Coco Basile will be starting the following:

Roberto Abbondanzieri
Nicolás Burdisso, Martín Demichelis, Gabriel Heinze
Javier Zanetti, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Gago, Maximiliano Rodríguez
Lionel Messi
Sergio Agüero, Julio Cruz

Though Mexico is a team currently in transition, they should present a formidable challenge to el albiceleste, and if recent history is any indication (Maxi Rodríguez in the 2006 WC; Messi in the 2007 Copa America), there could be some beautiful goals on display.

While I still question some of the starters (Cruz looked weak against Egypt, and until Carrizo is available, the inclusion of Pato speaks for itself), this should still be a very entertaining and telling performance.

If anyone is attending the match, please leave your comments, pics, and videos below.

* AC Milan 4 – 2 Boca Juniors: As a mildly entertaining diversion, FIFA’s Club World Cup is a sincere attempt to bring in the top clubs from each confederation and crown “world” champion, but within that sincerity lies the problem. For the most part, the CWC is nothing more than a glorified series of friendlies, lacking the drama and competitiveness seen in other tournaments held around the world. With the distance between clubs outside of Europe and South America in terms of quality still immense and not looking to narrow anytime soon, the legitimacy of such a title comes into question. Plus, add in the fact that the Champions League and Copa Libertadores winners get automatic entries into the semifinals reveals a huge flaw in FIFA’s strategy; that at the end of the day, the final that everyone really wants to see is basically the old Intercontinental format, and everything else is essentially filler.

I’m not saying the the CWC doesn’t mean anything; Boca fans would have paraded the streets of Buenos Aires just like they did when they defeated Real Madrid 2-1 in 2000 had they instead come out on top. But until FIFA levels the playing field by making it a true Cup competition (no more automatic seedings, 8 teams instead of 6), and until the standard of play outside of the traditional powers of Europe and S.A. improve, we’ll be seeing more of the same every winter. (On a side note, I know this has been discussed to death elsewhere, but the decision to not allow Riquelme to play was ridiculous, bordering on insulting. He practically lead his team to this competition in the first place, so why not include him? After all was said and done, was this final really a fair representation of the Boca squad that won the Libertadores?)

* Kaká “Wins” FIFA World Player of the Year Award: So let me get this straight. You can play on a supposed “big” team that does nothing in its domestic league and not even finish in the top 10. But, you score the most goals over a 15 game competition, which includes 4 against the mighty Anderlecht, and 3 penalties, and THAT is the criteria to earn you the title of best player in the world? Now of course I’m not saying that Kaká isn’t a brilliant footballer, or that winning the Champions League is insignificant, but FIFA seems to have confused Most Valuable Player with World Player. Is Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo more deserving? I guess cases can be made for or against either. But getting back to Riquelme, it still seems unbelievable to think that he wasn’t one of the 3 finalists. He takes Boca to their 6th Libertadores final almost singlehandedly, and unlike Kaká, actually goes to represent his country in the Copa America, a tournament that yes, Argentina lost, but he was still the class of the tournament. This has nothing to do with nationalities, ithas to do with what we consider makes a great footballer, and to me, it should be more than just scoring goals.

* Lionel Messi OUT of Clásico : Losing a player of Messi’s quality is never good, but to lose him 1 week before one of the biggest fixtures on the planet is even worse. We’ll find out just how Barcelona are able to cope without him this Sunday at the Camp Nou, in a must win game for the Catalan club who are currently in 2nd spot, 4 points behind Real Madrid. Barca may have Eto’o and Henry, but with Ronaldinho expected to start on the bench, this could be their undoing, so make sure to watch to see how Barca manage without their star player.

* This Sunday’s match between Manchester United and Liverpool was a prime example of the difference between an exciting game of football versus a truly great one. It certainly had it’s share of thrills, and of course a game-winning goal by Carlos Tévez, but it certainly lacked quality from both sides and overall it showed little of the intensity some expected. Liverpool look like a team that has no clue what to do on the pitch, and the frustrations are starting to show; just look at Javier Mascherano’s yellow card for slamming the ball down after earning a yellow.

Further Reading: The BBC’s Tim Vickery is one of the best journalists covering football in South America, and he has a great recap of the CWC. Also check out a similar story in the Guardian UK by Marcela Mora y Araujo who looks at what lies ahead for Boca. … Lionel Messi tries to calm down his teammates ahead of this week’s clash against Real Madrid by claiming the team can still succeed without him. Unfortunately he uses the example of their 3-0 win over a Valencia side Sunday that frankly looked like a Under-15 reserve side.

