The final, no speculation or guessing, list ... from the mouth of Pekerman: Goalkeepers: Roberto Abbondanzieri (Boca Juniors/ARG), Leonardo Franco (Atletico Madrid/SPA), Oscar Ustari (Independiente/ARG). Defenders: Fabricio Coloccini (Dep. Coruna/SPA), Roberto Ayala (Valencia/SPA), Gabriel Heinze (Man. Utd/ENG), Juan Pablo Sorin (Villarreal/SPA), Gabriel Milito (Real Zaragoza/SPA), Nicolas Burdisso (Inter/ITA), Leandro Cufre (Roma/ITA). Midfielders: Esteban Cambiasso (Inter/ITA), Javier Mascherano (Corinthians/BRA), Luis Gonzalez (Porto/POR), Pablo Aimar (Valencia/SPA), Juan Roman Riquelme (Villarreal/SPA), Lionel Scaloni (West Ham/ENG), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid/SPA). Forwards: Carlos Tevez (Corinthians/BRA), Hernan Crespo (Chelsea/ENG), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/SPA), Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors/ARG), Javier Saviola (Sevilla/SPA), Julio Cruz (Inter/ITA), Note: He placed Scaloni as midfielder. It is live on FSE. .
Well, not too many surprises in the end really,,,, positive ones that is. I like the inclusion of Cruz, may be a smart move, Cufre will work out OK, can't say I really ever liked Collicini much, Scaloni is a mistake!!, Burdisso I don't like but he may do OK off the bench, Heinze better be ready , Maxi?? I dunno if he will be really used all that much, and Pato should not even be on the team?? Other than that the team is fairly solid, but the question marks are huge ones.
Fcukk me, no Aguero, no Zanetti, yet Scaloni and Coco the Clown get in the squad, a total effing disgrace. How come England can pick Theo Walcott who has not played a single fisrt team game in the top flight of English football but Pekerhead decides to leave out Aguero. I'm thoroughly depressed.
Leon I too feel some mistakes are made on that list, but chill out there still is a huge number, ( like 19 at least ) of players on that list that are exceptional talents and will tear it up at the WC , this is it so let us be positive now, no more negativity for it changes nothing.
the good thing is the inclusion of Cruz. i haven't seen maxi played after his recent injury, i don't know if he is fit. did Peker made way for Scaloni leaving Demischelles? was Zanetti scarificed for Colocini? is Pato going to start in the WC? many unaswered questions but Peker don't look like a wise guy, i hope i am wrong in judging him.
I'm sorry but how a manager can leave out Zanetti but pick Coco and Scaloni is beyond me and not to take a talent like Aguero but pick Pato is nothing short of a disgrace. I mean how can Scaloni get in the squad but not Demichelis? Can anyone answer that. Pekerhead is a coward.
Menotti was called a lot of worse names before 1978, we all know whom he left out, we all know what happened as well.
Pekerman said: the team will use a 4 man backline with Sorin as left back If necessary Coloccini will be used as a central midfielder Riquelme will use the #10 shirt
If he wasn't a coward he would have included Aguero and he would not have picked Pato. Still it's all academic now as it's done and dusted.
Scaloni is named as the Midfielder, if Peker sticks to it , Scaloni will not even get a single minute in the WC because we have plenty of players those are 1st choice for Peker there. i think Peker is going to play 3 man in back, so he excluded Zanetti. ------------------? pato ---------------- -Colo---------Ayala-------------Heinze ---Mascherano --------------Cambiasso ------------------------------------------Sorin -----------------Riquelme------------- Messi------------------------------------ -------------Crespo--------------Tevez may be this is our best squad ******** he is going to use 4 man back and he left Zanetti out.
MidnightMarauder, keep us posted on any tactical info if you get stuff that sounds official, thanks in advance. Ie, stuff like the formation, whom will play where, the starters etc, etc,
and Pekerman was of course asked about Zanetti and his exclusion, he of course did his best to not answer the question and resorted to some cliches
Leaving the Zanetti issue aside, I am quite happy with this roster. There is definitely material to create a kick-ass team. I hope that now they will have sufficient time and good conditions to build up their strategy and cohesion, but if this is the case, then we have a team that could go far.
my first guess was right. he snubed Zanetti because he likes Colo and if Zanetti is in the team, he might face problem using Colo as RB so the best thing for him to do is to snub Zanetti. the Best RB in the world. is this our back 4 Colo---------Ayala--------Heinze-----------Sorin and Pato GK. ******** things don't look good to me.
Pekerman said that the team will lineup with a 4-4-2 formation that could change to 4-3-1-2 in the middle of a game but he will use a 4 man backline. Sorin will be the left back, which means that Heinze will partner with Ayala as center backs
I think players will now have to work hard to deserve the starting lineup. If Coloccini would manage to get back his form prior to Confed Cup final, then I wouldn't mind including him. But he will be facing a tough competition with Milito and Cufre.
ILF, Did you see the friendly against Croatia? Coco the Clown was so slow that I have seen faster corpses. If he intensd playing Coco and Sorin as full backs then we are in very big trouble. It makes no sense to me, perhaps Peker just can't handle players with strong personalities hence no Zanetti, Samuels, Demichaelis etc.
I don't think it's a given that Coloccini will be the starting right back.....Pekerman named Scaloni as a midfielder but he might look at him in the right back spot.......
Guys ... I feel a lot less worried with the squad, despite missing 2 players like Zanetti and Aguero which I feel deserved to be in Germany. Pekerman has looked for players that can adapt to different positions and mantain the equilibrium of the scheme. Mascherano and Cambiasso are the double 5. Peker was asked in the press conference about the need to replace any of them, and he was clear to point out that both Sorin and Coloccini have played the position, as also Luho Gonzales. He added that the #10 jersey will be Roman's. Just yesterday I was watching a piece of the farewell game for Diego, and when he takes off his NT jersey he ends playing with a Boca jersey with a #10 and Roman on the back. It is a fair choice, with all the symbolic significance that jersey has. What is important is that Pekerman has been a succesful coach in his endevours. And likes to be "protagonista". He is betting on 6 forwards! Lots of different chances ... and is taking the best 2 playmakers he could pick as Roman and Aimar. This should give the certainty of some beautiful football ... ala Argentina. I believe that Pekerman wants Argentina to impose the rythm of the game. And to do so, you need depth of squad. How can you achieve it if not by picking players that can perform in different positions? Where you always have more problems is in the offense ... the talented are the fewest. And he has done right IMHO to take 6 forwards. As to Zanetti ... he just said he thanx him and all other players for what they have given Argentina in the past, but that he sees the need to renovate the sqad. There are only 4 players in this squad that played 4 years ago ... when the team was favorite. .