gago/Veron/Lucho———–Maxi/Dimaria

—————Messi/Tevez/Aguero———Aguero/Milito————-

which channel(not pay) will show the match on Hotbird Satellite, or any other free channel which show the match in South Asia region. And what is timing GMT.

Something is wrong in my browser, at times it does not show any new comments until I post a comment for this blog.
Need to find out what is the match start time GMT/CET, any one …?

CET: 23.10

Are you retarded? STFU and stop posting worthless crap.

Goal. com

During the week Maradona tested out a tactical system where he played with three defenders and the same number of strikers: Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez. This is a new approach taken by the national team. Although it has yet to be announced, Maradona has already decided on his starting XI. The only question mark is whether Daniel Diaz or Javier Zanetti will play in defense. While veteran midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron will miss the match because of a toe injury.

Possible Starting XI –

Juan Pablo Carrizo, Daniel Diaz, Marcos Angeleri, Gabriel Heinze, Maxi Rodriguez, Fernando Gago, Javier Mascherano, Jonas Gutierrez, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez.

What time is the game eastern usa time?

it’s on at 10.00pm uk time, 11.00pm europe time, i’m not sure about US time

lol!! this is funny from MARADONA

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/82/south-america/2009/03/27/1178129/maradona-pele-lost-his-virginity-to-a-man

PELE must shut up & think before he opens his mouth in public

I guess maradona has a right to defend himself but that was a little over the top. I guess he was trying to be funny but truthfully Pele needs to quit critiszing everyone all the time. Everyone has their skeletons and bad decisions and when you are in the public eye those all come out but that is why most people are just hero in their area of speciality and should not be considered a hero in every part of their lives just because they are good at futbol or basketball or acting. For me Maradona will always be a hero for his talent and passion to futbol and argentina but that does not mean I would want my kids to emulate him in other areas. The same goes for Aguero as I have a poster of his in my kids room but I also teach those same kids that I want them married before they have kids but that does not mean we can love and cheer for El Kun. Pele always acts like all these players should be perfect and the truth is that is just not realistic. And lets be honest that most of the players from his day had their weakensses as well just not so publisized by the media. I have to say that I am not so sure how i would behave if I were to be a 20 year old millionare with fame and fortune. Ok enough of this lol My predication for the game tomorrow is 5 to 1. It will be only 1 to 0 at half and then the goals will start coming.

Pele has a track record of saying the most ridiculous outlandish things not only about Maradona but about his own countrymen as well. You really cannot take him seriously, he’s a clown.

Any links where we can watch the game in the UK?

skysports 2 are showing the match. anyone who can’t watch it on tv, i will post links for the game tomorrow.

Strangely enough it appears, according to clarin, that maradona is now inclined to choosing Zanetti in place of Diaz as a defender. Zanetti isn’t a natural defender so I dont see the sense of this selection unless Maradona is underestimating Venezuala.

Fox is showing the England Argentina 2005 game, where Riquelme was so masterful. It’s sad to know that he’s not on the team. I guess now they are going to go for speed speed speed.

I just watched that game. It was a masterful performance by Riquelme and he wasn’t even near his best. We will miss the maestro. We need a #9. I really think we should start with Milito, Messi and Aguero.

Milito scored 5 goals in a practice game against a youth team yesterday. Maradona needs to make sure he starts.

Anyone showing the game in Canada?

OK I need some good links to watch the game. Goal TV is going to show the game but not until Monday and ESPN deportes is showing it on the PPV package at like 49 dollars. I did that last time and my wife was not to happy when the bill came. So I desperately need a good internet link.

Here’s what Diego MARADONA said at a press conference on Thursday night:

Diego MARADONA

On whether he has decided the starting lineup:
“I’m thinking of a few minor details, but I have my team in my head and I’ll make a decision shortly”.

“I won’t tell if I’m playing with three or four at the back”.

“CARRIZO is my choice for goalkeeper. ANDUJAR will be the substitute keeper and VILAR has to be ready for anything. I like VILAR. I know him for a while. I think with him we are sending a message. We watch EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY has a chance with us”.

“MESSI and Maxi will be the set-piece takers”.

On his expectations ahead of the match on Saturday:
“My dream is to have a packed Monumental stadium and for all my players to leave the field applauded by our fans”.

“I’m not nervous. Euphoria is a good thing but it’s up to my players to show it. They will be the ones that will transmit that to the fans and viceversa, but I have to keep a cool head”.

“I only want to thank our supporters. The people want to see MESSI, TEVEZ, KUN, MASCHERANO. We have to think about the people but we don’t need to get too carried away by their passion. We need to concentrate on playing our best football and the result will come”.

“Coming back to the River Plate stadium, all I want is for MESSI to get a standing ovation the way I used to received it when I played there. I want all my team to receive the affection from the crowd”.

“We will throw all our history on Venezuela’s faces (in a good sense). We will attack them with all we have. We have to own the ball. Don’t give it away to Venezuela. I insist to my players all the time that we have to play the ball with precission”.

