Football News

daniarg (Ethiopia)

Posted on 5/27/2012 at 11:54 AM 0 it is disappointing how all Argentina coaches are wasting all the talent the country have,pastore,lamela,alvarez,banega,biglia,l.lopez,tevez,look at all this talent any country would kill to have this guys and Argentine born 22 year old Atlanta midfielder Matias leshotto have been included in Italy's euro 2012 squad.look at my squad if i am the coach romero Matias Rodriguez garay macherano monzon/insua banega biglia pastore messi aguero higuain

Mik (United Arab Emirates)

Posted on 5/27/2012 at 9:10 AM 0 Hmm ofcourse Banega,Gago,Bigilia,and Canteros r superb players,,,any one of these desesrves to be in our team as DM along with MASCHERANO..i like Bigilia and Canteros more than BANEGA and GAGO...the formers r having more creativity than The laters...but any one of these 4 is great for us...But what to dooo Sabella would probably choose Brana...to partner MASCERANO... And I dont think by putting one Creative Midfileder will sole alll our pblms,,,But the thing is if we put one with little creativity it will help our Attack a lot...that now is solely missing...actually by playing SOSA...its like we r wasting one important position... See there r 4 defenders 2 DMS (for now its Mascerano and Brana),,,now there should be 4 attacking minded players...But what Sabella does is he plays another 2 Defencive minded Midfielders like Guianzu,,Sosa,,that is the pblm,,so its like we r never gonna loss 4-0 but we r not gonna score goals too with this set up unless MESSI MAGIC...we need to try more young players instead of Sosa and Guianzu,Brana..like Bigilia,Canteros,Tino Costa,Banega(Who can defend too and little creative too).. I really hope some changes sabella is forced to bring after our Match agaist Germany and Brazil...

Diego10 (Bangladesh)

Posted on 5/26/2012 at 3:52 AM 0 I think,one of the greatest central midfielders of all time Fernando Redondo,Diego Simione(Instant impact at atletico madrid in 95 & Lazio 00+Inter),Esteban Cambiasso(229 appearance for Inter & described by Jose Mourinho as the heartbeat of his Inter team),Matias Almeyda (Played his best football for Lazio 99-02),Javier Mashcherano(EPL best holding MD),if u dig in Primera divison of argentina u could find at least 3 world class potential DM..Hector Coentros(Velez)Cigariani(River Plate),but Sabella never observes beyond Estudientes!Regarding Banega,there is no doubt,he is on par with X.Alonso in La liga as the best central midfielder(Totally overshadowed Xavi-Busquets several times)..his attributes to Valencia is recognised by his no.10 jersey..dute to improper tactics and formation,never shines for Arg national team..

Abs (United States)

Posted on 5/25/2012 at 5:16 PM 0 @ Leandro: The last time I saw a team playing 4-2-4 was Brazil 1982 I don't think you watch lots of EPL games, coz most of the best DM/MC players shined in England. The list won't stop but I can give you some names: Gerrard, Roy Keane, Schols, Xabi Alonso, Lampard, Yaya, Essian, Vieira, Cesc, Gilberto Silva, Makelele (even though he started with Madrid) and great Mascherano !! Yes there are lots of legends in the Spanish league but they either were stars before they joined like Zidane, or the got the chance to play game in and game out since a young age like Xavi !!

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 5/25/2012 at 4:35 PM 0 I totally disagree about the EPL having the best midfields. Most games are played with 4 2 4 formations, heavy use of crosses from the wings.. The spanish league has much denser midfields in my opinion.

Abs (United States)

Posted on 5/25/2012 at 3:13 PM 0 Gago will always be our best option, I just hope he goes and play will in the English league coz I believe the English are the best in the midfield kind of football !! Liverpool are waiting for you, or did he sign with Roma already ?

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 5/25/2012 at 11:00 AM 0 I dont know exactly when he will be back.. probably within a months time.. but its going to take him time to get his stride, shape and touch back to top level.. all assuming he is not drinking.. cocaine is a much better addiction for a soccer player.. ;p We should look at Biglia who is currently in top form. Or Gago who has had regular playing time this season.

QuothTheRaven (Singapore)

Posted on 5/25/2012 at 6:34 AM 0 When is Banega coming back anyway? Sorry, but i don't really follow the Spanish League.

Abs (United States)

Posted on 5/25/2012 at 6:10 AM 0 He just need to be stronger and don't get into car accidents :p Banega will be the answer to our team once he is back !

Johnny (Thailand)

Posted on 5/24/2012 at 2:36 PM 0 If he ever gets himself straightened out Banega could be a helluva player. He's capable of playing any midfield position and he can play at fullback in a pinch. But he's got to beat demon alcohol first.

