Now, let’s talk about the Olympics and Argentina v. Paraguay. First, of all, I’d just like to establish a few things:

1. Revenge is sweet, and it’s even better when it’s accompanied by tears of sadness and frustration from Ronaldinho and the rest of the Brazilians.

2. However, that loss means that Dunga might not make it to 2010, and the Brazilians might finally realize that Anderson is not a good player, (not to mention Alexandre Pato) which is not ideal for any Argie fan.

3. Paraguay is the luckiest team in football.

4. I’m not worried about any injury to Abbondanzieri, because, quite frankly, he’s not all that good, and if Argentina has survived since, well, ever without a good keeper, then they can settle for their second…or third choice. (To the person who contradicts me with an example of a quality Argie keeper: I hate you.)

5. Speaking of Pato, does anyone know why Ustari is playing as a backup in Getafe? Isn’t this the worse possible situation for us? Oscar is literally second choice to Roberto on every squad he plays for. When Pato goes out and parties it up, is Ustari his wingman?

6. It seems like there’s so much quality in the back four, and yet it’s consistently the weakest part, in my mind, of the squad.

7. Does anyone who’s not a dumbass Manchester supporter actually like Tevez? I mean, he’s a totally decent player, but I’d take Aguero over him any day…or Lavezzi…or Acosta…or anyone really… I think he needs to pull a Saviola and stop being good enough to be considered for the national team.

8. Di Maria – ha! Ronaldinho just missed a PK! – has definitely emerged as the great revelation of the Olympics and I think he’ll be extremely important in 2010.

9. Di Maria, Messi and Aguero is the trio of the future, not a lineup that contains Tevez, Crespo or Cruz.

10. I’m very, very worried about Riquelme in 2010. Despite Messi’s increasing role in the squad, Riquelme is still the spine of the Albicelestes and when he’s not functioning, everything breaks down. When Riquelme preforms, he does so brilliantly, but when he’s off (Copa America), he fails hard. My dream is that Riquelme plays beautifully in 2010 and after the Argies win, he’s voted player of the year, not so much because he’s better than Messi, but as a testament to all he’s accomplished in his career. However, everything could easily go horribly wrong.

Until Thursday,

Brendan

In less then 45 minutes Argentina will take the field at the National Stadium in Pekin where they will hope to defend their Gold Medal against a determined Nigeria side in the 2008 Olympic Final. After a rousing victory against Brazil in the semi’s, Sergio Batista’s squad must band together one more time if they are to claim the title, as well as put the heartbreaking loss from the 1996 Olympic Final, also against Nigeria, behind them.

You can follow the game live on CNBC and TELEMUNDO at 12PM ET/9PM PT, and at NBColympics.com/soccer. Please follow along here at the Argentina World Cup Blog with your thoughts on what will hopefully be a great game of football that will end in victory for Argentina. Suerte!

Argentina Starting XI:
Monzon, Pareja, Garay, Zabaleta
Riquelme, Mascherano, Gago, Messi
Di Maria, Aguero
Romero

First Half

0:00: And we’re off!

2:50: And right away Messi serves to Aguero who appears to be brought down in the box, but no call is given. The replay shows a slight push, but not enough at this early in the game.

5:30: And minutes later Nigeria gets it first shot on goal that luckily finds Romero, but it’s a sign of Nigeria’s determination to push forward.

8:44: What a run for Angel Di Maria who explodes down the pitch and has to get taken down just outside the box. A perfect opportunity for Riquelme know to get Argentina up early.

9:56: Ooo, Roman boots it way off target. Let’s hope we see fewer missed chances.

13:25: Both teams seem to have calmed down after the opening minutes. Argentina seem to be holding possession well, but with the exception of two chances haven’t looked threatening. Yet.

16:22: Di Maria is looking great.

17:32: Maybe not the great. A perfect cross from Zabaleta finds Di Maria, but his strike is off.