On whether Argentina will secure a ticket for South Africa if they win both matches against Venezuela and Bolivia.
“I don’t think we’ll be qualified if we win these next too matches. We need to take one step at a time and then we need to think of winning all of our remaining World Cup Qualifying matches”.

On how he feels personaly ahead of his official debut as a manager:
“I’m living this dream with a lot of intensity. I’m in a place I never thought I was going to be able to be even a year ago”.

“Don’t talk to me about pressure. Pressure is only felt by that man that goes to the street every day and needs to earn 10 pesos or as much as he can so he can feed his family. That’s pressure”.

On how can he emulate an environment for MESSI to shine without his team-mates from Barcelona:
“Thierry HENRY and Samuel ETO’O are not Argentines, but we have AGÜERO and TEVEZ instead. And we’ve got Lisandro LOPEZ and Diego MILITO too. MESSI will have plenty of company and I’m asking him to find his place on the field and move wherever he feels comfortable to be able to play his best game. I think MESSI is the best player of the world whether he plays in Barcelona, Argentina, Cameroon, Nigeria…anywhere!”

On Venezuela bringing up several U20 players:
“I’m thinking FARIAS (Venezuela’s manager) must know them very well. If he brings those kids along, it must be because of something. We have experienced players and we have to play our game”.

On whether he will change tactics and formation according to the opposition:
“Yes. We’ll always play our game, but we will also change according to the rival we are facing”.

On whether he’ll give MESSI some advice ahead of the Copa del Rey final -MARADONA had a fight with several Bilbao players when he played for Barcelona-:
“Times have changed. Players are respected much more than they were when I was playing. I had a very difficult time in that final against Athletic Bilbao and I hope nothing like that will happen to Lionel”.

On the reactions from Boca Juniors fans whom called MARADONA a traitor:
“I can’t control how people react. I have always conquered the crowd through my ability to play football, not for something I do outside the pitch. I’m at peace with myself because I know I did nothing wrong”.

On how is his relationship with Carlos BILARDO coming along:
“My relationship with BILARDO is fine. We had a conversation over the last few days and it was a great one to leave some difference behind, but I won’t say anything about what we have spoken”.

On RIQUELME’s absense:
“We don’t have Roman. We need to adapt to a new situation. We have great players anyway and they need to take more responsibilities on the ball. We don’t have the guy to give us that final pass or that precise assist, but I’m confident we’ll be able to overcome that”.

On Javier MASCHERANO:
“I insist, my team is composed by Javier MASCHERANO + 10″.

i’ll post links when they come up but try http://rojadirecta.com/

here are a few streams where you can watch the match which starts at 7:10 Argentina, 5:10 pm US central, 6:10 pm US eastern, 10:10 pm UK time,

http://atdhe.net/live-tv-5665.html
http://www.justin.tv/futbol_brujero_
http://www.justin.tv/livefutbolpc4
http://www.ustream.tv/LiveSport3

I will post more links before the game.

ITs finally official: Messi gets the #10.

Mion, where did you hear that?

Clarin, ole, Marca, Mundo Deportivo, Sport.es, TYC sport.

Ok, thanks!
Vamos Leo y Vamos Argentina!!!!!!!!!!

MESSI=10
well … i like ke that!!!

I am so exited now…I can hardly wait. I am lucky cause there’s a TV station in Norway that will show the game live. By the way, I heard something about Veron….is he out due to an injury? Can anyone confirm this?

Rune..Veron is out with a toe injury…

can anyone tell me when the game start from now?

2 hours and 30 minutes from now

thanks mion

Thanks, Amit Singh. I am kinda glad he is out…not happy he’s out due to an injury though. But I don’t want him in this team.

10 pm uk time sky sports

Any news about the starting lineup?

I want 5 goals.
Messi 2, Tevez, Maxi, Aguero!
Vamos vamos ARGENTINA

I won’t be able to watch it live, any websites that show the game later tonight or in the next few days? I think someone said that it will be on goltv, is that true? This PPV mess is garbage

If Diego goes for Zanetti-Angeleri-Heinze in defence it’s quite strange. Zanetti and Angeleri are not stoppers. Heinze is actually better as a stopper than as a left back, but in my opinion that says more about him as a left back than as a stopper. It’s a strange decision if he goes for this defence. But it might not be a problem in this game because we should be able to score mor goals then them anyway.

Argentina match links are now up at http://www.rojadirecta.com
http://www.rojadirecta.org
The following are streams I previously posted:
http://atdhe.net/live-tv-5665.html
http://www.justin.tv/futbol_brujero_
http://www.justin.tv/livefutbolpc4
http://www.ustream.tv/LiveSport3

Rune, I also dont understand why zanneti, who has the tendecy to be positioned in the midfield, is asked to be the defender. I’m hoping this is just a mind game on the part of Maradona to trick venezuela’s manager to attack more resulting in a wide open defense. But if that is not the case then Argentina will be playing a 2-5-3 which might ultimately be catastrophic.

on a side note, Uruguay is beating the qualifier leader Paraguay 2-0

hey guys is there a way that i can catch the game somewheer online after its done. beacuse i will be out of town.
plz, i would be so happy . or is any station is showing a retake of it.
i really cant miss this game.

