Down to the wire: Paraguay vs. Argentina WCQ Wednesday Sept. 9 [R]

That's why Bielsa is not suited for Arg. You should always pick the best players and figure out the tactics to get the best out of them, and not the other way around.

 

I don't think Gallego is what the nt is needing right now, i think Cappa who seems to be more into formations and offensive playing could be better.

I didn't say you were, i meant in general.

To be honest i don't know if it'd be the time for Aimar and Saviola to return, i think Higuaín may deserve a shot but not as a 9...

Why? I think his way fits exactly what a national team coach should do.

 

The good news is that if Argentina ends up in the playoff, they're likely to face Costa Rica. They're on worse form than Argentina at the moment. They've lost their last three games with 0 goals for and 8 against. Good luck and hopefully you get a real coach soon.

 

0 goals? that will change when they see Heinze my friend that 0 will turn into 3 if you dont believe me ask anyone even Luisao looked like a #9 the other day with that header

 

For what i've seen saving Mexico, Honduras and USA the other contenders from the play-off seem very weak, i think any CONMEBOL sides with possibilities of making the play-offs can beat them.

So right now.

4- Ecuador 23 -2
5- Argentina 22 +1
6- Uruguay 21 +8
7- Venezuela 21 -5
8- Colombia 20 -4

And next:

-Argentina vs. Peru
-Bolivia vs. Brazil
-Colombia vs. Chile
-Venezuela vs. Paraguay
-Ecuador vs. Uruguay

-Uruguay vs. Argentina
-Peru vs. Bolivia
-Paraguay vs. Colombia
-Chile vs. Ecuador
-Brazil vs. Venezuela

Ok, so if we defeat Peru, and Ecuador defeats Uruguay the 4th and 5th would remain the same until the last match, however that would also mean that Uruguay(who we face in the last one) is eliminated. If We win and Ecuador ties then we'd move to 4th place, however Ecuador would still be 1 point behind us and having to visit Chile, and Uruguay could equal us in points on the last match(if we lose), which means they'd be above us since their goal difference is far better, however a draw may do for us depending on the result of Chile-Ecuador. So basically we could still qualify as 4th getting 4 points, and depending on other scores too. Of course we must win over Peru but also should hope for a victory of Ecuador over Uruguay, maybe that'd ease our chances a lot. I didn't consider Venezuela and Colombia because they have very difficult matches(by the looks of it they should lose, Should we trust our neighbours?), so obviously it would play on our favour if the top 3 won their last two matches.

 

I've gone from anger to frustration to despair during the qualifying campaign to ourgith laughter, delirous, hysterical laughter. What else can you do when in the 4th minute of added time you see a 35 year old heading the ball to a 36 year old who can't move quick enough to put the ball into an empty net. Hilarious, knock-a-bout stuff, what next, will we be getting Batistuta out of retirement, Di Stefano is probably still useful.

To be honest I just can't believe that we still have a very good chance of qualifying and one win against Peru (bearing in mind the games Ecuador/Venezuela/Colombia & Uruguay have coming up) might be enough, this after we have lost 4 of our last 5 qualifying games. And if we finish 5th, we are likely to play Costa Rica in a play off. Come on, you've gotta laugh.

 

The worrying thing is that we can't defend and, at the moment, we can't score either. I'm no footballing expert, but even I know that ain't good.

Still, I'm forever the optimist, so I'll be popping down the bookies later to put a tenner on Argentina to win the world cup, I should get good odds on that now.

 

Well, I don't recall much of attack against Brazil either. That's the scary part. We are giving a lot of stick to defenders, but it's our attack that is totally ineffective. Did we create even one serious occasion in the whole game? And Paraguay defense was not as solid as Brazil's.

Clearly a plan is missing from midfield forwards. They seem totally clueless. Playing like this, I don't think we can even beat Peru.

 

The problem is that we have no creativety in midfield, Masch is brilliant at what he does, but he is not a creative player, so our attackers are isolated and get swamped by packed defences. The gap between the midfield players and the strikers is massive, by the time they get up to support the strikers they have usually lost posession.

Also Gago and Veron are just too slow, Veron does his best but come on, you can't have a 34 year old central midfielder playing back to back games.

I live in England and was watching the game on Sky, the commentators, not unreasonably, kept going on and on about how it was that Palermo has ben recalled when Argentina have players like Higuain and Zarate who can't get in the squad and Lisandro and D. Milito who were not even on the subs bench, fair comment really.

The only plus was the performance of Romero, who for a 22 year old was very, very assured.

