Hola amigos,

Despite Argentina’s failure in 2002 and the massive disapointment caused by tiredness and eventually, Bielsa’s stubborness, I guess every argie fan has forgiven el loco.
Raised in a family of politicians and lawyers, Bielsa has appeared to be a very rare specimen on the futbol planet. He is is an intellectual of the game with typical argie creativity in his DNA!

His current club, Athletic Bilbao, has been rocking the European continent with ultra offensive and speedy futbol. Their main star, Llorente, is surrounded by great young talents and fantastic spectators. This season they have important games remaining: the National Cup final against Barca and the Europa League Cup final against Atletico Madrid. Newt week-end, they’ll face Real Madrid in la liga.

What are Bielsa’s secrets to build a team with this always admirable futbol identity?

Vamos Argentina.

Hola amigos,

Great games are rythming this crucial period of the season.
Barca has recently lost against Chelsea (0-1) and probably the Spanish Championship too, against Real Madrid (1-2).

In futbol everything goes very fast. Weeks ago, Messi was considered by several personalities as the best player ever.
After that gol scored by Cristiano Ronaldo at the Nou Camp, have things changed?

What is happening to Barca and Leo these days?
Will they wake up against Chelsea?

Vamos Argentina!

Hola amigos,

As you probably know, Tevez scored a hatrick yesterday with City.
Whether we like him or not, after such a huge break, Carlos Tevez has proven everyone he remains a true talent.

Mancini didn’t manage to handle such a personality in the locker-room.
Do you think Sabella can, if he decides to call Tevez one day?

No doubts AC Milan will have to fight if they want to acquire him next summer!

Hola amigos,

I guess nobody knows who is Perazzo afterall except Grondona…
Here is a piece of interview with Sabella, translated by our friends at Mundo:

“We have to find alternatives for MESSI’s game. For that we have players like SOSA, DI MARIA, HIGUAIN and AGUERO.”

“I’m now going to follow TEVEZ more closely. RIQUELME is a very cerebral and an intelligent player. The two will be watched, like everyone else. At first, the team was down because of the Copa America but eager to take revenge and seek a victory. The victory against Colombia away from home, after trailing, did very well to the team. In the match against Chile, we didn’t have much of the ball but we were very strong, the opposite of the game against Venezuela.”

“Against Bolivia, it was a game where we had several chances to score, but didn’t convert. Although we were not as explosive, we deserved to win. In the first half against Colombia, we were solid, but we didn’t have an offensive game. In the second, we were quick to get creative and scored.”

“I often think about putting MASCHERANO as a CB, it’s like having two players in one. He reads the game very well. Don’t rule him out as a CB. There’s also the possibility that PASTORE or DI MARIA play as third forward.”

“Messi is among the best of all time. Barcelona are a different team with outstanding players who are able to make each other better. Players (in Barcelona) were formed together and spend every day together. You can’t compare it to the National Team where players meet together once a month”.

About Argentina’s formations: “I’m pragmatic. We must be open to everything. We have to have a plan B. One could have a basis, an idea of how to play, but must be willing to find other alternatives. I like to have different playing formations”.

About Martin DEMICHELIS: “He’s an experienced player, I will continue watching up and if needed, I’ll call him-up.”

In addition to MASCHERANO as a CB, he said that the reason why he hasn’t used him at the back yet is because he wanted to try and solidify the midfield.

On Fernando GAGO:
“I like GAGO. He has management, has personality, is versatile and wants the ball.”

On the team:
“We need to fix the defense. I can change the system and the strategy.”

On players he is following:
“Yesterday, I went to watch the match between San Lorenzo and Racinb Club because I wanted to see SAJA (Racing Club goalkeeper Sebastian SAJA). Matias RODRIGUEZ is someone I’ve been following since my days at Estudiantes.”

On Barcelona and playing like them:
“We could watch Barcelona’s matches but in no way can we compare ourselves to them. Barcelona is a unique team and we should look at some of their things, but to copy them is impossible.”

On Lionel MESSI:
“MESSI has a good understanding with HIGUAIN and AGUERO but with Barcelona he plays an open game which makes the pitch that much bigger.”

Any thoughts?

Vamos Argentina.

Hola amigos,

Walter Perazzo has been named as our new U-17 NT Coach, by Grondona and his mafia, in a silent and respectful atmosphere.
The only thing most of us know about Perazzo is his disastrous results and incompetency when he was in charge of the U-20 squad, last year.
He is also responsible of failing Argentina to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. Was Batista’s tactical assistant too, if I’m not wrong.

AFA have massacred the Peker-Tocalli System that made our success, youth WC after youth WC… They just don’t care.

Do some of you friends know more about Perazzo?
What is his link with – lets call things with the appropriate words – “MAFIA”?
Does the fact that AFA hire incompetent personal (with no experience and results) disturbs anyone in the argie medias?
Why can’t people like Maradona, Batistuta, Ayala or Sorin open their mouth?

Vamos Argentina…

Hola amigos,

Messi scored another hatrick yesterday.
Each week he scores 2, 3, 4 or even 5.
He has broken all records and now is on the top, his own top.
234 gols and now the best Barca scorer, ever.
I will avoid asking you if Leo is better than Maradona…

But is Messi from this planet?
Is Barca dependent on Messi, or the contrary?
Will Messi be able to create a football team on his own within the seleccion?

