Argentina to Face Serbia in Final Group A Match

After Tevez, it’s Aguero’s turn to complain, probably about the #9 role:
http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=106604

Hello everybody
We won 3 games in a row. I would say it once again, winning is a habit, and a good one.
I did get to see the game finally, found it online in one of the links posted here. Here are my thoughts.

I am not sure I am as excited about our performance as some of you do. First the good things.

I am happy for the 3-5-2. I always believed with our kind of fullbacks, its better to play this. One should play to its strengths.
And full backs are not our strength. Neither are our defense. So its always better to keep those player resident in our half and
ask them to play within their limitations. So this is good. Finally. Now, about the defensive personnel involved in this 3-5-2 system.

Mascherano as a CD is a NO for me. He is known for his tackles. He is not a header person. He makes plenty of great tackles from
the side and from behind. He is very good at it. He wont be doing that if he is 5 meters away from the GK. He also is prone to lots of
yellow cards. So that is also risky. Lastly, we have the best DM in the world, why make him play somewhere else. But kudos to Batista
for at least trying different options. Mascherano can surely play this role for 15-30 mins in a game under certain circumstances.

Fazio was very good. So was Pareja. Perhaps there was no expectation on Pareja. But he is decent. Zabaleta was quiet. But I think
thats his standard. It wont be right to expect more out of him. Dedicated for sure. But not all can be Zanetti.

Sosa is ordinary. I have seen some Bayern game also. Never saw anything special. Ball control? I guess everyone in Argentina has some.

Di Maria is good. He should play more. Hopefully Benfica gets some focus also. His penalties were pathetic.

Lavezzi is great. Buannotte is special. He is so cool. But he is the same height as the corner flag :), watch him taking the corners.

I agree with the people who are saying, we just pass around the ball in our half. That is true. I did not see a goal coming. There were not
too many chances at goal. A penalty and a free kick. But not too many realistic chances of a goal. This is not good and if by chance you are
behind then it can frustrating. This is surely something to worry about.

Posted from  United States

Maxilopez,
I am not calling you perfectionist bcoz’ simply you are not. If you were even close to being perfectionist, you wouldn’t compare yesterday’s game with argentina’s performance in the world cup. If possession is your top priority along with collective football, then you must be the hardcore fan of Barca 07. Having 70% possession against any team and playing their passing game, isn’t that how you vision football to be played? But, did they win anything? Trophies, derbies, fans? Listen i love collective football as well, keeping possession, passing the ball around and finally into the net is what i want as well. But argentina in this olympic is playing simply put terrible. And, lets not talk about messi. I saw your hatred for him in the first game when he scored a goal and assisted a second, you still were so critical to him.

Aguero should shut the F up and play first. Same goes for Tevez. If you can’t fit in with the National Team, atleast try your best. I saw Tevez play against Portmouth and I do miss seeing him play for the NT. However Aguero, Tevez etc are not the #9 we need. We need a central forward in the mold of Crespo/Batistuta - with guys like Messi, Aguero, Tevez flanking him.

Ah well.

Debashish really funny line in your post btw: “Lavezzi is great. Buannotte is special. He is so cool. But he is the same height as the corner flag”

Haha.

Posted from  United States

I just dont like how everybody on argentina wants to play at a higer pace but Riquelme slows it down the only thing he down this olympics was the pass to messi. Riquelme was god awful against australia and watching tyc sports this morning they all really want bounattoe to start tomorrow and they also said boca riquelme is mucch better then argentina riquelme. When Riquelme is good he is amazing but that hasn’t happen since last year during one of the games in the Copa libt.

Posted from  United States

Can anyone please tell me if the following link is working or not:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=1157090&channelcode=sportfb

Posted from  United States

Adras, the link works. I watched the game there itself. Just go ahead and download the plugin. You should be all set.

Posted from  United States

Every-time you face a team that fields 10 of their 11 players in their own half to just defend and break your attacking plays, you have no other choice than start passing the ball on your own half to try and make them come out.
Anybody who has played the game knows that.
You can’t just swing by 10 players in half a field like if they were flags.
To criticize a team that tries to keep possession and find openings, we have to watch what the other team is doing too.

Posted from  United States

Maxi, there are still trolls in the house.
Don’t pay attention to them.