19:29: The team seems way to cautious in pushing forward, and overall, but squads are playing far too conservatively.

21:17: Another questionable foul in the penalty box, as it appears that Messi is tripped in the area, but the referee isn’t buying it and play continues.

23:00: Nigeria again comes close, but the ball sails safely over Romero’s head.

24:20: Another strike from Nigeria now hits Romero square in the chest which he holds on too, but Nigeria are starting to look dangerous.

26:30: We’re over the halfway mark, and while Argentina looks flat, it was perhaps expected. After a rousing victory against Brazil, la albiceleste would take the final a bit more cautiously. The result unfortunately may be a rather dull final.

30:24: A water break is taken by the teams.

32:00: Andres Cantor mentions Messi’s poor passing this game, and it’s hard to disagree.

33:33: Ay Dios! Nigeria come withing inches to scoring. First a cross passes in front of goal which thankfully passes without threat, but on the follow up a header forces Romero to stretch out to prevent the ball from going past him. Argentina’s defense is just not built to handle Nigeria’s attack, and they currently have all the advantage.

38:38: Argentina are playing like it’s the opening game in the group stage as opposed to a final. Maybe it’s the heat, but Argentina are lost at the moment. Neither Messi nor Riquelme seem much involved in the attack, and Aguero does not look sharp up front.

39:20: Aguero gets in a header but it goes straight to the keeper’s gloves.

44:36: And Monzon hits a wicked shot that the Nigerian keeper just punches away. A beautiful strike.

END FIRST HALF
Argentina 0 – 0 Nigeria

And thankfully that half is put to an end. The stifling heat seems to be taking its toll on Argentina, who are just not coming together. Both Messi and Riquelme are just not getting involved in the play, and the defense is not matching up to Nigeria. There’s still plenty of time left, but if this keeps up, expect a tight second half, where one mistake could mean the difference between gold and silver.

SECOND HALF

45:23: And we’re back. No substitutions yet.

46:26: And Aguero is denied by the Nigerian keeper!

47:16: A great start for Argentina to begin the half. Much more focused, although the passes could still be executed better.

49:30: And Messi hits a shot that is just saved!

52:39: Already this is a better half from Argentina who seem much more concentrated. Still, I don’t see this game having more than 1 goal.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GOOOOOOLLLLLL ARGENTINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

57:00: And Di Maria, arguably the best player for Argentina today, chips Messi’s pass over the keeper’s head and we’re up 1-0!! From 50 yards out! Let’s see if Argentina can keep their head in the game as Nigeria looks to equalize.

52:30: Argentina have come alive and are in control of the game. Much better possession now, and the attack is coming together.

67:12: Cheap tackle just on the edge of the penalty area. If Riquelme can bend this one in Argentina will have one hand on the gold.

68:00: Argentina will have to wait on the second goal, after another poor effort from Riquelme.

69:52: Another water break. 89 degrees, 43% humidity, and even higher on the pitch. Ridiculous choice for a start time.

71:36: Nigeria comes dangerously close when an errant ball comes a bit to close to Romero’s near post.

73:36: Di Maria gets Argentina’s first yellow.

73:35: Sosa warming up on the sidelines.

74:25: Nigeria are really attacking Argentina’s defense now.

75:13: Messi puts his on his best sequence of the game, avoiding three defenders to find a charging Aguero who just can’t pull a shot off.

77:00: Messi has space to run at goal, but his touch is just off.

78:12: Hold on for the next 10 minutes. Nigeria have come alive and there will be some tense moments from here on.

78:46: Sosa replaces Aguero.

81:53: Ridiculous yellow card for Riquelme who is booked for time wasting.

83:53: Romero just holds on to the ball as it nearly squeaks past. I certainly want Argentina to win, but it’s almost a shame we haven’t seen Nigeria score. Almost.

86:48: Ever Banega will be coming in for Di Maria, who looks injured.

88:54: Corner for Nigeria. Hold on.

90:18: 5 minutes of extra time?!?