 

I don't agree. I think that we have no problem transmitting the ball from midfield to forwards, but we get stuck there. It looks like they don't have a clue about what to do with the ball. So usually they start moving it to the side and then making a cross, which is of course out of reach for our dwarfs.

 

He was also a Newell's man. So he had that going for him.

Wow. That's a strange way to go about accomplishing something - having a ... what's it called ... a PLAN. Neat concept, eh Diego?

 

When Bielsa realises that you should build a system around the best players available and not the other way around, will be the moment that he actually starts winning things of importance.

As a tactician however, he's great.

 

It's awful.

They're not scoring, but making up for it by not defending.

It is sad to watch. I hate to sound dramatic, but none of us are getting any younger, and it will clearly be another 5 five years from now before Argentina can hope to claim another star on the shirt.

Time marches on grondona - why would you not want to end each day being able to look yourself in the mirror and say you did all you could do to make Argentina the best it can be?

 

I though Lavezzi did well.

The problem is you have to have a pattern and style of play, whatever that may be, but you have to some system that all the players know and know their part in it. With Argentina it seems totally chaotic, with no one really knowing what they are doing or what their role is in the team. The commentators mentioned what Messi must think, playing for an ultra professional club like Barca and manager like Guardiola and then going into the chaos that is the Argentina NT. The only strategy at the moment is to hope that Aguero or Messi can beat 10 opposition players and score a goal.

 

He's lacking flexibility, in that sense, he has the same default that Basile had. IMO, Pekerman was a good balance between the two even though he had also some issues (dubious subs in particular). After all, he was "a rookie" at international and he was learning the highlest level, he only coached in youth tournament prior to the WC2006.

 

Hello to all . i have seen this forum for a while and till now got the courage to post . I have been a fan of your National team ever since I was , a little girl . forgive me if i have spelling errors it is 5:35 Am right now and Iam tired . I just wanted to express my anger and frustration after what happend at todays game . no thanks to you maradroga I hate you . I know you guys have talented player , problem is this fool calls up the wrong ones . I have a soultion as to how to get rid of him , start a riot on the streets of Argentin to get the public and everyone to notice . 2 if that doesnt work hire villeros to kindapp him and they will have no choice but to hire someone new

 

All our recent managers have had the same "issues", chopping and changing teams, not being able to decide on their first xi, poor substituions etc, perhaps the AFA should just fork out and get in a top european coach, except none of then are available now. How about offering the job to Moanhio on a part time basis?

I don't know about you lot, but the more I think about the NT the more it does my head in. I'm going to tune out of the NT for a while, sit back and watch some Italian, Spanish and German footie on Sky and ESPN, enjoy the champions league next week and I'll tune back in when they final round of qualifying games comes round in October. See you then.

 

A couple more things i forgot , what he is doing is a crime to football . i want you guys to go to the world cup as it will never be the same without you . the whole peru and uruguay games are going to be hell , as everyone is fighting tooth and nail for the spots right now . from what ive seen at the CONCACAF qualifiers are a mess as anyone can take the lead there right now. I would hate to see you loose to any of those teams as well . Dios if there even is one send maradroga to hell now please and in all honesty you need Riquelme ,, I dont like Gago on the team as i dont think he has done anything to help . well that is all for now

 

Are we forgetting where Tata Martino is from?

http://www.abc.com.py/abc/nota/22588-Martino-desea-clasificación-de-Argentina/

Won't happen.

 

gotta say, All shall fear El “Gordinho” Cabañas. i love that guy. he is proof that it doesn't matter where you play and that european players are over rated. the guy can play with his back to goal, distribute from midield, dribble, and hit deadly set pieces. that goal you all scored was a thing of beauty, and it was all down to him. he looked like maradona cerca 1986 on that play. With regards to our team, I am all for using home or mexican based players. the problem is not the fact that we have 10 home based players in the squad, but who those people are. papa is a good player, and he was our best defender tonight, but he's a little weak for this level. I'd like to see Monson given a chance. seba dominguez: all the brazilians were laughing that we started him b/c of how slow he was when he was in the brazilian league. maradona should have known this. he called him up ONLY b/c he partned otamendi at club level. i've been saying it for a while now, but i'd like to see moralez given a shot. velez have maximum points at the moment and he scored a golazo the other day when their whole back line was with la seleccion to keep their 100% record.

 

Let me put it to you guys nicely, lets go for the 4th position by winning the next two games, when we had the 4th position locked with the last two games and when we had the 3rd position locked before Maradona came in in Feb/March whenever it was, when Brazil was struggling with us, and now they are good.

PATHETIC.

If Argentina goes for qualification, with this team, with Maradona, we will not win.

Maradona should seek this advice.