Football News

Abs (United States)

Posted on 10/10/2012 at 1:29 AM 0 @ el principe: I don't agree with you, even in times when Mika was available Zabaleta use to play on the left side, and even sometimes he took the RDM role under Manshiti. Zabaleta is one of those players that Manshiti like and becomes a favor over lots of players, even if he wasn't the best. That's not new for Manshiti, when he was in Lazio he use to start Favalli, and then with Inter he use to start Stankovic even when the fans were totally against them.

Mik (United Arab Emirates)

Posted on 10/9/2012 at 1:04 AM 0 Nice Article there @zizo Cirgliano, Leandro parades, Mugni, Lanzini and Dybla r some hell of players mostly Midfield players its a Great sign for our Future Midfield. And I do Hope Pastore gets a call up atleast against Saudi Arabia. (After that match he will be dropped Obviously by Sabella no guesses needed). Pastore can Substitued for Messi because of the position he performs well Behind 2 Strikers were He usually performs better .Messi carries that position in our NT behind Higuain and Kun. thats why pastore is a Gud Candidate for Messis Substitute. we can say as a Plan B. And I agree with some here their are a lot of players who look great for clubs but not for us so many examples r there .Zabaleta whenever i sees him play for MC is generally looks a nice player but he is an average player.Sometime plays gud. But he defenetly looks better for MC than for us. For us its better to have someone who is sound defencively. Campagnaro or Peruzzi can be gud for us. And I dont think Alves is that much Gud Defencively nowadays he seems to be in trouble at defending may be injury. But great going forward as like alwyays been.

Kenneth (United States)

Posted on 10/7/2012 at 10:23 PM 0 Pablo D I 100% agree, i simply cannot understand why he plays so bad for the national team, I've been calling to replace him 8 games ago (primarily because he was so slow) but yes he plays absolutely horrible for the N/T like Gabriel Militto, I'm just saying he still deserves a chance (after the wordl cup in friendlies)

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 10/7/2012 at 5:53 PM 1 kenneth their are a lot of players who look great for clubs but not for their n/ts and zab is one of them. he does look good for manshitty but for the n/t looks very very ordinary. i cant remember the last good game he had for the n/t.

Kenneth (United States)

Posted on 10/7/2012 at 2:47 PM 2 @ El Principe don't be so negative..i've been watching Man City pretty much since Zabaleta has been playing for them, he always got nod over Richards for the big games, you should hear the way English announcers talk about him, " Turning into one of the best full backs in the last 10 months" On a different note, Zabaleta started off his career as a CDM for San Lorenzo and was converted into a RB, Sabella should take note of this.

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 10/7/2012 at 2:08 PM 0 leandro you are correct zab is a poor mans alves and in the shitty team he is covered by a fantastic defence like kompty, i to would prefur campagnero to start ahead of zab. simply put zab has never reproduced his manshitty form for he n/t, he had had many chances nd its time for someone new to get theirs.

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 10/7/2012 at 1:11 PM 1 Zabaletas problem with Argentina is that the guy is a poor mans version of Dani Alves. Zaba likes to push up and play more as a supporting Midfielder. This works for ManCity cause they have a very solid core and use few strikers at once, so for the most part the back line is covered which allows Zaba to push.. Argentina needs someone solid defensibly, Campagnero I feel is a better option for us.

sulav787 (Canada)

Posted on 10/7/2012 at 8:31 AM 1 zabaleta i guess is ahead of richards and maicon in picking order and he has been playing very good lately... even barca was trying to ger zabaleta if u guys can remember... if zabaleta can transform his club form into NT then it would be superb

el principe (United States)

Posted on 10/7/2012 at 5:47 AM 0 Richards and Maicon were injured. Richards has just recovered yesterday. That's why we saw a lot of Zabaleta. Not that Mancini trusts him that much.

Kenneth (United States)

Posted on 10/7/2012 at 5:16 AM 1 @ Flaco, Agüero is usually a starter for Man City as he was during the week vs Dortmund, however he is coming off an injury and with the talent Man City have also (starting Dzeko and Aguero Midweek) no he did not start today, but he is regarded as one of the better Strikers in the premier league and will always start for Man City when healthy. Also Zabaleta has been playing fantastic for Man City, he's been defending well and has been great offensively as well, he is constantly selected over the bigger and faster, Maicon, y Richards.