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 5/24/2012 at 2:30 PM 1 i agree with you on benega, i had high hope for him in the n/t but he just does not take his chance when he plays for the n/t and looks very average when we see what he can do at club level.

El Negro (United States)

Posted on 5/24/2012 at 1:18 PM 0 Only if Banega can produces his Valencia form for Argentina. When playing for Valencia, he plays breathtaking football and doesn't slow down their game. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of him as well, but I do think he has the potential to become a great midfielder in the near future. I agree about your points on Biglia and Gago. Do you think Banega's performance has something to do with the way Argentina play? Since the departure of Basile and Perkerman, the players movements are quiet poor which can surely impact the performance of midfielders.

QuothTheRaven (Singapore)

Posted on 5/24/2012 at 12:06 PM 0 @Leandro I do agree your take on Masch and Gago's abilty on their long-range passes. Yes it does help a lot for the likes of Messi and Augero to hurt oppositions on the break. But to think back, with Sosa giving the ball away, and the unfortunate facts that Guinazu and Brana both ageing, it doesn't help the team's cause. I'm still rooting for better names for them. Nonetheless the results matter. But a convincing win i hope. Instead of the narrow wins despite seeing our tactics blown off. I hope Sabella has some tricks in his sleeves.

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 5/24/2012 at 11:53 AM 0 @Mik - The formation I used as example is very similar to Sabella. Only changes would be Fernandez for Colochini.. which is sorta equal, Guiterrez for Sosa.. same role player.. and Biglia for an independiente player.. or Maxi.. again, not that different. The formation and tactic is the same as he is using now. @El Negro - I dont think Banega is the answer. I wanted to like the guy, followed some of his club games and saw every National team appearance. He did not impress, only impressed me at the USA friendly in NYC that i saw live.. but it was a meaningless game. He does defend and he does create... BUT.. defensibly he is slooooow, he looses the ball way too much for a center midfielder when he does win it.. in that role the ball needs to be stuck to him with high 90% pass completion.. he will cost us countless turnovers at bad parts of the field and kill us with counter attacks. Also his passing, while good is nothing spectacular.. I have yet to see him split a defense apart or leave a forward 1v1 with the keeper.. he is ALMOST there.. but not yet, id rather see gago or biglia as they are more dynamic and cause less turnovers. Banegas biggest problem is that he is a drunk.. his form is spikes and dips.. i dont trust him to carry the teams engine. Sad really..

El Negro (United States)

Posted on 5/24/2012 at 11:01 AM 0 Since we Argentina fans can only have theories, so let's keep it going. I agree with everything Leandro said. Except, if you're hoping Argentina to have an attacking-minded midfielder who can defend at the same time, then Argentina's best choice would be Banega. I've seen him helping out in the defense on many occasions for Valencia. But the thing is, we would need to give him time to prove himself, which Sabella doesn't shown signs of. Since Sabella's goal seem to be strengthening the defense, then Zabaleta, Colochini, Garay, Campagnero are Argentina's best option. What about Colochini? I'm guessing Sabella knows what Colochini is capable of, and he's probably part of his plan for Argentina. I think he's just trying out other defenders to find out what they're capable of. I'm thinking Colochini has a guaranteed spot in the team and should be introduced in the team anytime soon. As Leandro said, if or after Sabella gets things right, losing 4-0 would not be possible. As for Mascherano, his passing has dramatically improved since joining Barcelona. One of his most improved attribute is his long range passes. It's a whole new Mascherano to me, defensively as well as offensively. It's all come down to what formation to use.

fanfrom78 (United Kingdom)

Posted on 5/24/2012 at 6:01 AM 0 i just dont want a return to 90% ball possession,, and yet no goals ,,some people say argentina play to the opposition bo....then stop... i have to admit thats been going on for years under bielsa the ball control was out of this world but they just wouldn't score FRUSTRATING

fanfrom78 (United Kingdom)

Posted on 5/24/2012 at 5:56 AM 0 had a read of comments below could i just add that in the season mascarano last played for liverpool before going to barca he was number 1 passer and number one tackler in the prem league to be best at both clearly shows what a midfield beast he is HE JUST DONT SCORE LIKE YAR YAR T but then again yar yar cannot defend like masch so its ok then hay lol just pointing out the miss belief macsharano cannot pass is exactly that WRONG

Mik (United Arab Emirates)

Posted on 5/24/2012 at 3:41 AM 0 Hmmm Gud points @Leandro...But sadly most of the players u said r not in sabellas radar...thats the pblmmmmm...

Shinobushinobu (Singapore)

Posted on 5/24/2012 at 1:34 AM 0 @Leandro, oh you bring up my optimism again. Hope what you said is true and Argentina will be alright.