J-argie, some Justin channels will probably have the game recorded for anyone to watch after its finished, they usually do.
I will search for these after the match.

why the fuck can’t i get these links to work

But if you dont want to know the score your best bet is probably watching it on GOL tv next week.

have you tried rojadirecta? The game has not started yet so you will probably have better luck in a few minutes.

good luck, all!

The team is on the pitch, Messi has the #10.

links?

GOAL messi

That was awesome!!!! GOALLLL messi!!

Who else

Tevez’s passing

Was that Guttirez that made that awesome run ?!! or is was MAcherano ?

Argentina one up. Tevez to Messi and GOAL !!!!

aguero god damn it! too easy!!!!

Brilliant pass by Messi.

i like messi, tevez, jonas
heinze looks awful

Yes who did that amazing run from defense which resulted in the goal? that was nice!

Aguero should have put that away, great pass by Messi to split open the back four.

Does anyone know what the posession stats are? seems like we’ve had the ball the whole game!

This was not a good first half. Venezuela looks like a junior team….we should have walked all over them.
Mascherano is of course our best player. Messi has been good, but a little too much up and down for my liking…but nice goal, fine combination with Tevez. Tevez has been ok. Aguero not good, he should have scored, wonderful pass from Messi there. Zanetti almost made a blunder in defence….suddenly he run across half the field and he is the one who made the goal. But man….if this is what our NT will look like without Roman or another enganche…I am scared. We hardly create any chances. This team cries out for an enganche in my opinion. Maybe it would be smart to bring Montenegro on to the field during the second half??

the goal was started by a mazy run by Zanetti.

great goal.

Aguero almost added a second but was to relaxed with the shot. Rounded the keeper and hit into the open net only for the D to clear off the line. Great pass by messi.

Half time 1-0.

Argentina midfield is very slow in attack. In the long run either Maxi or Gago has to be replaced with speedy midfielder if Argentina is to be competitive.

Here is Messi’s goal http://www.d1g.com/video/show/?id=2749380

i m not impressed with Jonas…Heinze is bad bad…so is Tevez so many bad passes….
although aguero missed a couple he was better than Tevez in terms of passing and movement…

gooooal
tevez
goooooal

Tevez goal with the half lobby. Messi assist

Messi owns 80% of this goal, great run.

Great run by Messi and nice finish by Tevez, many players would have ballooned that over.

Maxi GOAL the fest has started!!!

Aguero assist btw

Mion,
do you have a link?

Yeah was are playing soooo bad… I don’t understand all the negativity here, we are trying out a new formation with new tactics and playing without an enganche, and most of these guys have had very little time playing together, to expect them to play amazing every second of the game is just unrealistic.

I think we have shown good patience, hold the ball and create space then open up the defense. It doesn’t have to be go go go all the time. and we have created at least 4-5 clear cut chances… i’m not sure what more people want from the team, yes there is room for improvement but you can’t make changes every single game.

Also Venezuela have created nothing, to say it was not a good first half is just ridiculous.

http://www.rojadirecta.com/justin/libyafootball

Argentina playing Euro football…well that’s expected now:)

I totally agree, Steve-o

Thanks Anand.

well now we will have an enganche….veron looks like coming in

Looks like we’ll see la Bruja, i thought he was injured?

Veron in, Tevez out

Aguerooo GOALL

Good chance for Veron to show his worth, coming in with no pressure on him with the team 3-0 up.

Glad to see a change around the 70th minute and not the 88th minute!

I try to post all the goals after the match is over.

I love Maradona as the DT sooooo much

Nice goal by Agüero. Venezuela are playing without a goalkeeper

Good to see Aguero finally showing some of his dribbling skills around the box, this is the rout everyone wanted to see

Yay Di Maria I love this guy hope he gets a bit of time on the ball

Agüero out, Milito in

Wow horrible defensive chest down there, who was that? Heinze i’m guessing… suppose he had to have at least one moment lol

Oooh lovely passing i love it!

one word…veron is NOT riquelme…

its been a Lionel show dor the last 5 mins:)

Here are the goals:
Goal 1 Messi- http://www.d1g.com/video/show/2749380
Goal 2 Tevez- http://www.d1g.com/video/show/2749435
Goal 3 Maxi – http://www.d1g.com/video/show/2749437
Goal 4 Aguero- http://www.d1g.com/video/show/2749463

omg amazing run by messi so close!!!

