2008 Olympics: Ivory Coast 1 – 2 Argentina

RUNE,
The priority is to keep the ball. Riquelme must have lost 2 balls in the game. Messi lost 90% of the possession. That’s the difference. You all know what I think about Messi. I don’t like his individual way of playing. I prefer collective Palacio, Saviola or midfielder Maxi.

DEBASISH,
Yes, playing without a #9 is a mistake. Cavenaghi would have been useful for the Olympics. Batista could have maybe selected Chelsea’s Di Santo?

ROMAN,
A bad day? I think the only bad day Riquelme had was against Germany in 2006. He was too nervous. Riquelme is magic. If the whole team moves correctly around him, there won’t be any bad day for our enganche. He’s wonderful.

SKYWALKER,
Completely agree with you. I am always discussing about our defensive tactics since the second Basile era. All the time! I am traumatized since Copa 2007! Pekerman opened my eyes on these even if he has never been a perfect coach. I miss him though. Which team plays 4-2-2-2 today? None. Some are playing 4-4-2 but without an enganche. The last team that was quite successful with a 4-2-2-2 system was Brazil 98. 10 years ago…

ALBO,
With the quality of our team, we can play with almost every existing system. As we’ve spoken about it many times, 4-2-3-1 would have suited perfectly with our “rabbits” on the flanks (Palacio, Saviola, Aguero, Messi, Tevez for the NT & DiMaria, Messi, Lavezzi, Aguero for the Olympics). It also perfectly fits with Roman’s defensive laziness.

DAY1STAR,
Argentina’s potential is really incredible. This is why I am always expecting the perfection, especially after 2006 when we were exceptional. Yes, the weather was terribly hot. Yes, players like Gago & Mascherano are tired after playing 80 games this year!

CHRISTIAN,
Thanks.

Maxi, i never mentioned the weather. Mascherano had a good game. Gago and Lavezzi were both trying too hard, because of that they’re ball control was erratic and they’re passing at times was slightly off.
In the first game of a tournament, being hailed as the favourites just heaps the pressure on the players, and with all the is he coming, or isn’t he coming saga going on, it’s understandable that the team didn’t quite gel the right way and played a bit erratic, so the most important thing was to come away with the 3 points. I’m sure we will see a marked improvement in the next game.
I would also have liked us to play a 4 2 3 1 formation, it would have been more suited to us.

MaxiLopez, sorry but I don’t understand what you’re saying.
You’re talking about 4-2-3-1 and you name 4 or 5 forwards, where would Riquelme be?
who would play where?
I’m lost.

Posted from  United States

Does anyone care that the Apertura is starting tonight? The drought is almost over!!!!

BTW, San Martín de Tucuman vs. Huracán

Posted from  United States

The only ones I know of in LA are Argentine businesses.

Posted from  United States

Albo… Maxi is merely stating the wealth of options we have that can play according to that system; he’s not saying all will start in the same game.

Maxi.. I agree Pekerman was awesome. he was great with Roman in 98 in Malaysia (I think) for the U20 and it carried on. Too bad Bielsa didn’t take advantage. and slight correction, the last to use the 4-2-2-2 was Brazil in WC 06 with Kaka/Ronnie + Adriano/Ronado making the attacking 4 and we all knew how that turned out. But yes before that, 98 was the shining example and they did well as they had pretty much everyone operating at peak efficiency and to a certain extent they used it in 02 but Rivaldo moved up and played in the hole behind the strikers in the ’steering wheel’ concept of Brazilian football.

I just hope we don’t use this system at the NT level and is just a trial at the Olympics. The 4-2-3-1 like you said suits us better but I would love to see us defend via the 4-4-1-1 like Pekerman did. Everyone keeps talking about our offence and how it will click if the guys spend more time on the pitch; but against the top teams, defence plays a bigger role and that’s probably why Maxi and I keep rehashing the same topic. Look at what Morinho did to Alex Fergueson when Porto played Man U in the champions league a few years back. Sure Man U had the stars but coaching in modern soccer and tactics can neutralize the best of teams and Morinho put a number on them that year. Hence, why we need to get our tactics right as other teams will out maneuver us in this regard and counter us like what Brazil have done to us recently.

Anyway, I can’t wait for the Aussie game. Personally I think we’re gonna run riot. something to the tune of 4-0. It should be fun.

