Argentine NT: News, Stats & Players [R]

Not trying to defend him, he did play badly in last few months, but it happened to many great players. Remember Messi once failed to score for two consecutive tournaments. For whatever reason, he just couldnt put the ball in the back of the net. Even in CA 2015, Messi had plenty of chances and only scored once from the spot. In WC 2018 qualifier ,Aguero scored 1 in 10 games, but he found his form and was great in WC 2018 and CA 2019.

For now he'd still have another chance, but he definetely will gets dropped below Julian and Dybala if he doesnt score in upcoming games. In fact, Julian deserves the starting place after his WC performance. Lautaro has been playing like he's wearing a blindfold.

 

He's one of the best foward dribblers though. He's great to keep posession and creater chances. His finishing is suffering but the rest of his game is still fire. He's good to put on when you're up by 3 and you need to clean house.

 

He came on against Australia when we were 2 nil up and Messi set him up with 3 clear cut chances and he missed them all. I don't know what is up him for the NT, his confidence is shot to pieces, he just needs to score.

 

ADM plans on staying for another season at Juve. This isn’t exactly a bad move. He is doing well when he does play. Juve will need to eventually move on from Allegri but they could replace him with Conte? Not sure how that is a good move. Soulé is not getting the minutes he once was earlier in the season. This is understandable since Chiesa has returned. I’d still like to see him get minutes. But I’d be interested seeing the growth of Barrenechea.


Paredes needs to figure out what he wants to do. His contract does not end until June of 2024.

Players that Scaloni will need to either replace or have backups will be Paredes and De Paul. Rodri will be 32 by the time 2026 comes around and the same could be said about Paredes. It is starting to look like Paredes will no longer be a starter.

I still believe FIFA will move up the roster closer to 30 since more games will be played per team. This means that these players will probably still make the roster for their experience and whatnot.


It is going to be interesting to see how Scaloni shifts players and who he calls up. I’m also excited to see who will emerge or take their game to the next step from home and abroad.

Equi, and Varela from Boca will be interesting to see if they can continue to hype of their names. I liked what I saw from Fernández last season at Tigre, which is why Boca wanted him back. Beltran from River looks like a player that Scaloni will like. He fits that molds from his forward.

One youngster from the Europibes, who I think that could pan out as something special is Nico Paz. He does things in games that grabs your attention and say “Well, he’s a bit different” but in a good way. He was one of the only few bright parts from Mascherano’s tenure as the manager of the Sub 20 teams. Also, Luka Romero needs to figure out what he’s doing. It’s not that he’s 15-16 anymore. He’s old enough where he should get a few games per month.

But that’s another thing. If we do manage to host this thing and participate, do we send Garnacho to the friendlies in June or unleash him in the U20s at home? I’d send him to the youth tournament.


Interesting times ahead of us.

 

The absent of some of the best players in u20 qualifier certainly hurt us, not just down to Masche novice coaching.

 

With the U-20 starting in May 20 and the PL ends in May 28 (Potential Europa league final on May 31), it's going to be hard to see someone like Garnacho in the U-20 tournament. Feel it's better for Garnacho to join and integrate with the senior squad as he missed the March friendlies and I think he has proven himself in the Premier League considering his age.

Maybe for some talented pibes who are not getting regular minutes could participate in the U-20 tournament like Perrone, Buonanotte, Soule and etc.

 

My biggest (and only) question mark for next cycle is the LB position. Both Taglia and Acuña are getting old already. Taglia is a model professional so I guess he's going to age well and give us a couple of good more years. Acuña is too injury prone though, I can see him falling out from the squad eventually.

Hopefully Carboni and Aude start to pan out in their clubs, they need to get integrated with the guys asap. Barco needs to solve his situation urgently and start playing already, don't care where.

For last, a question for those who watch the french league. How much of an alternative Medina is in there? I know he is playing as a LCB in a back three. And I know Scaloni prefers attacking full backs, but he played there in Talleres right? I mean, in case we get desperate...

 

LB is certainly the biggest question mark. Scaloni did bring in Lautaro Blanco (24 year old LB from Elche CF) to the March friendlies to get a better look at him and see how he integrates with the squad, so I'm sure Scaloni is thinking about this too. IMO, Blanco should have went to a better club as I think he has potential, we'll see what happens in the summer.

Unless they have terrible form or sturck by injury, I still think that both Tagliafico and Acuna are going to be in the Copa 24 squad as I think the talented young LBs are just finding their place in their respective clubs. Hopefully after the Copa 24, we can get a better picture of what the future of LB is like. Fortunately, the rest of the spots are well defined imo so it's just one piece of the puzzle that we just need to fill. If needed, we can also play a back 3 and have Nicolas Gonzalez as LWB.