Vamos Argentina.

Hola amigos,

As you probably know, José Pekerman won his first game against Mexico with his new national team, Colombia (2-0).

Here are some nice words from Mario Yepes:

“I can assure you that Pekerman enjoys a big reputation in South America and that he always demands attractive football,” Yepes told FIFA.com. “Pekerman isn’t so well known in Europe because he’s only ever coached in South America.

“[But] when I was playing for River Plate, he was coach of Argentina’s Under-20 side. Lots of the players he picked at the time were playing alongside me at River and they told me good things about him, especially his desire to play really polished and technical attacking football.

“He did a good job with Argentina. He has the quality and the experience to do something with us. I think that, as an Argentinian, he’ll be under less pressure from the media and fans.

“Things will be calmer for him in Colombia than back home. I hope he’ll be able to lead us to the next World Cup and I’m really optimistic that he will.”

Congrats and best wishes to José.
Lets hope he can show Sabella our weaknesses without defeating us.

Vamos Argentina.

Hola amigos,

Argentina won pretty easily yesterday against Switzerland. I hope you enjoyed the game.
What matters the most in friendlies is the quality of our futbol, not the result. Of course, it’s a win that matters for us, the players, especially for Leo Messi who scored a hat-trick and will shut up the critics.

Obviously, things are far from perfect as the NT has been destroyed again and again by the AFA management since 2006.

Here are the 3 big topics Sabella is (or should be!) working on and thinking about every day and night:

- Wrong personal is used. Brana, Sosa. Zabaleta out of position and at times lost (on the gol conceded, the 20th minute as another example). Sabella should have tested Monzon. He is responsible of his incorrect choices which are probably being forgotten and put under the carpet right now. Zabaleta’s mistake is Sabella’s first.

- Defensive midfield: we are not organized and still under construction, even with the same midfielders. Mascherano, the monster, is far too active and does everything. The only thing our opponent has to do is to reverse the game and our midfield is already in trouble, midfielders are running all over the place. Our midfield then appears like a big line full of players. Actually, it’s a bit like if we were defending 4-3-1-2 incorrectly. Sosa is too pretentious in his defensive duties. He has the talent but not the motivation.

- Attack: There is no tempo, no cleverness, without a #10. We seem to only focus on our speedy way of playing which doesn’t define argie futbol. Using 4-3-1-2 is possible if the 3 forwards defend well and form a 5-man-midfield. It is a solution. Saviola and Crespo did it without Roman in 2006. Messi, Roman and Aguero did it perfectly against Brazil in 2008. Pastore and Higuain can do it with or without Messi. Will Bilardo agree? No. Sabella? No.

Again, I repeat, we are not preparing WC 2014 unlike for example, France and Germany who played nicely yesterday, and will use EURO 2012 to train, practise and prepare next WC in Brazil. They have a project.

Vamos Argentina.

Hola amigos,

In addition to all our tactical problems (creative/defensive) and the corruption at AFA, the team selection process has had a huge role in our failures since 2006. For years and years, AFA has been proceding like follows, in my opinion:

1) A little group of player is always called, composed of those who make Argentina sell friendly games tickets and produce AFA’s turnover (Mascherano, Messi, Di Maria, Higuain, Aguero), and the experienced leaders (Heinze, De Michelis)

2) The second group includes the coach’s favorites. Basile called his Boca boys. Maradona called what he thought were his patriotic soldiers/children/friends. Batista called the players he knew from the Olympics. Sabella calls the players he knows from Estudiantes.

3) The third group of players called is massive: all the good players playing in Europe who are good are selected. Those who deserve to stay in the NT are then always out to make room to new comers. There is no logic, but marketing, corruption and politics only.

4) The last part of the squad is composed of the bench players: generally young, periodically hyped and who can bring diversity in the locker-room. They will never complain about never starting. Like in 3), the recycling rate is very high.

The third and fourth groups are sometimes difficult to dissociate. Joined together, both represent 50% of the squad members called for friendlies.

What do you think about the selection process at AFA?
How do other national teams work?

Hola amigos,

Sabella has announced his European players for the game against Switzerland scheduled in few weeks.

Goalkeepers:
Sergio ROMERO (Sampdoria – Italy)

Defenders:
Daniel DIAZ (Getafe – Spain)
Hugo CAMPAGNARO (Napoli – Italy)
Federico FERNANDEZ (Napoli – Italy)
Pablo ZABALETA (Manchester City – England)
Luciano MONZÓN (Nice– France)
Ezequiel GARAY (Benfica – Portugal)
Marcos ROJO (Spartak Moscow – Russia)

Midfielders:
Angel DI MARIA (Real Madrid- Spain)
Javier MASCHERANO (Barcelona – Spain)
Fernando GAGO (Roma – Italy)
Erik LAMELA (Roma – Italy)
Maxi RODRIGUEZ (Liverpool – England)
José SOSA (Metalist – Ukraine)

Forwards:
Gonzalo HIGUAIN (Real Madrid – Spain)
Lionel MESSI (Barcelona – Spain)
Rodrigo PALACIO (Genoa – Italy)
Sergio AGÜERO (Manchester City – England)

Any thoughts?

Vamos Argentina…