Another brilliant dribbling from Messi at the end. His shot went wide just a bit, a pity.

did Veron & Messi have some sort of agreement to non-chalantly pass the ball to each other. wow, that was impressive to watch. have to take back what I thought about Veron, he played like how I always envisioned Aimar and Messi would play together.

and Messi towards the end there.. WOW

Zanneti being played as a defender now appears to be a genius choice. Zanneti provided the fundamental link between the defense and midfield, although at times argentina was playing with only 1 defender at the back.

what a game.. Argentina is back!!!!!!! WOW! This team is going to go far in the next world cup.. Hopefully they take it all.. I felt proud to be here today in Argentina… que grande che!!

See! No Riquelme needed, gonna go buy my new Messi #10 jersey as soon as they are printed. Aguante ARGENTINA!

My 5-0 prediction was close, 4-0. Coach Tod was also on the mark 5-1 with goals coming in the second half.

It seems that we had to different halves. The second half where Venezuala was sleeping and the first when they were fighting. So we should judge argentina in the 1st half.

- Argentina midfield was very slow in attack in the first half. Maxi or Gago should be replced with with someone who has pace and can link the three front guys fast. Argentina shouldn’t reply messi creating chances for the other forwards. Great defensive teams will not allow messi the room to creat chances. They will double triple team him. I AM TALKING ABOUT A PLAYER LIKE STEVEN GERARD WHO FEEDS THE FORWARDS.

- Guiterez cracked under the pressure and was no factor except when he made the wise decision of save his day and play defense. If I am not mistaken he won’t play next game due to suspension. We said this all along it is the personality + talent that allows a player to grow with the pressure. Di Maria Kid has that fighting spirit Guiterez lacks.

- Set pieces are almost non existent. No corner and free kick threat is no good. Zarate is a must for argentina as free kick specialist.

Argentina improves these three areas they can beat anyone everywhere.

I guess its a nice victory to get the winning mentality back in competitive fixture. But i dont think this team at this level could do anything in the worldcup. There is no creativity from anybody except Messi. Di Maria showed flashes of brilliance but I felt he wass too greedy to make an impression, and at two occasions he was out muscled and lost the ball. Kun, you need to convert those chances…they were served to you on silver platter…after some time people will ask questions about your credentials…and Maradona immediatly subbed him after scoring a goal..hmmmm…. Milito needs more time to prove himself. I wish he had been brought early.

I hope its a beginning…we should be able to play different formations. But I still wish the beauty of our formation and game is lost with out a true no. 10. Well may be im too sentimental…

I think a lot of Argentina NT fans are a little confused after 5 years of teams built around Román. You guys do know that we were quite possibly THE only team left in the world playing with a true enganche, right?

If the rest of the world can survive without an enganche, odds are that Argentina probably can as well. Its not a requisite.

That being said, I gotta somewhat agree with Anand in regards to the creativity. I say somewhat because Tevez, Kun, and Maxi can all be creative to different extents. The problem is that they are all forwards or wingers. We have no maestro to control the tempo of the game from center-midfield. Mascherano is the best pivote in the world but Gago IMO is a weak link in the sense that Mascherano’s partner should be able to spray passes, be creative, and control the tempo. Spain is absolutely loaded with guys like this. Xavi, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Cesc. I’d trade them a couple of our short forwards and media puntas in exchange for just ONE of those guys to pair up with Mascherano. The Gago-Masch partnership is great when playing defensively or tactically because the combination of the two provides some of the best defensive cover in the world but offensively and possession-wise, they can’t manage the tempo. We are creative once we reach the opponent area, the thing we are lacking is midfield creativity.

Veron next to Mascherano intrigues me. He can be that maestro but he is not mobile or fit enough in his old age to cover his defensive duties effectively. Lucho Gonzales maybe? If only Pablito Aimar’s career would not be in shambles because of injuries *sigh*. He would have been perfect.

great win thats the bottom line. we scored 4 goals something we were lacking for some time now. even though our opposition was weaker we made them pay. i think we can survive without riquelme, plus maradonna is 3 and 0. now bolivia will be much tougher and we can’t play 3 at the back, i hope to see veron start over gago and milito over aguero. on a side note wwhat a fantastic run by zannetti i saw carrizo waving him off, and i side to myself what the world is this guy doing? then he simply dribbles past every one, made a pass which was scored.

I guess we should give some time to kids like Bunenete or Maximiliano to shine in the midfield. But i dont know how strong they are defensively. Both seem to be midgets again:(. Lucho looks to be the next best choice.

Well I spent all day at my two daughters dance recitals. If my wife and daughters only new what a big sacrifice that was for me lol Anyway it sounds like what I thought might happen did happen. For me that sounds like the best game that we have played in the qualifiers so far and that is a good sign. No shame in winning 4 to 0 . I will give all my feedback once I have ewatched the game on Gol Tv on Monday. My Congrats go out to Maradona and Messi and the whole team. Now lets go get three more points in Bolivia.

I want to download the whole game.Please let me know if you can refer me a feed.