91:50: Lavezzi comes in for Messi. Not his best game, but even so he sets up what seems to be the game winning goal.

ARGENTINA CAMPEON!!!!!!

FULL TIME
Argentina 1 – 0 Nigeria

After some scares in the final seconds, the whistle blows and Argentina have won the Olympic gold medal, defeating a strong Nigeria side to avenge their 96 final loss, and retain the title won 4 years ago in Athens.

While not the most beautiful display from Argentina, and after a weak first half, Argentina came together just at the right time to earn a deserved victory.

I want to thank everyone for following along at the Argentina World Cup Blog for the past few weeks. Your input, comments, mad rants, and passion, have made this tournament even more enjoyable, and coming here every day has been some of the most fun I’ve had since joining this site. And for our crazy passion, we are now rewarded in gold.

Look for more updates soon in the coming year as we look to make the blog better and better. For now, enjoy Argentina Campeon!

Chau chau,

Christian

With Brazil disposed of and Nigeria waiting in the wings, Argentina are now one win away from claiming the Gold Medal at this year’s Olympic Games, and defend their title won 4 years ago in Greece. But while the 3-0 semifinal victory provided a necessary moral boost, to have the team not go all the way at this stage in the competition would make Tuesday’s dramatic game merely a footnote for a squad that was expected to challenge for the gold. Even Juan Roman Riquelme put the match in perspective, saying, “If we don’t win the final, no one will remember how easily Argentina defeated Brazil. What’s important is to be champions.”

So perhaps it would be good then to remember the last time these two teams met in an Olympic Final match, 12 years ago in the summer games in Atlanta (ironically, Brazil that year was also forced to play in the 3rd place game). After finishing at the top of their group, but with only 5 points out of 1 win and 2 draws, the squad would come alive for the knockout rounds, defeating Spain 4-0 in the quarters, with two goals from a young Hernán Crespo, and advance to the final when they cruised past Spain, again with goals coming from Crespo.

Facing Nigeria in the final on August 3rd in Athens, Georgia, Argentina, then coached by Daniel Passarella, came out to an early lead in the 3rd minute when Claudio López put the team up 1-0. Nigeria would even things up in the 28th, but a completely nonexistent penalty on Ariel Ortega, who appeared to trip on his own feet in the box, allowed Argentina go ahead 2-1. But Nigeria would again pull one back in the 74th and it appeared that the game would go into extra time. But hearts were broken when on the final play of the game, Nigeria, who were awarded a free kick off a poor challenge from Javier Zanetti, completely caught the Argentine defense off guard, and Emmanuel Amuneke would simply kick the ball into the net. Argentina cried offside, and replays made an argument for it, but when the final whistle blew, Nigeria were champions, and Argentina was left to settle for silver.

So despite a squad that included such names as Crespo, Ortega, Lopez, Ayala, Simeone, and Zanetti, Argentina were left wanting more. Could the same happen tomorrow? Yes, the win against Brazil was massive, but if Argentina should slip, or if they underestimate Nigeria, a squad who clearly deserve a spot in the final, it could be the same heartbreak all over again.

Predictions on the final tomorrow night? Leave your thoughts below.

What more can be said. Argentina, in the finest display yet in these Olympic games, routed arch rivals Brazil 3-0 to advance to the final and come within one win to retain their 2004 Gold Medal.

With Sergio Aguero, the talented but as of yesterday quiet striker, scoring 2 goals within minutes in the second half to lead the way, Argentina produced a masterful display that not only puts them in position to defend their world title, but did so in convincing fashion against a rival that has held the advantage in recent years.

Those of you new to the site must forgive us if we sound as though the team has already won the Gold – today, we ROMPED on Brazil, and life is sweet. Up next, a tough challenge awaits as Nigeria stands in the way to Olympic glory.