Now lets talk about Argentina. Riquelme was brutally ravaged and followed all over the field and never got in the flow of the game. basically neither did anybody else. Messi got fouled and so did Tevez. For our side I think Zanetti had the best game out of everyone. That own goal killed us worst than the first goal i believe. I think Aimar couldve been a starter this whole time but thats just me hes more of a attacking player in movement that looks for spaces and gaps to squeeze into to get the ball. I dont know all i know is Beautiful football is on the decline and my dad comes up to me and says haha your going to have to deal with that the rest of your life and ill be dead soon..

What do you guys think?

They are what nations have aspired to be on the football pitch, playing with grace and beauty as they overwhelm their inevitably less talented opponents. With players such as Kaka and Ronaldinho still in their peak years, and exciting new stars like Robinho coming to prominence all the time, it would seem perhaps a tad strange to suggest that now is the time for a new super-power to emerge and be the envy of footballing nations worldwide.

But it is a claim I make, nonetheless.

Step forward, Argentina.

While it would be easy to spend time extolling the virtues of players like Messi, Tevez, Riquelme and Mascherano, to name but a few, it is not simply the great players they have at their disposal now that makes them so fearsome.

Football has changed the last 10 years or so. There is more emphasis now than ever on fitness and tactics in the game. Gone, despite the impressions given to us at St. James’ Park the last few years, are the days of putting 11 square pegs in 11 square holes and saying “Go out and play football.” In its place we’ve been introduced to severe attention to detail and the need for a strong work ethic in teams.

This is where the Argentinians will overtake the Brazilians.

Anyone who, like me, has been lucky enough to have a severe dose of the flu over the last couple of weeks will have seen some of the football Argentina have played in this year’s Copa America. The passing and movement has been phenomenal, players working and moving as a team as opposed to what we’ve been served by their Brazilian counterparts, which seems like little more than directionless ball retention while they wait for one of their impact players to do something special.

You could argue that the Brazilians are not at full strength, but one need only look at last year’s World Cup for proof that this is as much a result of mentality and tactics as it is what particular players are on the pitch. While Brazil’s much lauded all-stars stumbled through the World Cup, Ronaldinho proving totally ineffective throughout due to not being able to influence the game in dangerous positions, before eventually going out with a whimper, Argentina produced by far the best football the tournament saw.

Cambiasso’s goal against Serbia and Montenegro in the group stages is one of the greatest goals ever scored, and for me is the perfect representation of what modern day football should be all about. Players constantly moving, showing for the ball in midfield. Patient build up, one-touch football that gradually drags the opposition out of position and allows runners from midfield to exploit the space.

In defence, they also possess a toughness not common in their Brazilian counterparts, which stops teams from having any chance of bullying them off the pitch. Once they’ve matched their opponents physically, their talents on the ball will inevitably start to show and win them the game.

You could very easily ask the question ‘If they were so good, how did they get knocked out by Germany?’

Anyone who saw that particular match, however, will know that Germany only progressed due to a truly baffling display by the former Argentina manager who, with his team 1-0 up and looking good value to go on and put the game to bed, bizarrely proceeded to substitute Riquelme and replace him with a holding midfield player. With Argentina’s main man out of the picture, the game evened up a bit. With ten minutes to go Pekerman, the Argentinian coach, made his last change, replacing Crespo with Cruz, a like for like swap.

Inevitably, Germany got a lucky break and scored the goal to send it to extra time and then penalties. Not only were Argentina without Riquelme for the crucial extra-time period, but they had also used up all their subs and couldn’t bring on Lionel Messi, who had been explosive throughout the tournament.

From 1-0 up and coasting to out on penalties, I firmly believe that it was only such a managerial catastrophe that could have prevented them from winning that World Cup. It’s a lesson that I don’t expect will soon be forgotten, and with players like Messi and Tevez set to provide the spark for years to come, I would expect Argentina’s wait for a World Cup trophy won’t be too much longer.

- an english man named shak

Only a few hours until the game and i cant wait..after seeing what people around the world are writing about argentina its a pleasure to say i have sangre albiceleste…Si, Si senores soy argentino..si, si senores de corazon..

to talk about the game the only way i see mexico scoring on us is off a set piece/corner/maybe a mental mistake but just like we saw in the uruguay brazil game no one creates goals like our boys…Una Obra de Arte

Here’s a thread to kick off the discussion leading up to the game. Who should start? What should be the strategy? What are you most worried about? Who are you most excited to see play? Who will be the star of the game?

Have at it and have fun.