Good showing. Maradona has balls bye bye riquelme. Diego may not know much about being a coach but he is going to say what he wants and when he wants good riddance he got rid of ROMAN “can only win in Boca” Riquelme. Riquelme needs players like saviola and crespo and players that can move off the ball but unfortunately for him Argentina has too much talent to wait around for a guy that will not steal the ball from the other team if it hit him in the feet!!! but the guy is a magician but he had his chance. I prefer Veron anyway at least he bothers the other team hes not mascherano but he is not -1 on defense either

As for the team that is left i like what i see but just so everyone knows that was VENEZUELA so yes i like what i see but before we make diego a God as coach as well as player i will wait .. and did anyone else notice all of our crosses were crossed in low haha was that on purpose because we have the short 3 rabbits up front or were they just bad crosses…

Remember the days of Pekerman such Art is going to be so hard to duplicate

HECTOR NOW YOU SAY AIMAR first he is benched behind Veron than behind Riquelme ..Aimar is the only one who won anything out of Argentina and his time is over.. too late

“NEO” or anyone looking forward to download
http://www.mininova.org/tor/2429604 … i m downloading too its very quick!!

havent watched the game yet, so…
how were they on set pieces (corners, freekicks,30-35m from wings)?

i think the competition for MARADONA’s argentina will come in september where they will face brazil at home & paraguay in asuncion

Thanks, Mightie. I missed the game.

The second half was entertaining. Mascherano was a monster as usual. Messi played a good game, his two solo runs near the end was out of this world. His pass to Aguero in the first half and to Tevez in the second half(wrong off side call)was brilliant. Messi got one goal and one assist, Tevez got one goal and one assist and Aguero got one goal and one assist. So it kinda worked with the 3 little ones up front…BUT our oponents were very weak. Don’t forget that. It will be very interessting to see what this team can do against tougher oponents. It was nice to see Diego during the game…he looked proud. Also a nice moment when Diego “told” the spectators to applaude Veron instead of booing him. That was a true coach. I do not like Veron, but to be booed by your own homecrowd is terrible. That should never happen!
4-0 is a good really result in a qualifier no matter who you play. A good result for us, for Diego and for the players. They get even more confidence, 3 wins out of 3, that is important.

Is Jonas out against Bolivia? Was he one of the players that carried a yellow? Jonas fought very hard and worked his socks off, but I’d take Di Maria over him any day.

Albo or someone else who knows: Why were parts of the crowd “booing” Veron?

Great game argentina…highlights below..I thought gago had an off-day. Veron was great…I love the guy and wish he was younger to start alongside gago and mascherano. Like this

Tevez Kun/Milito Messi
Veron
Gago Masche Maxi
Heinze Dimichelis Zanetti

Messi is the best
http://www.thesoccerchannel.org/view/88/argentina-vs-venezuela-40-messi-goal.html

Gago was absolutely useless yesterday, the weak link in Midfield, no creativity, too many wrong passes!! I really wanted to see someone else in the midfield other than Gago!! Veron was ok but i want to see a different face next to Mascherano! Di Maria has got so much energy, this guy looks fantastic, he’s the Argentina version of Cristiano Ronaldo somewhat!
The ideal 3 upfront should be:

DI MARIA….MILITO….MESSI (Aguero and Tevez as subs)

the game was of 2 halves in my view. In the first, maxi was not good, and Gago had an off game, there was very little creativity. In the second half, we came out much better, and we put away the chances we created. All 3 forwards played well considering there was very little support from midfield going forward. And i think if they keep playing together the understanding and link up between the 3 will improve.
I thought Angeleri did a good job, but the defence made a few mistakes.
Jonas was marginally better than Maxi but neither really supported the forwards, mayhaps thats got something to do with the fact that there playing in a different system and it takes a bit of time to get used to this. I’m sure we’ll see a steady improvement as the players play more games together.

Rune … the argentine public has never forgiven Veron for the 2002 debacle. it’s weird, everywhere in Argentina he is almost vilified for causing a serious split in that locker room and given the shambolic way we exited the tournament, someone had to take the blame. kind of sad in that Veron was playing on a busted ankle that WC and took the brunt for the team’s performance.

hey Mion, or anybody else:

i was wondering if you could find these stations or websites that will relpay the games again.

Go Agentina!!!

Anyone who wants to download the game directly:
http://www.gigasize.com/get.php?d=qo036mcg3kd
.wmv format

JANUS ????
He’s probably talking about Jonas Gutierrez.
And Jonas is going to sit out next game becuse he’s got 2 yellow cards.

Against Bolivia, Maradona might play a 4-4-2 with Maxi, Gago, Mascherano and possibly Battaglia as the 4 contention midfielders.