Look, if you don’t want to defend with just 6 players, the inside midfielders of the 4-2-3-1 have to return and defend. So now you have the same diamond we always play, that leaves Riquelme by himself with 2 or 3 opponents on him.
I don’t buy this explanation.
4-2-2-2 provides Riquelme with a second enganche, a fast one, so opponents have to be more careful.
What happened against Ivory Coast is simply that Agüero and Lavezzi were not a factor.

Posted from  United States

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma37MqCp3lE

how can anyone say that messi’s goal was offside.
check the video link above on 2:49 when the pass was released messi was on side & above all there is nothing blocking the view of the linesman who saw everything clearly from the pass to messi’s movement.

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=811175
they said Roman Martinez Espanyol’s new signing from Tigre demonstrated flashes similar to our magician (riquelme).
“Albo”/”Golazo” have you guyz seen him b4 can he be our future riquelme???

ALBO,
Riquelme seems OFF sometimes. It’s true. But why? Because the movments around him don’t exist. Against Brazil 07 for example, Messi & Tevez were the very rare players who moved. Maxi & Cambiasso were the OFF ones that day (for tactical/mental reasons?). Riquelme is mentally weak but when his teamates are dynamic, he’s pure class. Not unstoppable though because the FIFA referees sometimes don’t protect him.

Concerning the 4-2-2-2, all the problems linked to this system have been mentioned upper.

Messi destroys the tempo. Until no one teaches it him (Basile), it might be better to use him like at Barcelona. But he can still be allowed to have a free role and help Roman if he’s “locked” (don’t forget movments would “unlock” him).

We’ve posted this formation many times (only take care of the strategy, not the names). The options are incredible. If 4-5-1 doesn’t fit with our team, I don’t know what to say…

———–Carrizo————
Zanetti–Colo—Dimi–Placente
—–Mascherano-Gago———-
Maxi——Riquelme—-Messi—
———-Cavenaghi———–

————Romero————
Zaba—Gonzalo–Garay—Heinze
——Cambiasso-Banega——–
Palacio—-Aimar—-Tevez—–
———–Denis————–

————-Lux————–
Burdisso–Fazio–Milito–Insua
———Duscher-Lucho——–
Saviola—–Valeri——-Aguero
————Lopez————-

And I’m not even talking about other talents such as Di Maria, Escudero, Lavezzi, Di Santo, Higuain, Zarate, Biglia, … Amazing.

SKYWALKER, I totally agree. I never saw Pekerman defending with 4-4-1-1 (only excellent 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-1-2 against Germany, terrible mistake). 4-4-1-1 would be great for Roman.

MaxiLopez, of all the players you mentioned above, Palacio is the only floater who can open the field enough to justify a #9. He does that Sunday in Sunday out with Palermo.
Funnily, Palacio is not even in the bench.

Posted from  United States

SAL, I saw Román Martinez play a couple of time for Tigre.
Honestly, I don’t remember anything (bad or good) about him.

Posted from  United States

The opening ceremony was breathtaking, I feel bad for london in 2012 they can’t top that.

We always struggle against African nations there more athletic then the Argie players and it came also as wake up all because Argentina thought they can walk right to the gold but now they realize it’ll be a hard fought tournament. The only thing I didn’t like about the game is to many holes in the defense and Lavezzi tired way t hard but Di Maria was the difference.

Posted from  United States

Well, i’m off tomorrow to Barcelona, so i can’t watch any matches tonight, i will watch the match in the morning though, don’t know if i’ll have time tomorrow to post links for the game.
I will try though and if not then on Monday i will try to find a link for anyone who didn’t get to see the game.

Hey guys,
What time is the Argentina vs Australia game on? I would really appreciate if it is US EST time.

we never struggle against Africans in the end if you check the stats i think we only lost 2 times against african countries..if anything we are the most successful at playing them

Posted from  Canada

game is at 4est, so 3 for me =] less than 2 hours!

Posted from  United States

Here’s a link for anyone who has to watch the match online:

http://www.justin.tv/futbolarg3

I think the game starts in 30 mins.

Here’s a link on which you can watch the Argentina-Serbia match and all other matches. Very good quality clear stream.

http://www.eurovisionsports.tv/olympics/

I would recommend this stream. The match on Wednesday is on Live03.

Today’s match on this link

http://www.eurovisionsports.tv/olympics/ it’s on Live10 and is better than any justin tv stream, so if you have to watch t online, click this link.

why isn’t tevez playing for Argentina?

Posted from  United States

Can someone tell me why tevez isnt on the olympic roster?