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 5/23/2012 at 3:54 PM 0 Guys, I think you are too hard on our central midfielders regarding passing. @theRaven, you say "Like Ozil, Gotze, even Schweinsteiger". I love Ozil, but DiMaria has a better assists record and he plays much better defense. Mascherano is second to Xavi in pass completion with Barca, high 90%. Mascherano also has very fast and precise 60 yard passes to the wings. Gotze can be kinda mirrored with a player like Biglia, Costa, Banega (poor discipline for Banega). Then we have Gago, while not likely of brilliance, he is very good about short pass distribution, seldom makes risky passes, is a good ball winner and ALWAYS has played with heart when called for the national team. Are these players 'ELITE'... nah (except Masch).. they are 'GOOD'.. but they will get the ball to our talented players upfront and fight hard to win it back. My biggest criticism of Riquelme was that he offered zero defensibly.. as is the case with Pastore which pins our other midfielders to cover lost ground. I am an enganche player myself for my club, I adored Maradona, Zidane, Riquelme, Aimar, etc and think we would be better off with one ( I vote for Aimar, then Lamela when mature ).. but if Sabella can create a 'GOOD' defense, a 'GOOD' midfield and then 'ELITE' attackers with the ace Messi.. I think its sound. We wont be loosing 4-0 to anyone.. and as Chelsea noted, defense wins tournaments. We got to the finals in 1990 WC with just Maradona and Cannigia as real attacking threats and then the rest all out defense hanging from the goal post.. beating Brasil, host Italy, etc. Maradona and Batista all left us very vulnerable to counters and aerial balls, poor player selection and no exceptional creative players controlling tempo. Also, I dont consider Messi a stricker anymore.. especially for Argentina. His false #9 position and his vastly improved passing (arguably top 3 in the world) makes him look more and more like an engache.. who can also kill you on a counter attack run. Messi is the closest we have to Aimar. Since we have a bigillion options upfront (Aguero, Higuain, Tevez, Milito, Lizandro Lopez, etc, etc, etc) we should encourage Messi to start from the center circle. To become Diego in a way. To create, to break though, to pull defenders into the center of the field so as to ope up space for our forwards, to change the tempo, to shake off his markers, to distribute, to kill on the counter, for magic, and to finish plays with 1-2 walls he likes with the likes of Aguero / Higuain / Tevez. If we loose Messi to injury, red card, etc.. then thats the time for Pastore, Lamela to prove themselves.. or to go 4-3-3 with 3 defensive midfields. Goalie: Romero 'GOOD' Defense: Zabaleta, Colochini, Garay, Campagnero 'GOOD' Midfield: DiMaria , Biglia, Mashcherano, Guiterrez (Gago, Banega, etc) 'GOOD' and very good defensibly. If we park the bus, good luck breaking through. Only our height is a bit of a weakness. Offense: Messi, Aguero ... take out Biglia and add Higuain adds more teeth and Messi plays as a deep enganche.. Vamos Argentina! Hope to see some of you at the pre game BBQ for the Brasil friendly.

AllyShaw (United Kingdom)

Posted on 5/23/2012 at 3:36 PM 0 i think banega should be a starter for argentina - i think thats the key. i know he's had some dodgy games but he has tonnes of quality and can dictate play, has good ball control and put in a tackle aswell..... 4231 / 4222 romero zab-fernandez-garay-rodriguez/monzon gago-banega aguero messi di maria higuain aguero will play more upfront, and messi can drift to RAM in his place. higuain will stop in the box and act as a pivot to play around. a good coach could make this work. there is absolutely no need for sosa, maxi rodriguez etc to be in the team. possibly march for fernandez or gago. oh, and put riquelme on the bench to dictate the last 20 mins. pastore and lamella should also be in the squad to add different dimensions.

El Negro (United States)

Posted on 5/23/2012 at 2:45 PM 0 If Argentina are to play counter-attacking football, then Sabella must introduce a creative midfielder and a fullback. They should then stabilize a trio like Di Maria, Messi, and Aguero. They can be our trio since they seem to be part of Sabella's plan. Sabella must then bring a midfielder with a good vision and passing accuracy like either Pastore or Banega. As of now, since Sabella usually starts with Sosa so let's see how he will play by late 2012 to mid 2013. Honestly, the only Argentina game under Sabella that showed signs of counter-attacking football, was the one against Chile. The players moved the ball quickly in the final third and their movements off the ball were 'OK.' Di Maria did a great job with his passes. After that game Argentina played a terrible game against Venezuela, drew with Bolivia, and another horrible game against Colombia.