De María is a left winger.

due to slow net it is not possible for me to download the game. any link from where i can download the goals, plz

noori, you can find the goals up at youtube, heres a link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXbak3e8It0&feature=related
or http://www.tribuntv.com/argentina-vs-venezuela-4-0-highlights-and-goals-news3158.html

if for whatever reason you prefer to download the goals onto your computer try the following:
http://rapidshare.com/files/214761597/Argentina_V.s_Venezuela_Kooora.Com.rar

Ok, Gago, Mascherano and Battaglia together? That means one of them will be played out of position. I hope Diego doesn’t do this too much, like Basile did….
Di Maria is the type of player that would be best in a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-3 system, as a left forward.

i finally got to watch the majority of the game

so here is my ratings

carrizo 7 – althought rarely tested he is clearly alert to his duties unlike a certain ex boca keeper who will remain unnamed, im so happy he have a good keeper

angeleri 7 – no notable mistakes and kept our area safe

heinze 6 – no Huge mistakes this time but some close calls, his time for argentina is ending

zenneti 8 – i saw one mistake he made but as usual he made up for it with some impressive speed…i cant believe how old he is, this fact impresses me greatly

gago 4 – the most unimpressive argentine last night…i have seen him play very well for our NT so ill give him the benefit of the doubt, alot of missed passes and bad plays

masche 8.5 – masche is on top of his game, great passing..defending..thank god we have him in the mid

gutierrez 7.5 – he is quite speedy and provides pace that works well with our fast forwards

maxi 7 – although he scored was not one of his best games…he is still in my opionion vital to our NT, he is dangerous and in my opinion the most under rated player in the argentine NT

messi 9 – self explanatory, he played excellent

aguero 6 – horrible game for el kun..he missed 2 sitters and seemed gassed for most of the game, he barely scored and after he scored you could tell he was exhausted

tevez 8.5 – an incredible assist for the first goal and the second goal, tevez is consistantly assisting messi and vise versa…it seems these two are learning to link well..good news for argentina

Thanks for the links for downloading the games! I really appreciate it!

anyone watching the Bazil match? they are getting ripped apart…no goals so far…

Maradona’s comments.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1043048.html#maradona+unleashes+shorties

Anand,

any link for the Ecuador/Brazil game?

I know that they are 0-0 at halftime.

Great game by Argentina by the way. Messi was wonderful especially the last ten or so minutes.

Blokes,

for the Spanish speakers, what is this interview basically about?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Zr4KyMBzE&NR=1

Your welcome mfgt2.
The probable starting lineup against Bolivia, according to clarin, is the following:
4-4-2
————–Carrizo————
Zanneti–Demichelis-Heinze—Papa
——-Masherano—Gago———-
Maxi———————Di Maria
——Messi—–Aguero———–

Apparently Milito wont be starting this match because of a thigh injury.

Since you asked, Native Son…we tied (i’m from ecuador) Brazil 1-1. Not that great for Ecuador, since Uruguay beat Paraguay.

native son, that interview was conducted before the game started. In it Messi is asked if he thought he currently is the best player in the world, whether he wants the #10 jersey, how he felt about the fans, etc.

THanks Mion. I have such a strong liking for Messi.

Alexa, I didn’t know that you are from Ecuador. Brazil is very unpredictable.

if the clarin report is right then i probably won’t get to see walter samuel again. but guys like heinze play every game this will always be a mistery to me. maradonna please mix it up and give some other guys a shot. smauel is not a nightmare waiting to happen like heinze is.

Thanks Mion!

m very filled of proud by argentina display, ok i was expecting that coz venezuela was not really to be a threat to argentina, given the gap in experience, in talent, etc… But what i loved most was the mood, everyone seems to be fighting for the same cause(players, coach, fans and country). the attitude of the players was extraordinary, every one was working very hard. i did not see sign of complacency which appear when you play a low profile team.

gago was not that impressive, i don’t understand why el diez is not calling cuchu who is amongst the top three best defensive midfielder with mascherano. he has got much more experience than gago, he is very, i can say very very good at building up move, when it comes to protect the back four he is also very good. in 4-4-2 configuration, i will go for cuchu and mascherano in the midfield. maxi,tevez,kun, messi. with the option to bring off either tevez or kun for an enganche (brujita,montenegro, lucho and may be aimar if he rediscovers top form). in a case riquelme reconsiders his position, i will start kun on the bench. Diego might not close the doors to a player like zarate who can be a valuable addition to his team.

for the centre back position, i will play samuel and demichelis
heinze on the left hand side and zanetti on the right hand side. this can give option to shift to a back three defense.

but my plea here is to have cambiasso back,

There are many players that Diego did not call up but
I am sure he is doing it right.
We don’t need Cambiasso now we will need him at WC10, and he is a very versatile player so keeping him out as of now is ok with me.
This way Gago is getting chance to get into the mix, if Gago do not improve further by WC10 Cambiasso is there.
Hienze is always playing better with NT compared to in Real, but still he will be shown the bench or the door when WC10 comes same goes for Zanetti (this guy can actually be in the playing 11 the way he maintains himself).