Semifinal 2
Argentina 3 – 0 Brazil

Scoring Report:
ARG: Sergio Aguero (52, 58), Juan Roman Riquelme (76, pen)

Argentina Starting XI:
Sergio Romero
Pablo Zabaleta, Ezequiel Garay, Nicolás Pareja, Fabián Monzón
Fernando Gago, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di María
Juan Román Riquelme, Lionel Messi
Sergio Agüero

Substitutions:
Jose Sosa for Riquelme (91)

Of course, the game which so much more than just a semifinal. For Argentina, it will be the pride of retaining the gold medal won in Athens 4 years ago, to restore confidence in the squad after a less then brilliant Olympic campaign, and an opportunity for revenge against Brazil who have dominated los albicelestes in major competitions recently. Brazil meanwhile struggled to get past the quarterfinals against Cameroon, and with embattled coach Dunga practically on the chopping block, you can expect Brazil to come out hard as they look to win their first ever Olympic gold medal.

This could be an epic showdown between 2 of the biggest footballing nations in the world. Please use the space below to leave comments as you follow the match. Unfortunately there will be no liveblog, but please feel free to leave your thoughts below. Enjoy, y Vamo’ Argentina!!

Argentina Starting XI
Sergio Romero
Pablo Zabaleta, Ezequiel Garay, Nicolás Pareja, Fabián Monzón
Fernando Gago, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di María
Juan Román Riquelme, Lionel Messi
Sergio Agüero

The game can be see LIVE on MSNBC.

6:40: Shot went just wide for Cameroon. A great pace to the game in the opening minutes.

8:00: Some great defending from the Dutch denies Messi, and only seconds later Aguero nearly hits the far post. Things could go either way at the moment.

10:00: Now it’s di Maria’s turn, for a shot on goal! A furious start for both sides, Argentina look to have a battle in front of them.

12:30: First yellow card of the match for the Dutch, who give up a dangerous free kick to Riquelme.

13:00: Riquelme can olny manage to hit the wall. When will he score in these games?

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

15:30: A beautiful gol from Lionel Messi! After a slipup from the Netherlands defense, Messi steals the ball and skips past the keeper and 3 defenders. A wonder strike from la Pulga, and Argentina are up 1-0.

16:51: And… a commercial?!? Thanks NBC.

19:50: And we’re back, and still 1-0 to Argentina.

21:10: Corner for the Netherlands. Argentina must be careful not to concede anything here.

23:26: An odd play from the Dutch; with a striker wide open and with space, his teammate apparently doesn’t see him and the play dies.

26:59: The game has slowed a bit after the goal, but Argentina are still on the attack. Corner now for Riquelme.

29:40: NED waste an opportunity. Their body language is showing some frustration.

31:00: And Aguero nearly makes it 2-0! Struggling with 2 defenders near the corner flag, el Kun somehow makes a threat of it, and comes close to pushing it past the keeper. But it’s one touch too many, and the play is lost. Still, a great sign from Aguero who’s been quiet these games.

AND COMMERCIAL. The only thing worse than having to hear Marcello Balboa.

34:03: Apparently we missed something, as the Dutch are preparing for a free kick and Aguero is down in the ARG box. He’s up now, but will retreat to the sidelines for treatment. Dangerous chance now for the NED.

35:58: Oh no, the NED equalizes on a strange play. After their free kick is deflected off the wall, the rebounding ball finds its way to a Dutch player all alone who calmly puts it in. Argentina can only stnad around and hope that offsides is called, which is denied. Bad luck for Argentina, and we’re 1-1.

42:11: Shot from the NED goes wide. The last thing Argentina needs is to go into the half a goal down. They must hang on for a few minutes more, then regroup. They definitely seem to be playing a bit conservatively now.

43:40: Aguero attempts a bicycle kick in the box, but finds only air.

45:21: We go for 2 minutes more.

HALFTIME: ARG 1-1 NED

Despite some brilliant individual moment, Argentina are still failing to completely come together as a team. While a 1-1 scoreline is not insurmountable, Sergio Batista’s men were unable to take advantage when they had the Dutch playing on their heels, and as a result, a silly and lucky goal means Argentina will now have to comeback in the second half.