GAB (Australia)

Posted on 10/7/2012 at 3:52 AM 1 PABLO.D Hola mate, thanks very much. Yes, it's funny how excited we all got when we saw the few minutes of Pastore at the 2010 world cup and how well he linked up with Messi, and we were all calling for him to be included in the NT. I must admit, it's pretty exciting thinking of the future midfield talent Argentina will have to chose from after the 2014 world cup - Parades, Mugni, Lamela, Pastore, Ocampos, Sánchez Miño, Cirigliano. 2018 world cup might just be the one where Argentina is strong in all areas of the pitch and we win the world cup. Of course I'm hoping we win 2014 but serious improvement in the midfield needs to happen before we can achieve such glory. Exciting times ahead though...Vamo Argentina!

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 10/6/2012 at 11:42 PM 0 gab, hello again and again another well written insite to concour how i also feel about pastore. the talent is their but at the moment he not n/t material and their are others who on form deserve a chance ahead of him. this could chance but pastore has work to do.

GAB (Australia)

Posted on 10/6/2012 at 5:07 PM 3 @ Flaco...have to disagree with you there amigo. I vividly recall the goal.com article when Real & Barcelona were very interested in Pastore, so much so that Mourinho asked his bossess to meet Pastore's offer as he saw pastore as the next Zidane, and wanted to get him before Barca did (link below for your reference) http://www.fanfeedr.com/soccer/real-madrid?id=1319f8cc-4182-52e3-98ef-674632a5581c But I wasn't aware that Ancelotti wanted Pastore back in his Milan days so thanks for that insight. That being the case can only put El Flaco in good stead. Like evryone here, I was/am a huge Pastore fan as I see his potential HOWEVER, I have jumped off the band wagon for his place in the NT because he is not ready yet. He needs a lot of work to sharpen up his defensive capability because I see a lot of times when he loses the ball, he just doesn't bother chasing OR, when an opponent has the ball & he is in close proximity, again he doesn't bother chasing. I feel once Pastore increases his work ethic on the pitch and adds a defensive element to his attacking ability, only then will he be ready for the NT.

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 10/6/2012 at 12:31 PM 0 Nene is Pastore's biggest obstacle. Nene is part of the 'old guard' in PSG, you can tell he wants to run the team and Pastore is the new kid who will play second to him. I really like Nene, talented and hard working. Either Pastore has to grow a pair and silence Nene or the coach has to make the push cause Nene wants it more.

Flaco (United Kingdom)

Posted on 10/6/2012 at 9:58 AM 0 @GAB The only club wanted Pastore is Chelsea, but he snubbed it for PSG. I know that Barca watched him too. For Ancelotti (when he was Milan DT) wanted Pastore so badly. He prefers him over Nene this season, but also want to give other players chances, as he mentioned today at news conference that Pastore can play 3 matches in 1 week. Aguero not always a starter at Man City. I Loved Man city's performance today.

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 11:14 PM 0 A true 10 helped the team defensibly even in the past, Diego was a master class #10 and he stole a ton of balls in midfield and tracked back blocking passing lanes, you can say the same of Xavi, Fabregas, Kaka, etc. Riquelme is just a lazy premadonna, I never gave him my full acceptance because of how unbalanced he is.. he forced us to loose wingers for the need to play an extra defensive midfielder to pick up the slack.. he is a talented fckr though.. wont take that away from him, all he needs is 1 pass or 1 free kick to change the game.

GAB (Australia)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 11:10 PM 0 As for Pastore, how ironic that he moved to PSG rather than a really big club like Real Madrid who were also chasing him, so he could at the very least be a starter, to now end up being on the bench all because Ancelotti is not a fan of his. Hopefully, things change for him but he really needs to increase his work ethic.

GAB (Australia)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 10:21 PM 0 @zizo - Good article and very true indeed. The role of the true number 10 has completely changed sadly. It will be interesting how Parades goes given Mugni's versatility. I can't wait to see these 2 kids playing for the NT and the great thing about how young they are is that when they peek, Sabella will be long gone as our coach. As for Lavezzi's injury, the bad thing about it is that we now don't have any quality players to come off the bench, given Kun should be starting in the URGAY match. Let's hope for no injuries