If we see for a long term perspective all the choices makes sense, and considering that Bilardo is always making notes in every game it cannot be a case of ‘not well thought plan’

To the world — Argentina is back and its back with vengeance under the man who has done it before

watch10, i read carefully your comment, i just don’t agree with this : ‘This way Gago is getting chance to get into the mix, if Gago do not improve further by WC10 Cambiasso is there.’, gago is good but using cuchu as back up option for gago, this is simply unacceptable, how can use a player who has not recently been impressing both with club and national team in place of what many, many hail as the best DM with mascherano. i don’t deny the fact that gago is a young prospect, if he can adjust his passing he can be up there amongst the very best.

when it comes to game reading, cleverness and tactical awareness, i can tell you very few players on this earth can match ‘cuchu’. he is performing very well at club level. he is right now with pupi and ibrahimovic the best performer of inter this season.

there are many other way to make a player gel into a team, not playing the best player is not at all a way to make a player gel into a team. i would have rather used gago as a back up option for cuchu.

Altitude is a HUGE consideration in South American qualifying. I think it was Robinho that confessed after the game that the whole team was on oxygen tanks in the locker room during half-time. Its the great equalizer and a less-talented team that is more accustomed to altitude can physically dominate a much more talented side that isn’t. It happens often. Now, on Wednesday its Argentina’s turn.

According to the Argy newspapers, they will switch back to a 4-4-2 due to the altitude. It not necessarily physicality per se that you need but rather the players in the best aerobic shape. That’s why it surprised me to see such an out of shape player as Ronny playing and one of the most freakish (from a cardio standpoint) players in the world like Alves starting out on the bench.

Back to Argentina. Gutierrez is suspended due to the yellow he received against Venezuela. That spot is now open. Angel di Maria for that spot is a very intriguing choice for that spot. You probably don’t know who he is if you didn’t watch the Olympics or have a friend who is a rabid Rosario Central fan but he has LOADS of potential. A tall, lanky 21 year old true winger with blistering pace and good finishing. He is still rawer than sushi since he is yet to be a constant fixture in Benifica but being young and talented, his aerobic shape is through the roof so maybe that makes him a good choice for this match. Argentina will probably play the counter and his blistering pace down the left will be huge for that. The downside is that being raw, he might make dumb mistakes.

We’ll see if the Argies adapt better to the altitude than the Brazilians later this week. Bolivia may be bottom dwellers but they are giant killers at home due to the altitude advantage. Messi and Tevez (I think he deserves the start more than el Kun) or Aguero need to conserve their energy and try to hit the Bolivians on the counter. If they play up and down EPL style like in France, the whole team will get worn down. A lot of discipline and energy conservation will be required. The 3 subs will also be vital for the same reason. This will be a heck of a test for the DT version of Maradona (or Bilardo depending on who you believe really calls the tactical shots).

I still have not seen the game bot looking ahead to the next game I agree with much of what Hector said. the reason taht teams like Bolivia win at home is cardio. You must have a good plan fo rthat and for the subs youi are going to make aheado of time to account for this. If Basile were coaching he wouild not consider this at all and would start all old defenders along with three defensinve mids and might even have Zanetti in the midfield. I dont beleive that Maradona will be like this. The starting 11 projected by Ole is perfect for the game. I beleive that tevez should start over Aguero but I also think that tevez could be the perfect sub at about 60 minutes for Aguero to re energize the team. I also would like to see Lavezzi get a chance late in the game in place of Di maria. The other sub I wouild ahve in mind is Lucho for either gago or maxi depending on who is tired.

As far as the comments on gago I will reply later but I do think he had played very well against france and scotland. maradona is trying to build a partnership with gago and Mascerano that means that he will try starting them together every chance he gets.

This comment for Maradona made me laugh :

If Messi plays like that every time, it will be excellent,” said Maradona. “If that last chance had gone in, we would all have had to leave the stadium, pay for another ticket and come back in again.”

Diego Milito to Inter confirmed.

The Argentinian Football Association have announced that Ezequiel Lavezzi and Diego Milito will miss the World Cup qualifier against Bolivia due to injuries, as will Newcastle United midfielder Jonas Gutierrez who is banned.

Also time to put up another thread about the upcoming game. I know that Bolivia left four of their starters in Bolivia for the Columbia game so they could be well rested for Argentina. I also know that one of their starters received a red card and wont play against Argentina.

Also i love cambiasso as well and think he should be called up in place of Battaglia. To me cambiasso is much better.

I think I am mis-interpreted related to Cambiasso, he is not a back up of Gago, he is a sure playing 11 in WC10 , but Diego is sure (even I am sure ) that Argentina will Qualify without Cambiasso. But in WC he is required, so why to make him injured or any other issues with club when Cambiasso is a true professional he is perfect in ball distribution, positioning, and taking care of his fitness , he can play as a defensive wing position, holding midfielder, centre back and if needed can also be a box to box mid fielder(rarely does that but can). We are not in crisis to bring him to the qualifying or the friendly games.
With Gago we are building a talent so that we can have a 100% strong squad. the bench will be as strong as the playing 11 in all areas.
During 2009-10 season we will see even Garay/Pareja/Monzon all will be getting a chance in the team yet Gonzalo or Samuel will rarely feature in playing 11, I think there a long term plan goingon there and as Diego says we are going one match at a time.