SECOND HALF: The teams are slowly coming back onto the field. No word on any substitutions yet.

45:00: And we’re back.

47:38: Aguero misses! Que paso, papa?!?!? In front of the net, that should have been an absolute sitter. Argentina CANNOT afford to rue these chances. What has happened to Aguero in this tournament?

50:26: Offsides on Aguero. Batista may need a change if things stay like this. No urgency it seems from either team.

53:13: Aguero misses yet another chance. di Maria’s cross is just a bit high for el Kun, but with the keepr frozen, Aguero misses yet another chance to put Argentina ahead.

55:16: The Netherlands holds all the advantage right now, playing at a much more relaxed and controlled pace and forcing Argentina to come at them. If the squad slips up even once, they could be in some serious trouble. A tepid performance so far.

60:43: Argentina just can’t get any kind of attack together. And with the Netherlands playing conservatively, the game is at a serious lull right now.

And………commercial. It’s enough to make you miss ESPN.

64:24: Thanks NBC for letting us miss a clash between Messi and Pieters, the second of whom is still down.

68:03: Back from commercial break. Vamo’ Argentina!!

69:42: Aguero. Offside. Again.

70:00: Messi laid up a perfect pass to Gago who fumbles it in the box.

70:30: Uh-oh. Ustari is on the ground after limping for a loose ball. Could this get any worse? Let’s see if Romero comes in.

73:46: And Sergio Romero will be coming in to replace Ustari. It’s a huge blow for Argentina, but there’s still plenty of time for the win.

77:00: di Maria dives in the box, and thankfully avoids a yellow. A pointless waste of time at this stage in the game.

80:50: Yellow for Messi after a dumb challenge. Messi goes boots up on a loose ball. Things are looking bleak here.

82:45: Under 10 minutes and there is no sense of this being decided in regular time. Argentina looks bored, lost, confused, and out of ideas, and the Netherlands are content to play on. Does anyone want to win this game?

84:28: Corner for Argentina.

84:48: di Maria’s cross finds the head of Pareja, but it’s too high.

86:48: The Netherlands blew an easy chance to win the game just now. That would have been a disaster.

89:00: And Messi nearly wins it!! Riquelme wins the ball in midfield and perfectly sets up Messi who turns through 3 defenders, but the Dutch keeper holds onto the shot. Nooooo!

90:26: Now it’s the Netherlands again who come within inches to scoring. nail-biting time.

END OF REGULAR TIME
ARG 1 – 1 NED

And the ref puts that embarrassing half to an end. Overall the Netherlands held the advantage but failed to do anything with it, while Argentina meanwhile looked completely dazed. Sure there were missed chances which would have been enough to see them through to the semi’s, but their performance has not been what was expected of this squad. Batista needs to make a change quick. Lavezzi? Buonanotte? Whatever he does, something needs to change quick if Argentina wants to stay alive in this tournament.

First 15 Minutes of Extra Time

0:31ET: And Aguero steps right in and nearly scores. Why he’s still on the field is anyone’s guess, but if he can grab the game winner all will be forgiven.

2:20ET: Corner kick, but nothing.

5:32ET: The Dutch make their second substitute. Hmm, that makes sense doesn’t it?!

6:55ET: The Netherlands are starting to step it up here. Argentina still don’t look very sharp, as if they don’t know what’s on the line.

8:04ET: Finally, Lavezzi replaces Aguero. Hopefully it won’t be too late, but Lavezzi can change this game around. We hope.

AND ANOTHER FUCKING COMMERCIAL!!! WTF!?!?

