Post game comments: Brazil -Argentina sept 3rd (r)

I agree with the last statement :/

 

Roman seems to be the regular whipping boy whenever a result comes in that isn't in Arg's favor. From what I remember, many people had bad games on Sunday. Riquelme was great in the world cup. You can't say that the team was wonderful, had a great tournament, and say that Roman played badly. He was the heart of the team, and the reason the offense looked so clean and focused, and effective. It's also important to note that the three "finishers" of the world cup (maxi rod, crespo, and saviola) did not play in this game.

Two problems with the offense need to be addressed.

1) Lack of a craspo type poacher. We can't just do it with the shorties

2) Messi and Riquelme have not yet found a rhythm or chemistry together.

There are other midfield options for arg, namely Aimar. But coaches play Riquelme for a reason. He's "slow", but his passes are quick, sometimes too quick for his teammates. He is an incredibly quick thinker. Any real football fan would be crazy to outright dismiss this special player.

 

you're right, he didn't have a good game on sunday but nobody really did (a lot of people would say zabaleta played well) and yet in an opinion poll in ole, something like 50 percent of those who took the poll didn't want him near la seleccion again. I would like to see other options as well but i wouldn't discard roman completely.

 

regarding that popular poll - there is a reason why coaches coach and fans watch. If we choose a team on popularity, that team would be scary indeed.

I imagine that once others get their chance in Roman's position, and they show their own weaknesses and limitations, then this quick judgement will subside.

 

You don't need to try out other players in his position to figure this out. Just look at videos from WC 2002, where Aimar played. He did an excellent job but we lacked Riquelme. I am all for Aimar playing and actually playing along side of Riquelme with Messi, Tevez and Aguero on top

 

It might be unfair to lay all the responsability on Riquelme but for better or worse he was the "face" of Argentina in the last wc and tended to disappear at times when we needed him the most (Pekerman being responsible for his last disappearance). Like most geniousess he gets into his own little world at times and that is not always a good thing. Also, his style of play is quite slow to what people are used to in Argentina. Plenty of times you wish he would hassle a bit more. I don't think he should be complete disregarded but Argentina is a country with a lot of good players and some other player could fill that role easily if they maintain a high level of play.

 

Totally agree , absoluteley any other nation would have Riquelme star in 2010 he is not a regular player, it is not even a matter of skill, it is a matter of hierachy, there are perfect players like aimar, but Riquelme is a new dimension in attributes.

You Argentinos had the perfect gameplan for the last world cup, except that the last world cup was a joke (the tournament) they had too much commercialism and forgot about the futbol. Maybe you think yourselves biased, but I saw what I saw, and there is no denying for me you guys were cheated.

What I would have changed: have a second playmaker such as D'ale next to Riquelme because there were like 3 players constantly on him.

 

That we should have a second playmaker totally agree and thats where Aimar should come in, I think Pekerman did that in one of our games in the WC and the team kicked arse, because it confused the other team completely and you cant have 3 or 4 guys marking 2 guys. If I'm not mistaken it was against mexico we put in Aimar and Riquelme, I'll look for that video but I think that worked out great. The other we missed this past sunday were Maxi Rodriguez and Cambiasso which could be the finishing touches in the plays made by Riquelme, Messi or Tevez like it was in the WC.

 

It was the Mexico game. Arg's toughest game. Riquelme found Aimar and beat the offside trap, passed to Aimar, who whipped it to Messi, who scored. But the ref. called erronously called the goal offside. This was in regular time, and proof that Riquelme and Aimar can play great together, and that Aimar can be that link between Roman to Messi, which seems lacking.

 

that sucks! my friends from swaziland are big england fans, so they always root against argentina. nice to see a swazi who is an argentina fan!

usually the people that complain about roman are river plate fans, and then bring up aimar as the alternative (hint hint)... but whatever, both are good players.. it is unfair aimar hasn't been given much chance, so I can see their resentment.

 

It's not really our fault if the only real alternatives are ex-River players

 

I come in peace

While watching the game I could sense that Argentina needs a legitimate striker. ALA Hernan Crespo.

Since the ultimate goal is 2010.

Crespo will be to old.

Messi and Tevez are brilliant. But they are cut in the same mold. Short, speedy players who run at defenses.

Seeing how the Brazilians are not afraid to call up players playing their club ball in Russia.

Why not? Cavenagghi.

Kid was the future Batistuta then was off the radar. Give him a shot.

Or someone with a more aerial presence.

Lucho Figueroa never convinced me while playing for Cruz Azul. He seemed like an Argentine version of Borgetti. Must feed him the ball, plus is a defensive liability. Argentina is strong enough to cope with this issue though. So he can be another candidate.

