Bad news for us. I am one of those who think that we would have won WC14 if he was not injured in the final and therefore hope that he will be available soon. He might not have scored or assisted yet, but he adds unpredictability in our game which creates space for our other players, specially Messi. Hope it’s nothing serious.
As I recall, they did beat us 2-0 in 2020 at the last Olympics, in Tokyo. (After one of our guys got a bogus second yellow in the first half). So, payback time!
He assisted Messi's goal vs Mexico. Also directly involved in first goal against Poland. That pass for Messi against Mexico was a good one, he slipped the ball between 2 defenders who's closing the space.
I'm just afraid Papu somehow will appear again in starting line up. If its not ADM then it better be either A.Correa or Dybala.
Had we had a full strength Olympic squad, we would have handled them easily. That was nowhere near the best U23 we could have fielded. All the good players were either in Copa America or were not released by their clubs (no obligation since it’s not a FIFA tournament). At best, that was our C team. It would have been a slaughter if we played them with our real U23 team (Julian, Enzo, Lisandro Martinez, Cuti, Molina, Palacios, Nico Gonzalez, Nico Dominguez, etc) I pay no attention to that score
As it is pouring outside here in Los Angeles, and knowing the R16 match is a little over 15 hours away, I still do not have much nerves. It almost feels like a friendly for me. It is a strange feeling. Now, I hope our players are not treating it as such, it could be a grave mistake. But I do not think they will be, they’ve learned their lesson from the first match. The Aussies will probably play a similar way to the Danes, sit back and counter. But we must kill this match within the first 90 minutes. I want to see a number of goals and we move onto the next round. If we are up by 2-3 goals by the 65-70th min mark, please; take Messi out. I believe almost every outfield had played this tournament but Foyth, Angel C and Paulo. I guess this is a testament to our depth. It may look like Correa could get some action, since Fideo is out. But, give Paulo some minutes. He deserves to be in there and I think even with 15-20 minutes, he can provide some magic, particularly if we are up. I know it is a quick turnaround and I still do not understand why we get little rest but just remember the Aussies played the same day, where they defended most of the match. But we dominated our match and probably rested since we were on the front foot. Again, let’s not make this more complicated than needed.
Scaloni said the other day “if Messi doesn’t ask me for the substitution, I am not taking him out” So, knowing Messi’s love for the sport and his desire to prove himself on the WC stage, I would not be surprised at all to see him play the entire match. Moreso considering how we’d have a decent break before the following match if we advance. Anyway… “pouring”… oh my fellow SoCal native. It’s like two drops
There is a prediction contest for the knockout stage. Whoever is interested feel free to join and predict the Round of 16 fixtures by naming the eight winners with (N) => in normal time (E) => in extra time (P) => on penalties Post# 3218 https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/m...redictions-what-do-you-think.2120305/page-129
As you very well know, we do not get a great deal of rain. And when we do, it might as well be a tsunami!
ADM is vital if we get through. Shame about the first game. We could have done with some more rest for certain players. Lionel S needs to tell Lionel M that should be ahead by a margin today to come off and rest. This WC is just as much about fitness and the ability to press hard than anything else. Taking your foot off the accelerator can be foolhardy.
I have a feeling Messi will score his first KO stage goal. Julian seems to have huge confidence in his play as he continuously threatening even when not scoring. Enzo will once again proof to be our wild card once again.
Di Maria is pivotal for us. Even when sometimes he runs to nowhere, his moments of brillance can totally change a game for the better. We know he is irreplacable, futbolistically. Having said so, i dont think we need him this game. We have enough talent upfront to play in his place. In a way, im kind of glad he is resting for the quarters. We will need him.
I watched Australia vs Denmark, and Australia plays similarly to how Saudi Arabia plays. Pressing high, fast, compact and a high line. If we learned our lesson from the Saudi Arabia match, we'll be ok. From the news, it looks like the team that started vs Poland will be the team to play vs Australia, except one of Papu, A. Correa or Dybala will replace Di Maria. My preference would be A. Correa with Dybala as a sub. -Julian has the speed that Lautaro does not so that extra bit of pace can be the deciding factor of breaking the offside trap. (That 3 offside goals vs Saudi Arabia is evidence of that) -We will be playing with 3 midfielders so build up play should be better. -Most of the starters are now match fit and have some rhythm.
It takes Papu alots of effort just to turn his body around in first game. No joke, Its like seeing semitruck making a U turn.
Oh god, hopefully he doesn’t score. Worst nightmare is he does well, we advance, and as a result he becomes a starter or first sub vs the big dogs