11:47ET: Lavezzi gets a touch on the ball, and you can see his speed already make an impact.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DI MARIA GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

END FIRST 15 MINUTES OF EXTRA TIME
ARG 2 – 1 NED

At last Argentina go up 2-1 on a perfect strike from di Maria, clearly the best player for Argentina this evening, and finally getting the goal to show for it, thanks to a beautiful assist from Messi. Now, only 15 minutes separates the team from a date with Brazil. But before we can even think of that, we must concentrate on the Dutch.

Second 15 Minutes of Extra Time

15:42ET: Ever Banega replaces the potential game winner di Maria.

16:50ET: Elbow to the back of Messi leads to a Dutch yellow.

18:05ET: The Dutch have used up all their subs now. Hold on everyone.

20:12ET: Ten minutes to go.

21:10ET: Handball called on the Dutch. Let’s get a few more of those.

22:22ET: Garay is fouled in the middle of the pitch. Not a great job by Argentina in holding the ball, by the way.

23:30ET: More shock defending from Argentina again leads to the equalizer from the Dutch, but thankfully it’s off.

24:40ET: Messi comes so close, yet again. Brilliant control.

26:28ET: Just minutes left now. Argentina must do a better job retaining possession. The Dutch can still take this to penalties.

27:57ET: Throw in for the Dutch.

29:06ET: Corner for the NED.

FINAL WHISTLE
ARG 2 – 1 NED

Argentina were shocking at times, frustrating the rest, but they somehow got passed a disciplined Dutch side to advance to the semifinals where rivals Brazil await.

Los albicelestes have not had a brilliant tournament, but today’s match was by far the most difficult to watch, with very little sense of the Argentina we now and love. Poor finishing from Aguero (again), Messi and Riquelme unable to involve the rest of the squad in the attack, and particularly weak defending; this is not what will get Argentina to the final, let alone get passed Brazil. With the quality of the squad and the expectations put upon it, anything less than a date in the final will be seen as a letdown.

Still, the team somehow gets it done, and it’s time to put this performance behind us and focus at the task at hand.

Thanks for waking up early, and we’ll meet here again for the semi’s. Brendan will have his breakdown of the match later this weekend. Chau.

Did anyone see the Barcelona game on Wednesday? The “critical” Champions League qualifier that setup a month-long feud over Leo Messi was played between Barca and Wisla Krakow.

4-0. Yes, Barcelona are on the road to an 8-0 aggregate after fighting for a month to prevent Messi from going to the Olympics because they thought that his presence would be crucial in this “clash of the titans.” Let me reiterate that: the Barcelona management were refusing to release Messi because they were afraid of a team from Poland. Barcelona B could have beaten Wisla Krakow; this match was an absolute bloodbath.

Of course, now Joan Laporta, Barca’s president is publicly praising Messi and saying that he’ll be “supporting Argentina in the Olympics.” Good one.

I love watching Barcelona play, but I hate the club.

With that, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Brendan, and I’m in the midst of a year off between high school and University, and I’m traveling to Europe to hit all the big football destinations: Manchester, Milan, Madrid, Rome, Lyon, London, Munich, Porto, and yes, even Barcelona. I’ll be writing for Argentina, covering the national team and European-based Argentineans. I can be crass, obnoxious and opinionated, and if I ever offend anyone, just let me know. I probably won’t care, but I respect everyone who reads this blog and I’ll do my best to entertain and accommodate all of you.

So then what to make of The Netherlands? Based on their performance in Group B, Argentina, despite not displaying the most brilliant football in these Olympic games, should hold all the advantage. The Netherlands struggled mightily to advance out of their group, drawing 0-0 to eventual first place winner Nigeria, came very close to losing to the U.S. until grabbing a last second equalizer in a 2-2 draw, and defeating Japan 1-0 on a dodgy penalty call. Still, players like Ryan Babel, Roy Makaay, and current leading goal scorer Gerald Sibon should not be under-estimated. And if there needed to be any further motivation to win Saturday to retain the gold, should Argentina advance they will face the winner of the Brazil-Cameroon quarterfinal.

SI’s Gregory Sica has a great story on Argentina at this year’s games, and for a complete bracket of the quarterfinals, FIFA lays it out here.

