Argentina v Sweden 6th February (Friendly) [R]

^^ You said how la liga is not competitive by mentioning team like Almeria and Deportivo and they would easily give up , so dont try to retaliate. I only defend my point by saying those team looks inferior because the current generation of Barcelona is just too good and that has been backed up by the fact they won CL 3 times in recent years and beat Libertadores champion in 2009 and 2011.

 

To be honest, I don't know what point you are trying to make, other than the Argentinian league is physical and Messi may or may not score as many goals as he does in La Liga. Which is the same as the "he would never do it against Stoke on a cold Tuesday evening" that is trotted out in England every couple of weeks. Which is a bit like me saying that if my mum had been a man she would have been my dad.

 

Face palm

 

Is it just me, or has Di María improved A LOT this past couple of years...?

 

Yeah, I think his move to Madrid has helped him quite a bit. Last season he was great, this season has been a down season for him. But for us, I think it has to do with the selección clicking a bit better and much of that has to do with Sabella's tactics. We have always seen flashes of what Angel could do but he has gotten better. I think it's fair to say, most of our players are playing better for the selección then they are with their clubs and again that stems back to Sabella improving the team.

 

I actually feel for you. There's a serious language barrier at play here.

 

I agree about Fernandez, the rust is not helping his NT performances. However, he does need to improve when playing for Argentina, his move to a La Liga club where he will no doubt be a starter should help. Having said that, I feel that Sabella needs to give an opportunity to another CB to start in case of the possibility that Fernandez does not improve. I was curious about having Mascherano play at CB since he does it often for Barca, but that leaves a slot in center midfield open, and unfortunately Banega still has not recovered his form prior to the freak accident last year. So that leaves Gago as one option and the other very unsettled at a crucial position such as center mid, I also am not too trusting of Gago maintaining his form into the WC, this is a player who failed at three different European clubs although he tends to play better for Argentina.

I think it would be best to leave Mascharano and Gago as the center mid pairing, with Banega, Yacob and perhaps Montillo on the bench if needed, and give more playing time to Coloccini and Otamendi or Forlin.

 

I'm enjoying the work of Sabella in Argentina NT. He gave a consistency tactic to the team with 4-3-1-2/4-3-3. The only problem is that I feel that the team gets 'little' time with the ball. But maybe that's because the team specializes in fast and efficient counter-attacks. Higuain also bothers me.

 

Why does Higuain bother you? It's true he misses good opportunities often, but he is also good at helping the team create them, plus helps out in backtracking. With four goals at the WC already, he is also tested at that level and could go on to become Argentina's all-time WC top scorer.

 

That's it. I don't like Higuain, don't think he is good enough for a team that wants to win a WC. Limited technically. But I understand that there is no other undisputed #9 to dispute a place with him. In 2010, 3goals against South Korea.

 

South Korea is a strong WC team. Batistuta may have scored one of three chances, none of which he helped create, while Higuain scores one in five, but he creates one or two of those. The end result is the same, one goal, but with Higuain I feel Argentina is a more dominant team.

 

I agree that with Higuain on the pitch we are better; however, something tells me it will be because of Higuain we either win a certain game or lose one. He misses way too many chances. His first true call up, he missed 2-3 clear chances before he got on the board. And that shot against Sweden, I do not think that was going on. And personally I do not see Higuain as a true 9.

 

By the way... Scocco is going to be transfered from Ñuls in june to either Europe or Brasil... he personally has had a conversation with Sabella to discuss which team or league will grant him more opportunities of call ups with the Selección. And the WC is still 1 and a 1/2 year from now, so who knows?

 

I don't want to diminish South Korea, but scoring goals against them is not exactly the best way to tell if a player is good or not. Argentina dominates this match. Honestly, I don't see Higuain as active and important for team, as regards the construction of moves. Especially because its main function is to score goals. And in this role, I see missing many chances and other bad moves.

But he play for Real Madrid, is 'understood' with Aguero and Messi, Argentina played good matches lately and there are no other indisputable options. I'm sure my opinion of him is not the same as Sabella.

 

I think Barcos will return to the squad in the coming matches.

