Football News

CERNESTO (Panama)

Posted on 2/28/2013 at 4:48 PM 0 @Leandro... I undrestand your thoughts for Banega... This kid needs somebody to light a candle up his @ss... But I'll bet you'd seen the game this guy played against Spain right after WC2010 in Argentina or the game he played against Barcelona right before his freaky injury... He has great potential... Personally, for me Biglia has lost his chance to grow as a player playing in Belgium... Right now, for me at least, he is below Banega... @Kenneth, I'll have to agree with you now after I watched the game he played against Barcelona... He has lost a lot of his dynamic... I'll have to change my pick...

Tony Montana (United States)

Posted on 2/26/2013 at 2:06 AM 1 Kinsman is no fool but he is a cheater for that dive he took in the 1990 World Cup final that got Argentinas Monzon a red card and eventually the Championship! Bastard! Lol

some supporter (Argentina)

Posted on 2/23/2013 at 3:33 AM 0 No country deserves the punishment of having a disgraceful player such as Funes Mori playing for them. But rumours are just rumours; I wouldn't be surprised if this were another of Passarella's desperate media attempts to introduce this unsellable guy to the market. The rumour was most probably just about Hoyos, and they later added Roger as either a marketing move or a joke. Or both. Klinsmann is no fool.

haman (Bahrain)

Posted on 2/22/2013 at 6:21 AM 0 The least needed. Let em take em.

Kenneth (United States)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 3:37 PM 0 @ Cernesto, Fazio is terrible, makes mistakes demichellis is slower then Gabi millito, for how big he is he really isn't that strong or even that good in the air. Only liked him in the u-20 2007 world cup.

sulav787 (Canada)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 1:42 PM 0 barca is over reliant on messi this season... viva barca

Johnny (Thailand)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 11:10 AM 0 Agreed about Barca. If Villa was available he would be a bit of an improvement, but not a huge improvement. Where is Peter Crouch when you need him ?:)

el principe (United States)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 11:08 AM 1 I think Barca is a very unique team in that they can NOT use a big strong #9 in their tactic at all. They tried the world best big #9, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but it did not work. The first time Messi was played as false number 9, a lot of things were changed tactically. First, there can not be pure #9 on the pitch. There can be a #9 but he must be able to play as winger as well, just like Villa. Secondly, the #9 player must be willing to let Messi be #9 (the target man). That is not easy because the traditional #9 has on their mind that they are the target man. The only #9 that could do this role is David Villa. That's why they keep him. However, IF Barca need to score badly, there is their so-called "emergency big #9", his name is Gerard Pique. If you notice, anytime Barca is behind and needs a goal or two, Pique will play the traditional #9 in their last 15-20 minutes. Pique is actually a pretty good one. He plays like Drogba. I think he could be an above average #9 should he change his position.

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 10:30 AM 1 @Fred, the way to beat parked buses is with long range shots and aggresive arial game (as you noted with Pique). But Pique is a central defender, so only good for corners. Barca is in desperate need of a HOT forward, and they should have in their bench an aerial big guy #9.. a young cheap Drogba type player. Villa is fragile now a days, Alexis is in a confidence crisis.. and really him and Pedro are wingers not #9's.. neither is Messi.. Barca right now is 100% midfield players. They should buy someone like Falcao.. so their wingers (like Dani Alves) can have solid targets to aim for.. and open up space for Messi to operate.

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 10:26 AM 0 @CERNESTO, I was with you until you said "Box to Box Midfielders: Gago and Banega". Banega has no stamina or speed. He is a central midfielder who relies on 2 - 3 other 'Box to box' players to cover. Box to box players include Gago, Biglia, Jonas, older Cambiasso, Maxi, Simenone, etc. To be a real polifunctional midfielder you need to run 8-10 miles a game. Id be surprised if Banega can do 5. The kid is a train wreck, let him PROVE he is as good as he could be.

HollywoodHayat (United States)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 10:14 AM 0 Never thought they were really that talented i mean right behind Banega, Gago and Mascherano there is Hector Canteros waiting in line and offensively its Icardi, Higuain & Barcos we deserve to be on the NT

Fred (Hong Kong)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 4:44 AM 0 @Jack! and pablo.d Many goals results from half chances in which luck play a role, but Barca goals are mostly from clear chances, because they have the skill and teamwork to create so many clear chances. Maybe Barca is not used create half chances. If I were the Barca coach, I would instruct Pique to stay in the penalty area as a striker, others to use more crosses. Then Milan defenders cannot too concentrate to players in front of them (Messi, Iniesta and Pedro). It would create space for shoots outside the penalty area, and Barca players could run into the box and pick up the lost ball form Milan defending Pique and shoot inside the penalty area. These are not clear chances, but most teams except Barca use on these half chances to win games.

argentine (Ghana)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 4:15 AM 0 well its up to the players to decide

Tony Montana (United States)

