I've been watching some old matches with Ayala at the World Cup. He use to be my favorite defender next to Zenetti, but now that I'm looking at him with another perspective. He cost us quite a few games. Bad challenges, always getting turned inside out, or a bad misread tackle that opened up space. Zanetti definately was better than him.
Yea, that Bergkamp's goal and his own goal against Brazil were bad memories and always sticks out like a sore thumb. I think he also had another own goal against Brazil in qualifier 2002.. or was it friendlies? However, if Pekerman didnt make a bad subtitution in 2006 QF, we probably would have won that game with his header, right? He also helped us to win Olympics 2004 without conceiding goal the whole tournament. I was watching 2002 WC highlights again the other day after more than a decade, and Aimar was another disappointment. He played in last two games and didnt play that well. He had two open chances against England from distance , both time he shoot to the sky.
Since certain posters like to talk about players and matches of the past, I think it is best to create a thread and not dilute it with the current players or sticky tournament/matches threads. Pupi had shaky moments as well. All of our defenders had moments. Bielsa was in charge for 2004.
Though this may belong in the coached thread, but has any coach effed up more than Passarella with his stupid "no long hair" policy. Imagine Redondo and Caniggia added to that 1998 team.
Bati himself had stated that 94 team was the team that would've likely won the World Cup with Diego and the team lost its soul when he was banned. He said the 98 team was missing something. Maybe that something was in fact Redondo and Caniggia. Lets not forget prior to the 98 World Cup, we had beaten Brasil on their home soil, so that semi-final matchup would've been interesting. But Pasarella's policy was stupid as hell. He must've forgotten who helped him hoist the trophy in 78.
When you get that impulsive urge to post random goals and matches from the past, place it here! It’s a new and shiny thread. I got you, Big Chief.
Stumbled on this highlights again from YT random recommandation... I have to say even just by having a decent midfields (Banega & Alessandro), we're able to thrashed Spain. Diego really threw that quarterfinal away by fielding 5 attackers without any proper midfielders. To think there's the likes of Aimar, Cambiassao, Riquelme and even Veron all could have been available ... but Diego treated that game as if its a playstation game. In a way we also laid a blueprint on how to beat their possession football. A quick direct counter which Netherlands and Brazil also did few years later. Most teams who tries to outpossess Spain usually ended up losing.
Or look at Spain WC run outside 2010. Wonder why its always first round or round 16 exit most of the time... France also out at group stage in that WC, while Netherlands didnt even qualify.
Boca legend and prolific striker Francisco Varallo who at the time of his passing aged 100 in 2010 was the oldest surviving WC player and sole survivor therefore of the inaugural WC final relates his memories of it.
Messi wrongly disallowed goal against Brazil in Copa 2007 final. He was clearly onside when Masche shoot. He had similar goal being disallowed aswell against Mexico in WC 2006, even though replay shows there's no offside.