Posted from  United States

Great post by everyone I sincerely wish i could have watched the game but have seen the highlights. I beleive that these first three games of the tournament have been good for us. To bad we gave up one goal but overall the team has done what was neccessary to win the group and now we will face teams that will mosy likey attack a little more. If you watched the other group then you will know that the netherlands are not playing well at all and were not near the best team in that group. In fact they could have easily gone o for 3. This is a good draw for us as they are not that talented but because of who they are they will have to be somewhat offensive. This is the game for us to make our statement. Then we wil face eithe brasil or cameroon and of course you have to take Brasil but I would not be shocked if Cameroon won that game. Brasil had far to easy of a group and might not be totally ready for a team as athletic and skilled as Camerron. After that will it be Italy or Ivory ? My bet is on italy but who knows. Lets just say that are past to the gold will be well earned as we had the toughest group and then will have to beat netherlands italy and brasil who were the consensus favorites after us. Nothing is ever easy for Argentina lol .

Posted from  United States

great video Messi10

Posted from  United States

Golazo, Buonanotte and Messi starting together is the worst idea I have ever heard.

Posted from  Belgium

John I am not sure that Inter sucks but is better for crespo to go whre he can play. I just wish Saviola would learn from this and go to a team where he can play.

Posted from  United States

I’m excited to see Argentina Vs Holland this Saturday. Any news about formation/squad from Clarin? Anyone want to translate some spanish news hot of the presses?

Posted from  United States

AJ, Batista will release some info tomorrow or may be tonight after their practice session.

Posted from  United States

Thanks Albo. I hope Di Maria starts instead of Aguero. Unless Aguero has shown better form in the practice sessions. Riquelme will have to own this game. Control the tempo and really take it to the Dutch.

Posted from  United States

DEBASISH,
Mascherano is a bit like Ayala and jumps like a kangouroo! He’s not a central defender of course. But it doesn’t disturb you to see Banega on the bench? I am happy to not be a coach and decide for this kind of stuff…
Buonanotte is funny isn’t it? I love these players who have all the physical inconvenients for the modern futbol world, but still manage to bring magic, technique & creativity. He reminds me a bit Aimar but even smaller!

PEOPLE,
Zabaleta will never be our great Zanetti so lets stop complaining about him. Zabaleta is very correct and has some qualities. We have nobody better than him. He is and will be our right back.

MESSI10,
I didn’t compare the quality of our performances between 06 games & the last one. I compared the beauty felt by myself that was very similar. I criticize Messi and I’ve already explained you why. Argentina’s problems are in defence not in attack, by the way. ALBO has nicely & cleverly responded to you concerning the possession strategy.

AJNYHC,
I agree with you about the second strikers supporting a #9. Tevez & Aguero should never say these words to the press. They should talk to their NT coaches instead. They deserve to sit on the bench for saying this.
I hope so much that Batista will play 3-5-2. It’s very important! I’m excited too.

GOLAZO,
How did Roman play for you at la Copa? Good or bad?

German Denis has scored for Napoli in his first UEFA cup match. Good for him. I’d like to see him score tons - become legendary like Batigol.

Posted from  United States

we have a hard road to the gold

frankly im not sure we are in best form to win it

depending how we do against holland we will see

Posted from  Canada

Martín Palermo, Boca’s old and wise striker is a talented man who knows his job well.
He is gifted. And that gift is patience.
The most important thing our olyimpic team needs now is patience.
Know the you have the game to win the gold.
Anxiety makes you make mistakes.
Take your time and find your rhythm.

Same goes for some bloggers ha ha

Posted from  United States

Thanks Debasish, I got it to work :D.

I hope Batista uses the 3-6-1 again. It worked very well with the subs and can only look better with the starters. Pareja so far looks as our best defender, Di Maria our best midfielder and Lavezzi, obviously, as the most active forward. What do you guys think?

My predicted lineup:
———–Ustari————
–Pareja—-Garay/Masch—-Fazio
——-Banega/Masch–Gago——-
Zabaleta—–Riquelme—Di Maria
—–Messi———————
——–Lavezzi/Aguero——–
If Riquelme doesnt perform the first half he should be subd for Bounanotte by the start of the second.

Posted from  United States

Albo,
You apparently didn’t follow Barca 07. Otherwise, the possessive and collective football you are talking about won’t do shit if you are not creating considerable amount of goal scoring chances.

As for Maxilopez comment addressed to our defensive problem, i would rather win by 5-4 margin rather than 1-0.

Sorry guys, i am not a big fan of defending. Imp, attack is the best strategy to defend.

Who is this?

Posted from  United States

me? I am just a guy who loves to watch possessive, collective, and at the same time efficient football. No wonder i’ve been following Argentina and Barcelona for quite a while.