Any other tall classic 9's in Argentina today?


Thank you

 

I agree with you about a no. 9

I don't know much about Cavenaghi since I never saw him play and I probably won't see him play since he plays in Russia aparently (plz go to spain)

 

Just when yout thought the arguements have died down, I come in with my controversial bits.

Firstly I would start with a bit of defence for the Argentina team. We talk about tuf away games, like the one against Germany and away games in Brazil in Rio or Sau Paulo. Even there, the AFA gets a certain amount of tickets for away fans, and a host of albiceleste supporters travel to support their team from one side of the galleries. Even when its a minority, a bit of support comes back from a certain part of the ground, whereas last weekend in London, I went and got so amused that there were that many brazillians living in london. A capacity of 60,000 emirates stadium was full with yellow shirts, I would assume about 56,000 were brazillian, another 3000 Arsenal "neutral" fans who were there to cheer their very own Gilberto Silva and new signing Julio Baptista. The handful of Argentina fans, 2000 at most, were scattered along the ground in ones and twos, not making any noise obviously, there was nil support, this was worse than an away game.

All of us were happy to recognise that the QF against Germany would be very intimidating because of the home support, this was much harder, and that wc side was a balanced and well practiced side, whereas this team had a number of youngsters, who had less than 48 hrs to gel. And they come across a very intimidating crowd, which felt like Rio, and the supporters werent laid back for a friendly if u know what I mean.

 

Totally agree with last post, to bring in youngsters with no so much experience with the nt and to also put them against that strong with not time to practice but 48 hrs, a team that has already played a game together was very dificult. On the Figueroa case, I think we need him back, he was that finishing touch to great passes by Messi, Tevez or Riquelme. I think we should play with a 4-4-2 being Aimar(Insua), Riquelme, Tevez, and Messi(Cambiasso) in the mid and Figueroa, Delgado (Palacio, Maxi) up top. For defense I would have Colocinni, Heinze, Bilos, and Im missing one more Help?

 

Guys i wanna make something clear we really need Heinze in the center Defense for 2010!!!!! not just that but he should be our captain the guys is a hard working animal on the field and really knows what he's doing, without experience our defense looked ************!!!

partner? i would say either Gonzalo or Palleta these 2 guys deserve a shot ive seen palleta and the guy is unbelievable he's a canavaro type of defender which should be very good with some experience!!!

by the way look at Liga's team of the week 3 of them Argentinians

1 Abbondanzieri (Getafe): Bernd Schuster's jackpot, the Argentine number one was at his imperious best, producing save after save as desperate Osasuna tried to find the net from outside the area.

8 D'Alessandro (Zaragoza): Deportivo might have managed a narrow win, but the former Pompey player made a huge promise with his display on the night. Combined beautifully with Ewerthon and Diego Milito to cause Depor lots of problems. If only Aimar can look less lost, their South American attack is going to go places this season.

9 Messi (Barcelona): With no Ronaldinho around, and the ghosts from Monaco ready to engulf the Catalans, the teenager stepped up to show Barcelona the way with a superb second half display, as they battled from behind to take an unlikely win in Vigo.

 

i dont think that bilos is a defender. but i think as much as i hate basile he is going to make the neccassary changes in players. i liked zabaleta and cavegol is a machine. think that raton is going to get somegames in and that'll be good, we might even see veron in some games. but does basile like or dislike roman, that would change everthing.

 

I read an article yesturday stating basile says roman is the new generations leader! so i think he likes him but dont worry he'll make the necessary changes although i think Bilos did a great job against brazil he really gave it all and was outstanding but i dont know i think Cavenaghi, Frutos, Higuain should all get a call up they can all score and they're all tall

i really wanna see Belluschi on that right side instead of Lucho

 

How tall is Higuain?

 

When is Argentina going to play Spain?

 

about 184 i believe

 

Wow I always assumed he was kind of short- must be the tv making everybody *this* small. heh

 

Just heard about Fernando Forestieri, a 16 years old who plays for Genoa in Italy, he was highlighted by the Italian sport press as the “new Lionel Messi”. They even said he has better acceleration than Messi had at that age.

Not trying to hype him or anything, just noting that there are a lot of new potential talents who could pop up out of nowhere and be included in the squad for 2010. I just think we need a real, consistent, number 9. And please no more Figeroa jokes ( isn't he at Genoa too ? What a coincidence), his record might be impressive but he is not NT material.

I am not worried. The game against Brazil looks more and more like a fluke. Once Basile sets a foot in the NT things will change drastically.