About the 3 man defense candidates it was a clever choice a left back + centre back as Heinze.
Sweeper + centre back + right back as Angeleri
A right back + left back + mid fielder as Zanetti
With support of Mache, Gago, Maxi and Guttirez it was a perfect art of combination play in defense, lots of position swapping and relying on each others suport. Since most of the time we watch the attacks, the interchange of positions by these 3 man defense was very good, there were few mistakes but it would happen even in a 5 man defense.
If Gago and Aguero would have had a better day we would have had double the score that we saw.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2009/03/30/1182413/world-cup-comment-were-not-england-were-argentina

I am sure a lot of you will have strong opinions on this article

What is La Puna?
La Puna de Atacama is a huge mesa that lies on top of the Andes Mountains taking a part of the north of Chile, northwest of Argentina, almost all of Bolivia and the south of Perú.
La Paz, capital city of Bolivia is right in the middle of this high mesa.
The city of La Paz stands at around 3,800 meters above sea level. That’s about 11,400 feet up.
El “Alto de La Paz” that surrounds the city is at 4,100 meters (12,300 feet above sea level).

“Apunado” is the spanish name used to described a person who’s suffering the effects of that altitude when coming from a place that is at sea level.
I know that well. I was “apunado” many years ago when I visited La Paz.
For those who never experienced something like that, it’s pretty simple to describe and pretty uncomfortable to go through.
Basically you feel a tremendous headache, a feeling that your head is about to explode, your energy is almost nonexistent and breathing becomes quite a task given the reduced level of oxygen in the thin air of La Puna.

It has been established by doctors that you need at least 7 to 10 days to go through it and start to feel well again.
The other way to get around it for football players is to get to La Paz just in time for the game.
And that’s what La Albiceleste is going to do.
They are flying to Santa Cruz de la Sierra which is at a much lower altitude and then arrive in La Paz just an hour or two before the game and before the Puna effect goes to work.
Saludos

cant believe that guy was trying to compare england to argentina

HAHAHHAHAHAHAH

what was he thinking gerrard is no where near messi

I have to make a point about altitude– this is pet peeve of mine. Almost every single Ecuadorian player on the national team 1) plays abroad and/or 2) not even from Quito.

Our good players are from Chota or the coast, both areas at sea level. When they live in Ecuador, they do have to play in Quito as visitors, but most never live there (it’s only pretty recently that Quito teams have been good). Believe me — as soon as you leave the country, you feel as lousy as anybody else when it comes to the altitude. Those guys playing in Europe will probably feel just like me and my family returning — the headaches, the shortness of breath, the whole thing.

Brazil did not prepare for the altitude, and Ecuador has no finisher who could punish them for that. We don’t have strikers. That’s why we didn’t win.

I’m sick of the altitude argument. It’s bogus.

i didn’t mean your argument about puna, Albo. Just the discussion about Brazil /Ecuador….

Ecuador totally deserved to win that game, Alexa.

Hey there everybody,

Just inform the rest of you that our podcast second episode is already upload on our blog. Please feel free to have a listen to it.

http://mundoalbiceleste.blogspot.com/2009/03/mundo-albiceleste-podcast-02.html

I watched the Brazil/Ecuador game and yes Ecuador totally deserved to win the game. I think that was the first time I saw Brazil play that bad! I don’t think they put two passes together the whole game…… The goal by Baptista was luck! The goalie for Ecuador isn’t that good…….. Julio Cesar is a beast…….. I’m afraid that Brazil could win the world cup with a Julio Cesar alone, just like Buffon and italy last WC. hopefully Carrizo is good for us….. i hope Andujar starts, I want to see how this kid performs at this level!
peace all!

Amazing article trying to compare England with Argentina , if you are determined to compare Oranges with Carrots then surely you can for the sake of comparison… but the fact remains Carrots cannot be Oranges.
I am so much amazed with it that I am seriously planning to learn this art from the writer.

What time is our next match ?

There will be changes in Argentina lineup to meet Bolivia in La Paz at the South American Qualifiers, according to what was seen during Monday practice at Ezeiza premises.

Argentina held a mock game with Tristan Suarez players, and those who didn’t enter the pitch during the game against Venezuela were there.

The game finished 2-0 with goals from Daniel Montenegro and Lisandro Lopez; then, Diego Maradona chose a 4-4-2 lineup including Mariano Andujar; Daniel Diaz, Martin Demichelis, Walter Samuel, Emiliano Papa; Lucho Gonzalez, Juan Sebastian Veron, Sebastian Battaglia, Angel Di Maria; Montenegro, Lopez.

Among these names, the ones having more chances to be in the lineup to face Bolivia are Demichelis, Papa and Di Maria, who might replace Marcos Angeleri, Carlos Tevez or Sergio Aguero and suspended Jonas Gutierrez respectively.