Football News

JerzyGirl (United States)

Posted on 3/20/2013 at 3:50 PM 0 @abs this is the champion league page on Mundo Albiceleste!! lol youre on the wrong page if you dont want to talk about lionel Messi's club team!

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 2/22/2013 at 9:33 PM 0 leandro i also like lamela and he deserves a chance. their is a lot of creative spark but the problems i have is di maria lacks fight and mon recconises it as he is ofturn taken off early in the "big" games ,simply put when the going gets tough i dont trust di maria to fight until he cant walk (n.b the word is di maria is to be sold in the next window) d.m is a fantastic player when we are in control but when we are not he vanishes. both hig and aug are the goal men and some one has to get the ball to them 1st and if its not messi then who? if you drop one or both of these 2 back to win the ball then space becomes even tighter in the mid and thats what a park the bus team wants, to keep it in the mid away from goal. i do think arg just like barca have all our eggs in the one basket and we do need that 2 plan just in case its needed.

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 2/22/2013 at 9:02 PM 0 @Pablo.D, I agree we need to have some creative flair to break defenses that are parked. Lamela would be a good call. Lamela, Messi, DiMaria + Aguero Higain are ALOT of creative spark. I actually dont think we need a tall #9. I think more important is having great outside shooters in midfield and a deep bench of tall aerial defenders. I think so long as we have 3-4 strong heading defenders to come in for all corners and freekicks (Fernandez, Garay, Camp, (Rojo, Burdisso)) .. AND.. we have the likes of T.Costa in the bench to bring into these games where him DiMaria and Mascherano can keep pegging the goalie from long range while Aguero + Messi poach in rebounds we will be fine.

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 2/22/2013 at 8:51 PM 0 as i said in another post the barca game with no plan b reminds me of arg also with no plan b. teams will try to do the same to us by parking the bus and marking messi out of the game most of the time it fails but in a knock out game any thing can happen, what then? we really need a class ball playing midfielded to be inducted into the starting line up from aimar or a lam just to name 2. we also need a tall striker to come off the bench if needed.

Nicky B (Jamaica)

Posted on 2/22/2013 at 3:56 PM 0 Thanks @Leandro I agree this walking the ball into the goal won't help in these games as spaces are limited due to tight defending. Messi's ability to taking shots out the 18 yard box and deminish some what as he plays more closer to goal as well as look for killer passes. I believe he also needs start taking some long range shots at the goal more often something like 20+ yards out....

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 2/22/2013 at 10:45 AM 0 @NikcyB - "The NEED of a striker with great goal poaching ability NATURALLy is lacking." Absolutly, Villa is the only natural stricker there.. and he is out of form from recent injuries. As you note, Alexis + Pedro are wingers. As @Johnny noted, they REALLY need a young tall strong #9 in the bench to bring into these games, or Play Pique as a #9 from the start of second half and let Mascherano + Puyol cover the back. Also I totally agree with outside shooting, that is ESSENTIAL in dealing with a parked bus.. if you peg them with 20 + shots from 30 yards you will make the goal keeper suffer, you will get atleast one in and more likely than not get some good rebounds in the box to poach on. Barcas mistake is that they have to pass their way into the small box to score. Crosses are useless for them (short players). If Milan does the same tactic at the home game, I would make sure to have Alves, Mascherano, Xavi, Iniesta + Adriano all in midfield who all have a decent long range shot.. especially Alves.

Nicky B (Jamaica)

Posted on 2/22/2013 at 10:33 AM 0 Sorry Abs for the Barca report lol!!! But Johnny the plan B really is Messi being a False #9 in which he roams while pulling players away and creating space for others. The problem is that plan B should be more fully implemented. The NEED of a striker with great goal poaching ability NATURALLy is lacking. Often times Messi drops deep and when looking up for a run or someone being there is not there. Sanchez is not that type, Pedro is not that type, Villa can be but seems much faith is not in him anymore. THE NEED OF A PHYSICAL and good passing CB is needed as well as a Physical and strong fullback with pace and passing is needed as well to complete that plan B

Johnny (Thailand)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 11:25 PM 1 I finally saw the Barca match on replay. Two horrible errors by the ref in not spotting those handballs, but overall they were played even by Milan, if not outplayed. As others have noted, Barca has essentially no plan "B". No attacking height to bring in off the pine, and no recognized shooters from outside the area. A nice screamer from Iniesta that missed wide, but not many shots from distance. Messi was taken out of the match by Milan. Milan, even though I hate them, have to be given credit for a great effort. Sorry Abs, for the Barca report !:)

Slicer (Lebanon)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 11:40 AM 0 @Tony: You're right Barca were robbed but they really couldn't break the Milan Defence and unfortunately I cannot see them mount a comeback at the Camp Nou against such a team. They have tried against Inter in 2010 and Chelsea last year and they failed both times in the Camp Nou. This time is different from the last 2 times in a way that they don't have an away goal. Sadly, They won't make it through.

Abs (United States)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 3:53 AM 0 @Tony: This is mundo albiceleste .. We don't care about Barca losing or getting robbed !!

Tony Montana (United States)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 2:31 AM 1 Barcelona were robbed..first by mexes hand ball in the area should have been a penalty for barca in the first half! PERIOD! Then the hand ball that lead to a goal, whether unintentional or not, with a raised hand over the head, in an "unnatural soccer position"... The goal should have been called off....! The game would have been a lot different if those two calls were called correctly....sad

Kenneth (United States)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 8:13 PM 0 @ Aka Mr D well to be fair what defender has looked good for Argentina in his first game in the last 5 years!

aka Mr. D (Peru)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 6:17 PM 0 @pablo.d agreed. @leandro, I'd buy that except early on Rojo was constantly out of position at LB and looked lost out there in the early 3-5-2 experiment (I'd even go so far as to say overall, Rojo has looked better under Batista than Sabella though Rojo has looked better in his last 2 or 3 outings).

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 6:02 PM 0 @Mr.D his early calls made total sense if you take into account that a) the team was in shambles and b) he has immediate pressure to produce results for the qualifiers. Its rational to rely on previous players you know will deliver and understand your instructions (Sosa and the Estudiantes co) while you come to grips with the undisputed superstars of the team. Its a great sign that he seems to be open minded and is slowly.. slothlike rational man.. replacing the weak pieces. Fingers Crossed.

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 4:25 PM 0 aka mr d: it will not matter at all who he picks or how well we play as it will all mean nothing if he does not win the world cup, that is the reality of his job-no pressure...

aka Mr. D (Peru)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 1:30 PM 0 it's beginning to feel like come the 2014 WC Sabella will have the right squad, with all the players clicking and will make those of us who were complaining about his squad picks a year or two ago look like fools.

argentine (Ghana)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 3:08 AM 0 just wish gud lack to the argentinian players.

Johnny (Thailand)

Posted on 2/18/2013 at 10:56 PM 0 I'm happy that Sabella is continuing to look at central defenders. I still think that is an area of weakness. Maybe he'll find a diamond in the rough.

Abs (United States)

Posted on 2/18/2013 at 10:38 PM 0 Ukhhh.. Really wanna watch Malaga, but how can I miss Arsenal vs Bayern ?! And the second one, I am sure everyone will watch Messi, but what about Galata vs Schalka !

Tony Montana (United States)

Posted on 2/18/2013 at 3:57 PM 0 rooting for Malaga with Saviola to have a good game along with Caballero who should be the goalie behind Romero.... and of course Barca putting a hurt on Milan!