zizo (Jordan)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 5:34 PM 4 Riquelme, modern football's Giant Panda The saddening reality is that Riquelme is unlikely to ever play at the highest level ever again, even in South America. There are rumors of a move across the silvery La Plata river to Uruguay, but ever since he walked off the pitch at the Estadio do Pacaembu in July and declared himself "empty," the end of "el ultimo diez" ("the last 10") was clearly upon us. Riquelme's refusal to salvage his own career (and that of his kind) is akin to the demise of the great panda, a species endangered because the last remaining males are too idle to reproduce. Similarly, the enganche had its natural habitat destroyed in the second part of the past decade, something noted by Michael Cox in 2010 as formations stopped accommodating a central playmaker until the more recent uptake of the 4-2-3-1. This led to the evolution of the position, with those lucky 10s crossing the Atlantic forced to appreciate that their free, creative role in Argentina simply wouldn’t exist at their new clubs. After Riquelme, the next four or five players dubbed "the new Maradona" all failed to make a significant impact in the top European leagues, largely due to the death of the position. Like in nature, the need to adapt is vital, but Andres D'Alessandro and Carlos Marinelli never did and Mauro Zarate could almost claim to have done so, while Javier Saviola and Pablo Aimar have had decent careers even if they never fulfilled their full potential. Of the next generation of playmakers, Javier Pastore is the leader but during a recent Paris Saint-Germain game, a commentator remarked that "El Flaco" had been criticized for "some rather laid-back, inconsistent and sometimes ineffective performances," analysis akin to condemning the sky for being too blue. The slightly younger class of No. 10s, however, is showing signs of adaptation that will be these South American tyros' hope for survival. Erik Lamela moved to Roma last summer after dazzling as a central playmaker for River Plate; in Italy, he has reinvented himself as a wide player for two different managers and is becoming a more regular starter despite being just 20 years old. Still in South America is Colon midfielder Lucas Mugni, a playmaker who has taken a slightly different path. While he plays wide for his club, his ability to tackle, play deeper and still be the creative hub of his team have marked him out as the first really modern midfielder created in Argentina. Overall, the development of the lethargic 10 into an industrious, multifaceted player like Mugni echoes the progress seen to the north in Brazil, where Internacional's Oscar evolved from being a meia-de-ligacao (traditional attacking playmaker) model into a far more rounded footballer. This was something that Juan Roman Riquelme never did -- and was never willing to do. People will look back on his career, a host of titles with his beloved Boca Juniors and a wealth of YouTube clips displaying his copious talents. But his refusal to adapt -- or to even try and survive in the adapting habitat of European football -- has done irreparable damage to his species, leaving the true enganche on the brink of extinction.

Lionel Messi (Jordan)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 4:51 PM 0 What about Lavezzi's injury?! any news?!

sulav787 (Canada)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 4:33 PM 0 sabella give pastore one more chance... he is the perfect replacement for lavezzi and he is more creative.. and bring back tevez too,,

Johnny (Thailand)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 3:26 PM 0 Agreed about Lavezzi. He showed me more his last few matches with the NT than I had seen previously. Of course with Lavezzi he could revert to idiocy at any second. As for the Pirlo wannabees, they don't come on trees.

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 2:53 PM 1 As for a Pirlo clone, I think Biglia is a better candidate.. the kid works hard and plays smart, crisp one-touch passing. Banega while talented holds and looses the ball and can be lazy/slow/burned out. I agree, Pastore is a perfect back up for Messi.. god forbid. And as for Lavezi, the guy cant finish and he can be a bit of an idiot, but he has balls of steel and makes things happen, I feel he is a good player to have in the bench for nasty games like Peru where our classy forwards either chicken out or get bullied around. Lavezi is a good right wing player, he defends, he associates well with Messi and if he gets the break away he has a decent chance of scoring.. maybe.

Fred (Hong Kong)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 11:36 AM 0 On Pastore In the interview (the link posted below), he said, 'everyone can see that my performance has increased significantly since I’ve found myself closer to two strikers. I score, I provide assists. I feel much better when I’m positioned higher.' The point is the NT does not need a midefield who is high up the field, if Messi plays behind two strikers plus Di Maria. With Messi, Kun, Higuain and Di Maria, we need a deeplying play maker like Pirlo. The closest thing to Pirlo we have is Banega. Pastore can take a spot if one of Di Maria, Kun and Higuain is tropped.

cleanball (Indonesia)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 11:33 AM 0 Sabella have Kun, Higuain and Barcos; although Lavezzi is more on fighter type player ever ready with good passing for penetrating into the box.In my opinion Licha Lopez could be his right replacement and will bring impact to Tango attack. Although I doubt Sabella will ever call Lopez again.

Lionel Messi (Jordan)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 10:33 AM 0 @ Mik, I believe Sabella is clever coach, sure he will notice the improvements of Javier Pastore ! I guess Sabella will call him when we will play with Saudi Arabia !