Yes, but 2013 is a decisive year. Virtually no friendlies in next year and Sabella has said that 70% of the WC14 squad is already 'formed' in your mind.

 

Barcos is rubbish, I really hope not.

 

I really, really, really like Scocco's game. Maybe a move to Brasil would be best. By the time the next WC comes around, the Brasilian calendar will have most of our players in mid-season form and not just coming back from a 50+ game season in Europe. If he continues his high level of play, then I do not see why he should not be seriously be looked at. I know a lot of people are wanting Icardi because of his age(and who knows he can get better by next year) but if Higuain manages to get hurt, then we have to rely on a 20 year old kid? I'd still take him, but so far, it is Messi,Higuain,Kun,Lavezzi(All are locks) and there will likely be 2 more spots open. I do not think Sabella will take more than 6 forwards. I think Di Santo is a scratch and there could always be a surprise, Barcos is another who has been tried out. Still 2 spots left, a #9 type player as well as somebody who can really replace Kun. Still time for a certain Carlitos Tevez?, I know when the WC rolls around(and this would be his last tbh) and we are months away, he will be stricken by the WC fever, and might say the right stuff.

 

I also believe Barcos will be seriously looked at(And I do not think he is a bad player). 2013 is a decisive year, there are 8 more games from until the end of the year(I expect another will be added since Nov is a FIFA calendar date so that is 9) and 2014, we have a game away in Romania. I am sure we will have at least 3-4 more games until the Mundial just to get ourselves ready. Maybe the AFA will do a couple games that sends the players away have a game in and around Mendoza, then have another El Monumental. We win our next 2 games, we get our tickets(I believe officially) and then Sabella will probably try a few new things.

 

Higuain off ball movement creates a lot of space for Messi to operate. He misses some shot but he also scores some wonder goals out of nothing so it evens out. But for me he is necessary for the NT.

 

I think it deserves more calls. Sabella said he would be out of squad if he play in the second division (your team Palmeiras dropped to Serie B 2013). The proof was that he wasn't called for the match against Sweden. But now Barcos went to Grêmio (Série A and Copa Libertadores).

 

No way he takes 6 forwards.

There are players i'd prefer instead of Lavezzi right now (Palacio, Scocco), but yes, i think he's also a lock so no point arguing there. Also, I think Tevez has no chance of returning no matter how well he plays.

So you have 4 (Messi, Kun, Higuain, Lavezzi) locks and one spot for Barcos, Icardi, Di Santo, Scocco, Palacio, Lisandro (not happening), Milito (forget about it now)... And I think he would be looking for a sub for Higuain (Lavezzi being a sub for Agüero, and Messi being Messi), so that's why he takes Barcos into consideration. But if Scocco keeps playing in this level and gets transferred to a place where Sabella wants him to be, I think (and hope) he can easily take the 5th spot.

 

It would be a great signing for any brazilian team. It's fast, knows very well kick and good pass (days ago gave a beautiful pass to a goal from Newells)

The problem is that most of our teams hire only south smerican players when they shine a Libertadores/Sul-Americana or scored goals against a brazilian team.

 

Well just using some kind of logic, i think it's pretty easy who is going to fight for a spot. That will be between Scocco and Barcos. Icardi is way too young and needs to prove more, Palacio, while a good player i doubt his characteristics are the ones Sabella is looking for. Di Santo is nothing literally, Lisandro and Milito are a no-go (the first doesnt seem to be in Sabella's papers and the second one neither (on the top of that he got heavily injured)).

 

Messi is Sabella's playmaker, with DiMaria on the wing, so they count as midfielders. The five forwards will be Aguero, Higuain, Lavezzi, Tevez and someone else who impresses in the few months leading to the WC.

 

Tevez has not been called up since CA I think... although I have a feeling that if we're going to bring 6 forwards to WC he will be one of them. There's always one unlikely choice in every WC like Caniggia 1998, Palacio 2006 , Palermo 2010.

Messi is counted as a striker, in Barca this season he also played in much deeper area putting lots of throughball but he's still not exactly a midfielder.