Comments on: Boca and Tigre Fight For Apertura Crown Tonight

By: muhammadtantoro

muhammadtantoro — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:41:55 +0000

formation 4-2-3-1 the good from argentina national team know.
carizzo
romero

zanetti demichelis samuel heinze
zabaletta gonzalo r. burdisso insua

mascherano cambiasso
gago lucho g.

requelme
veron

messi maxi
higuain lavezzi

tevez
aguero

By: Christian

Christian — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:29:59 +0000

New thread up.

By: Albo

Albo — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:19:16 +0000

Those 2 kids are so good…

By: toddutah

toddutah — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:00:44 +0000

Brasil will stop at nothing to have argentina not win the under 20 world cup Trully how much is di santo playing at Chelsea?

By: toddutah

toddutah — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:58:56 +0000

Young Chelsea striker Franco di Santo is facing a ‘war of words’ with his manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari, over his decision to represent his country, Argentina, in the South American Under-20 Championship, which begins in Venezuela on 19 January.

Di Santo has been selected in his country’s squad for the competition, but Scolari is reluctant to let him go because of what the Brazilian perceives as a ’striker shortage’ at Stamford Bridge. The Argentine FA have referred the matter to FIFA, which could rule that the club must let the player go.

“I spoke to Scolari and he told me that he wouldn’t let me go,” Di Santo told Argentine television yesterday.

“There are only three strikers in the squad: Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and me, and he told me that he needs me to stay in London.”

Chelsea skipper John Terry is apparently backing the 19-year-old though, who continued: “I spoke to John Terry a couple of times in the last couple of days and he said I was right to want to go and play. He said I’m only on the bench and need to get minutes in the team so I get noticed. I’m always on the bench. I’ve only played eight games this season, always coming on in the last 10 or 15 minutes.”

It has been reported in Argentina that national coach Diego Maradonna may well become involved in the situation and speak to Chelsea personally in an attempt to resolve it.

“It makes me proud that Maradona is interested in my case,” Di Santo commented.

The Almeria player Pablo Piatti finds himself in an identical situation to Di Santo, causing a double headache for Argentina’s Under-20 coach, Sergio Batista.

“We are still waiting to see if Pablo Piatti and Franco di Santo can play for us. We have to wait and see what FIFA say. We are anxious for them to join us but we have to wait,” was Batista’s assessment of the situation.

Zack Wilson, Goal.com

By: ajNYHC

ajNYHC — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:42:12 +0000

Cambiasso might be too slow for a #8 … I think. However Maxi, Gago and Lucho would make excellent #8s.

By: Albo

Albo — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:24:09 +0000

AJ, I agree that Battaglia is the perfect backup for Mascherano.
But I see Cambiasso and Gago as a different type of midfielders.
Like a mix of a 5 and an 8. They can take off and become temporary forwards.
Look at Cambiasso against SM back in WC06.
Battaglia on the other side is like Masche, the epitome of the low key stopper-retriever.

By: ajNYHC

ajNYHC — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:37:57 +0000

That’s interesting Albo. I think we all seem to forget these guys are human just like us. Battaglia is definitely on the squad for 2010. Masch backup. I’m not sure anymore if Cambiasso would even make it into the squad now.

By: Albo

Albo — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:59:24 +0000

Sometimes is not football the reason a player doesn’t play to his best level.
That’s the case of Sebastian Battaglia who while playing for Villarreal had to deal with an unhappy wife feeling too far away from her family in Buenos Aires.

Lazio’s president, Claudio Lotito said today:
“I have been trying to get Battaglia to come and play for La Lazio for the last 2 years, but his wife has been the one who refused.
This time though it might work.

Sebas has expressed is confidence that his family won’t be an issue this time.
But this story is a good example for many players, we wonder why are they not in their best form, and the answer sometimes is in their minds, not in their shoes.

By: Albo

Albo — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:26:12 +0000

This would be a more attacking version of my 4-3-3.

————————Carrizo———————

Zabaleta—Demichelis—Samuel—Insúa

———Maxi—Mascherano—DiMaria———

—Messi———Cavenaghi———Agüero