Mik (United Arab Emirates)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 10:01 AM 0 @Dr. Magdy Leandro Parades is Talented even Riquelme rates high of that Guy Riquelme had said that he is retiring so that Not to stand in the way of Leandro Parades. He is the Future. Seems to be Gud Playmaker. And i dont think Lavezzi will be missed that much all know that he got starting only because of Agueros Injury. But he has been in our Team subs for Long time now so he may be missed in Trainings. And who is gonna Replace him Hmmm most probably SALVIO Logically speaking, He has been in our line up before too in and out, sooo. And we all know who r the players usually used as Substitutes, Guinazu for Dimaria, Campagnaro for Zabaleta, Aguero for Sosa/Higuain, Its a usuall pattern depending on the tempo of the game.So Lavezzi usually have a slight chance. And Pastore is some of the few players who can be used to Substitue Messi(If ever that need to be) But till now Sabella havent thought of that Scenario.Donnow why.He thinks that Messi will always be there. But we have to have an alternative surely.because its not gud to go to a big Tournament like WC always thinking that Messi will be here all the time.(Even though we all pray he will be playing all the games for us always).

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 9:20 AM 0 Considering the amount of Talent Argentina has up front, what I would do is keep a very conservative back half that never changes (Camp-Fern-Gara-X - Masch-Gag) and field different attacking formations each half, use your subs.. save one for injury. We could start with two forwards an enganche and a winger, then at half swap out the enganche for another forward and the winger for someone like Biglia to balance. Bringing in Kun and Biglia/Guinazu at half time would put a lot of pressure on the tired defences and help us control the midfield better with the fresh legs. I also feel that a 45min rotation for some of our forwards would put pressure on them to give it 140% as they know that they will not be in a full 90min, giving us better pressure up front, healthy competition and not rotting talent in the bench.. can anyone imagine Tevez or Kun or Higuian happy benching a full game? I say lets bring them all on and keep it rotating as long as the core of the team is stable. Variety upfront is a good thing :)

Dr.Magdy (Egypt)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 8:57 AM 0 A scout from AC Milan in Buenos Aires to observe Leandro Parades http://www.calciomercato.com/prima-pagina/milan-in-argentina-per-paredes-518820/page/1

Lionel Messi (Jordan)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 7:09 AM 0 Pastore feels that his performance is improved a lot in this season, he likes to play behind the strikers, and his successful passes is about 80%, so maybe Sabella will call him for the matches ! Source : http://blogs.bettor.com/Javier-Pastore-satisfied-with-start-to-the-new-season-a192505 Source : http://www.kooora.com/default.aspx?n=201406&o=ncar (Arabic)

nicogf (Uruguay)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 3:09 AM 0 Hello i own with 3 friends the only english speaking blog regarding the URUGUAY national team please come visit us we might exchange articles to see what uruguayans and argentineans expect from the game. Google for: LaCelesteBlog registering is as easy as in here!

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 10/5/2012 at 12:12 AM 0 lavezzi is not a big loss as he lacks a footballing brain. he is fast and not a lot else, id rather see others given a chance as we know exactly what lav can and cant do. as they say one door closes and another opens.

soumya (India)

Posted on 10/4/2012 at 11:50 PM 0 gaitan is the best replacement....he has speed ,good ball control and game making quality....if sabella use gaitan and di maria in wings...i think it will be very effective....specially against uruguay we should use more mid fielders...

Tony Montana (United States)

Posted on 10/4/2012 at 6:53 PM 0 damn...that is a big lose....Lavezzi is our fastest player who opens up a lot of space for the attack....F%$^K!!! if its not Kun..its ezequiel....we need two big wins at least one win one draw on the road.....cant wait for the uruguay game though ...we are 33(wins) 11 (defeats) and 17 (ties) against Uruguay all time..cant wait to show Lil Brother who the New Kings of South America are...;)

sulav787 (Canada)

Posted on 10/4/2012 at 2:52 PM 0 sabella please bring back pastore for lavezzi..

vik (United Kingdom)

Posted on 10/4/2012 at 7:39 AM 0 that should confirm Di Maria on the right of the trident?

Mik (United Arab Emirates)

Posted on 10/4/2012 at 5:57 AM 0 Hope he gets well soon.Anyway he may not had started for us obviously because Kun is returning.

Flaco (United Kingdom)

Posted on 10/4/2012 at 2:16 AM 0 Lavezzi still suffering from his muscle stretches after returning from Peru, he needed 10 days to recover and I was surprised to see him entering the pitch. It is really disappointing as he still did not start well in PSG, only 2 matches, one of then he was sent off. Ibra, Lavezzi and Pastore did not yet started together, the problem was whether Ibra (injury)and Lavezzi (suspended).

Kenneth (United States)

Posted on 10/4/2012 at 12:59 AM 0 Anecelotti seems to have problems with Pastore and Lavezzi, as he does not start them a whole lot (pastore some times in ligue 1 play) really they both need to start, Ibra, Pastore, and Lavezzi's speed...that's a great attacking trident.