QuothTheRaven (Singapore)

Posted on 5/23/2012 at 1:37 PM 0 I don't get the hype about counter attacks getting effective when we don't have a playmaker. Yes, speed plays a part. But counter attacking system works at its best with playmakers splitting defences using their passes. Yes, Germany is mentioned. But they also have players who have an eye of passing. Like Ozil, Gotze, even Schweinsteiger who sometimes play as a holding midfielder, can make some delightful pass. For Sabella, i like how he's fixing the defence. But we clearly have better names for the midfield don't we?

Mik (United Arab Emirates)

Posted on 5/23/2012 at 7:14 AM 1 Yuppp thats what MESSI MESSI MESSI,,,thats what our NTs identity is now...everything has to pass through Messi...sometimes its like ...not a gud feeling...ofcourse MESSi is the jewel we have ...a proud which we all have...whoever supporting Argentina have that proud...But still its like ... i would love to see our team play like in 2006 WC..all those playing in that team knows each other...like a telepatic connection,,,i still remember the greatest goal in WC 2006 against Serbia..that was a Team...But now???obviously we cant expect the same style of playing...soo lets see how Sabella performs against big teams...remember we still havent faced a big team under Sabella(Apart from BRAZIL that too with South American players)

Mohd (Lebanon)

Posted on 5/23/2012 at 5:42 AM 1 just amazing! some here thing we can play counter attacking while having Mascherano, Brana, and Gago as our midfielders!!..! reality check: every single successful counter attacking team in the world relies on two things: central midfielders who can distribute the ball QUICKLY and capable wing backs or wingers. out of all those we only have DiMaria who mostly plays like crap with the NT. Go figure how we will play counter attack...oh wait there's Messi...hopeless.

Mik (United Arab Emirates)

Posted on 5/23/2012 at 3:57 AM 0 As @jack and @el principe said...there r not many players of the Calibre of Riquelme or Aimar...And Sabella i think believes in the Counter Attacking system ...thats why he rarely selects a Creative Midfielder(We dont have that many but still some r there but not as classy as Riquelme or Aimar)...But fair enough..if he thinks that with the players he has selected can do great against the likes of Brazil,,Germany,,Uruaguay,,,then we all have no complaints on the players he selects like SOSA,,ROJO,,etc etc...But most of us love our old playing style with possession...but no pblm,,,whatevr it is...as far as we wins we all will be happy...Hope for the best against Brazil ,,Germany and Uruguay...after these matches we shall see how gud a Coach Sabella is...

Jack! (United States)

Posted on 5/23/2012 at 12:41 AM 0 I have to agree with el principe. I mean this is not going to be your fathers Argentina side who controls the MF and wins. We just do not have that player that can control the MF. Name me 1 player that we have in the MF that can have tempo(Roman is not getting any younger). And those that say Messi needs a connection in the MF to be successful, I do not think that is entirely correct. Messi's #1 connection is Kun and they play off each other. So, we might have to play without the ball, but when we have it, watch out!

Caniggia (Hong Kong)

Posted on 5/22/2012 at 11:52 PM 0 Sergio - lesson number 1 - don't pass it to Sosa!!!!

el principe (United States)

Posted on 5/22/2012 at 10:49 PM 1 Let me be the first who says this... With the current players called, especially the midfielder, I am pretty sure that Sabella will transform the dominate-the-ball-possession Argentina to a more like Germany team, which is a team who is excellent at counter attack. No, we will not have possession like 70-30 like the era of Basile or Bielsa, the two lovers of possession football. We will only win the possession 70-30 when facing a very weak team. When facing similar teams or say rank 1-20 of FIFA ranking teams, I doubt we will dominate the possession. As we saw in our previous victories, a lot of goals came from counter attacks, not when the opponents defenders set their feet on defense. Germany and Barcelona are arguably two of the strongest teams in the world, but Joachim Loew has a completely different approach from the likes of Pep Guardiola. Guardiola says, "I want to win the possession. If possible 90-10. Go for it!" Loew said, "When my team has the ball, I want my team to have the ball in the opponent penalty area in two seconds!" With the quicker players such as Messi, Aguero, Di Maria preferred and less dependence on the playmakers who love to enjoy the game like Riquelme or Pastore combined with Sabella's attempt to fix the defense, we pretty much have transformed the team to a counter attack team. I would compare this team to Dunga's Brazil a few years ago... one of the best counter attack teams in the world. The plus is: we should do good against very strong teams because we won't attempt to totally dominate them. The minus is: we should struggle when facing a team who plays 10-0 formation just like when we drew with Bolivia at home.

sufi (Nigeria)

Posted on 5/22/2012 at 9:45 PM 0 It Is a nice tactics, becouse our players lack attacking style when needing a goal!