Finally, back in South America, Boca Juniors handily defeated Arsenal de Sarandí 3-1 in the first leg of the Recopa, featuring the previous year’s winners of the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. Martín Palermo scored his 194th goal for Boca, and Arsenal, who hardly had a chance to begin with, are all but finished. The second leg will be in two weeks.

Group A, Match 3
Argentina 2 – 0 Serbia

Scoring Report:
ARG: Ezequiel Lavezzi (pen 13), Diego Buonanotte (84)

Argentina Starting XI:
Sergio Romero
Nicolas Pareja, Javier Mascherano, Federico Fazio
Pablo Zabaleta, Fernando Gago, Ever Banega, Angel Di Maria
Jose Sosa, Diego Buonanotte, Ezequiel Lavezzi

Substitutions:
Luciano Monzon for Sosa (68th)
Lautaro Acosta for Lavezzi (73rd)

Final Group A Standings and Points:
Argentina 9
Côte d’Ivoire 6
Serbia 1
Australia 1

At this point it’s almost a given to many that Sergio Batista, despite resting starters Riquelme and Aguero, will field a talented enough squad to earn at least a draw, which would be enough to claim sole possession of 1stin Group A. If you want to know who Argentina will face in the quarters, make sure to watch for the USA-Nigeria and Japan-Netherlands matches also taking place this morning.

No live blog this time around, but for those of you staying up, please leave your comments below. I’ll post the stats for this match later tonight.

Projected Lineup:
Romero
Pareja, Mascherano, Fazio
Zabaleta, Gago, Banega, Di María
Sosa, Buonanotte, Lavezzi

Batista is already looking ahead to the quarters, announcing today that he will rest Juan Román Riquelme and Sergio Agüero, and replace them with Diego Buonanotte and Angel Di María, respectively. Both Riquelme and Agüero are currently holding one yellow card each, and Batista will take no chances with the squad on pace to retain its gold medal.

Who Argentina will face in the next round is anyone’s guess, with the United States, Nigeria, and the Netherlands all still alive in Group B. Look for details soon on where you can watch the game this Wednesday.

Group A, Match 2
Argentina 1 – 0 Australia

Scoring Report:
ARG: Ezequiel Ivan Lavezzi (76)

Argentina Starting XI:
Oscar Ustari
Pablo Zabaleta, Federico Julian Fazio, Ezequiel Garay, Luciano Fabian Monzon
Fernando Gago, Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi, Juan Riquelme
Ezequiel Lavezzi, Sergio Aguero

Substitutions:
Angel di Maria for Aguero (61st)
Jose Sosa for Lavezzi (87th)
Lautaro Acosta for Messi (93rd)

Current Group A Standings and Points:
Argentina 6
Côte d’Ivoire 3
Serbia 1
Australia 1

Back home, the 2008 Apertura kicked off its season, with current champions River Plate looking somewhat shaky in their 1-1 draw with Colón. Rivals Boca Juniors had no such trouble, even with playmaker Riquelme unavailable, as they cruised to a 4-0 thrashing of Gimnasia (J). Racing Club, who were very nearly relegated last season, haven’t seemed to improved after a 2-0 defeat to Lanus, while Rosario Central and Estudiantes played the game of the weekend in a 3-2 match in favor of Central.

2008 Apertura Week 1 results:
San Martín (T) 2 – 0 Huracán
Gimnasia 0 – 1 Newell`s
Arsenal 3 – 0 Argentinos
Rosario Central 3 – 2 Estudiantes
Banfield 1 – 2 Godoy Cruz
Vélez 0 – 0 Independiente
Colón 1 – 1 River
Boca 4 – 0 Gimnasia (J)
Racing 0 – 2 Lanús
San Lorenzo 0 – 1 Tigre

Leave your comments below on who you think Argentina will face in quarters and your thoughts on this past week’s Primera fixtures below.