Well guys, I'm going to gloat about my Paraguay beating Brazil prediction GO AND WIN THE FINAL NOW GUYS!!!!!!!! GO ARGENTINA!!!!!!
Wow no Uruguay, Brazil or Colombia in semis. I predict Argentina vs the host in the final. Hopefully we finally put a convincing win in semifinal.
Yep, I had you guys playing and beating Chile in the final from the start. To me there are very important factors as to why I had you guys winning this tournament. - The best squad. Simple as that. Star studded team full of world class players. - Losing the world cup final - Winning the Copa won't make up for it, but it will go a long way to at least ease some of the pain. It will set a few wrongs right. Determination is a big thing in sport and in life. Argentina were left with a sour taste in their mouth so there is driving force behind them and kind of a revenge factor. Revenge against the world call it if you will. - Argentina haven't won a trophy for some time. Good, world class powerhouse teams like Argentina can't keep failing to win. Like Germany in 2014, 18 year drought for silverware and 24 years since winning a world cup. Big teams always come up sooner or later.
True, after 1970 Brazil failed to get pass quarterfinal in 5 consecutive World cups but they finally won it, the same with Italy in 2006 since 1982 and also Germany as you mentioned. Argentina come close last year but ultimately failed at the end. However, great performance boost confidence, Uruguay won last year Copa after finishing as semifinalist in 2010, hence I've predicted Argentina could win this tournamnet because now they'd have the mentallity to do it. That tough game against Uruguay recently , no way the 2011 team would find a way to win it. We would have lose to Colombia too either by late goal or a shootout. This team however was able to keep their cool despite failing to convert most of their chances. Its similar to that Sabella's team in the World cup. Thrashing win isnt as important as final results. In 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010 , Argentina thrashed their opponent 4-0, 5-0. 6-0 and 4-1 at group stage , yet didnt get pass the QF ceiling. The whole world wanna see our frontlines scores altogether in every game but this is not PS game. Higuain and Di Maria scored just once in World cup but they're both a winning goals at knockout round. Aguero and Higuain scored once against Uruguay and Jamaica, again they're both a winning goal.
Simeone would be one willing to create a solid defensive unit and pragmatic midfield and hit hard on the counter against better opponents while pressing weaker ones into submission. I think the substitutions were fine. Pastore is dangerous coming from deep with his bursts of acceleration and ability to carry the ball and find a splitting pass (although he is also casual still twice losing the ball with passes of just a few feet which makes him infuriating at times) but with Colombia squeezing the midfield more he did fade out of the game. Perhaps he should have pulled wider but one positive in this tournament is his overall play and linkup with Messi. Our pressing was excellent as well for much of the game and being Argentina and with all the attacking talent and the BPITW all teams are going to be wary of us. Hardly any will come out and attack us knowing they will be exposed. Perhaps we could do with more width as well as more quality on crosses because the centre of defence remains congested as we constantly try to thread a needle through the opposition. The crossing quality was better against Colombia and ADM showed a little more return to form but on his side Rojo has been poor while Zabaleta has rarely ventured forward although when he has he does provide quality including that assist to Kun.
All four coaches in the semi-finals are Argentine.....so much for a dearth of coaching talent. And a rebuttal to those demanding that the seleccion be coached by a foreigner.
His sub was fine, its the timing that wasnt. Colombia never threatened once yet Tata still somehow scared and waited till it's almost over before making those subs. Oh and I already mentioned, all his subs scored their penalty perfectly.
I disagreed with the timing of the last one. Just a bit too late to make a real difference. The first 2 I think were at minute 73 & 77. Maybe a tad late, but with the way the team was in control, it is forgivable in my book.
Nobody was asking for a foreign coach that I know of and who said there is a "dearth of coaching talent?" Argentina has always had loads of coaches
In the last world cup for example 3 colombians coaches arrive to the wc. And the colombians national team was a foreigner., yeah for colombia didnt work a local coach for 12 years...and his play improve with a foreigner despite their formers coachs have proved importants succes in other NT and clubs I think that the nationalty never have to be the reason of the choice...
I know it matters to a lot of people, but personally I don't care what nationality the coach of Argentina is.
I think the point is that some people (usually those outside of Argentina have always thought the seleccion needs a foreign coach as the trainer, that somehow there are no decent coaches to be had from Argentina). Looking at the Copa and the performances of Colombia and Chile at the last WC under Sampaoli and Pekerman, Simeone in Europe blows that out of the water.
In my opinion Pekerman is at very best an average manager of teams that consist of adults, and that is being generous to him.