For Medina, I think he deserves to go to the big leagues and he really should be pushing for it this summer. I see him more as a CB than a LB so I'd much rather see Nicolas Gonzales as a LB than Medina.

 

Hope I'm wrong, but not really confident in Blanco at this point, can't even be a usual starter for Elche. But hey if Scaloni called him, there must be something there.

Yeah I know Medina is a CB and the perfect back up for Licha (more than Senesi), just thinking of him if everything else fails. As for Nico... that could be too risky imo. Not only because would not be his ideal position, you can't really rely on him on staying healthy and secure the spot.

 

🚨🇦🇷 Argentina será sede del Mundial Sub-20.

vía @Levyninho | @dorhoffman pic.twitter.com/lwOoHDOIJi

— JS (@juegosimple__) March 30, 2023

 

Edul confirming as well

El Mundial de fútbol Sub 20 se va a jugar en Argentina.
FIFA lo va a confirmar entre sábado y lunes. pic.twitter.com/rkQ2rCcpOb

— Gastón Edul (@gastonedul) March 30, 2023

this is a great opportunity, i hope menoscherano stays as far away from the NT as possible, someone lock him up so he cant leave his house

 

I don't agree, even with normal talent you can qualify. A stable formation and defending is all that's needed.

 

Yup. And he wasn't close to do it. I mean, he didn't even qualify for the second round of the tournament... totally inexcusable.

Come on Pablito, you know what you gotta do, take care of this team.

 

Isn't this a FIFA tournament where players have to be released? I understand the dynamics of the qualifiers but I cannot really ever recall one of of your youth players not being permitted to participate in the tournament itself. I even recall Tevez fighting the AFA back in 2003 for him to remain at Boca instead of going to that tournament.

I'd personally send him to the tournament and let him get a taste of what it could be like playing in front of the home stands. If the likes of Messi and Kun participated in these tournaments, Garnacho should be no exception.

Franco was loaned out to a Serie B side but then to Monza, who are in the Serie A within the same season. He was getting more minutes when he was in Serie B. But from what I have read and see Valentin is the more talented of the two brothers.

But I will say this much. If we are hosting this thing, I hope to see Colo Barco in the team. It seems that he has pure talent but whoever is in charge, has to at least call him up and see what he can do. This is a position that Scaloni needs to figure out. We have a little bit of time but the sooner, the better.

 

I'm not sure if that rule only applies to the senior games, but I guess we'll find out.

I personally would like Garnacho to integrate with the senior team in the summer and get some minutes with no pressure as the WCQ is starting soon. Plus with Masche probably being the U-20 coach, my hopes are not that high. But, wouldn't mind at all if he wants to go to the U-20 and hopefully the team can win the tournament.

 

The last time Argentina hosted the U20 World Cup was in 2001. They won all seven of their games, beat Ghana in the final and this little lad top scored with 11 goals. pic.twitter.com/TkpITIte7d

— Daniel Edwards 💚 (@DanEdwardsGoal) March 30, 2023

 

Garnacho, Soulé, Nico Paz, Luka Romero, Maestro Puch, los Carboni, Infantino, Perrone y demás jugadores con (Dios quiera) Aimar DT, para el Mundial Sub 20 en Argentina

Muchachos ahora nos volvimos a ilusionar, quiero ganar la septima, quiero ser campeon mundial pic.twitter.com/k0TCq77kY3

— Franco 🇦🇷 (@_franco30_) March 30, 2023

 

It's too bad we had a flap jack like Gordona who never had that imagination. How much money Argentina could have pulled in by winning and publicity (Selling the image like Real Madrid does) to other nations. Instead he wanted to make his money in the back channels and secure his old ass in power positions.

I was watching a new documentary about Maradona and they interviewed Sepp, listening to him and how he talked. These guys from that football era, who wore the suits were all ********ed in the head.

 

Conehead isnt any better.

 

The AFA are capitalising on the huge world wide support there is for the NT. And good on them, they are being very proactive, hence why they want to go to China/ Bangladesh/ India (potentially). Hard to quantify these things, I guess Brazil are probably the most supported team world wide but Argentina can't be far behind.

 

If Argentina host this year's U-20 WC, it's a great opportunity to get a lot of the young European-Argentineans to wear the Albiceleste and beat Mancini to the punch.

I hope Aimar calls all of them!! Get them to Argentina, win the WC and we have locked up another Golden Generation; Nico Paz, Garnacho, Carbonis, and all the players Mancini was targeting.

This could be such a great opportunity!