Posted on 2/21/2013 at 2:40 AM 1 Hoyos has more potential in midfield than funes mori at forward...hoyos might have a future with la selecion... The United States will never be a top 5 national team until they learn at An early age how to create space and move as a team like the rest of the world..being France, Italy, Spain, Brasil, Uruguay, holland and Argentina...what do these countries have in common with the youth systems?! They play Futsal! All the best players in history from pele to ronaldinho...from Maradona to Messi from Zidane to cristiano....from Baggio to Xavi all play Futsal which teaches you one touch, movement passing. This create space and teaches teams to play as an unit....America!!! Stop playing indoor soccer with walls! Lol you gain no outdoor soccer skill from this!! Lmao

Abs (United States)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 8:32 PM 0 To be honest, ONLY if they chose to go to USA I wouldn't be sad about it .. After all USA is my hometown :p

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 8:18 PM 0 jack i agree and its a good lesson for needing a plan b, when top teams park the bus barca have struggled in recent years and the same will happen to us at the world cup their will be teams who just park the bus and we also need to have a plan b if that happens to us.

Jack! (United States)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 8:13 PM 0 Barcelona have yet found a way to defeat teams that put 8-10 players behind the ball. Chelsea has done it, Inter has done it, Celtic has done and today Milan has done it.

Kenneth (United States)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 6:58 PM 1 Did not like the ref in the barca milan game today...SEVERAL times a milan player would go down to the ground and Barca would keep playing the ref would stop the game make sure the player is okay then resume forcing the ball back to Barca's goalie. The rule is that the player must go off the field and wait to come back on..this did not happen weak ref weak game, first goal shouldn't have counted pretty nice 2nd goal though.

Dinucci (Argentina)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 6:48 PM 0 Barca lost >_< they will probably win at home

Jack! (United States)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 5:45 PM 0 Old news Kenny :-). Trobbianni stepped down about a week plus ago. I believe has taken a new job in Peru for some club.

Kenneth (United States)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 3:12 PM 0 Hmmm some news I'm not sure about, i just heard from my father that Trobbianni (the U-20 coach) Resigned, not sure about this could be a rumor either way hope its true!

CERNESTO (Panama)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 1:23 PM 1 Goalies: Romero, Andujar and CABALLERO (Ring ring Sabella ASAP) Center Back: Fernandez and Garay (Hey! Sabella already convinced me with these 2), Fazio (He is not only a VERY decent defender, but also he is 1.94m! We need to improve our "juego aéreo"), Gonzalo Rodríguez from Fiorentina (Great player, you should watch him play Serie A games) Attacking Fullbacks: Zabaleta and Emiliano Insúa Fullback: Roncaglia Defensive Midfielders: Mascherano and Yacob Box to Box Midfielders: Gago and Banega Attacking Midfielders: Dimaría, Lamela and Pastore Wings and Forwards: Messi, Higuain, Agüero, Lavezzi, Icardi and Burrito Martínez

CERNESTO (Panama)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 12:32 PM 0 Argentina should nationalize a couple of "laterales" from Brazil to play Right and Left Backs! Hahaha... Joke aside... I wouldn't mind if either goes to the American squad... Argentina has enough talent from the middle of the field up... We need defenders, specially "laterales"

Leandro (United States)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 11:03 AM 0 The US will become a top 5 team before we die. Its a HUGE country, with vast resources, a rich sports infrastructure, easy access to investment and most importantly Latinos are the fastest growing group of the population. Futbol will continue to leech the top athletes away from Basketball and American Football and also is a country where immigrants have a long history, so there is less hesitation to accept foreign born nationals as 'Americans'.. the BS Messi goes through with the cavemen in Argentina is much less likely to happen. Statistically, considering the size of the population its bound to happen... they just need to stop modeling their futbol around strengh + speed so heavily and nurture some more talent. Give it time...

aka Mr. D (Peru)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 9:12 AM 1 These guys won't get anywhere near the Argentina NT (and Hoyos hasn't been the same since his car accident). Then again, I worry that as fútbol gets bigger and bigger in the US, the country will start courting young talents from poorer nations (especially South America) and hand out US citizenship to the families of hot young talents, so that in a decade or two the US national team's national team will primarily consist of foreign-born players. I hope this doesn't happen as fútbol is the one area that poorer nations kick the US's ass.

hi2suresh (India)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 7:40 AM 0 Off topic: Is the cartoon (first two pics) itself funny or is it my thinking? http://www.totalbarca.com/2013/offside/cartoon-of-the-day-sport-885/

Slicer (Lebanon)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 4:06 AM 0 I thought Michael Hoyos was the next big superstar for us. Has his progress frozen over the last 2 years?

Jack! (United States)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 2:33 AM 0 I'll never be afraid of an Argentine scoring against us. I don't mind either one really playing. Michael Hoyos who I wrote about a couple years back(shameless plug) here on MA was born in the US and did not move to Argentina till he was a teenager, can't fault him really. And for those couple hours. when they are wearing another national teams jerseys,they are Argentines playing for another country. The US has a little bit of history of having Argentines playing for their team. Marcelo Balboa,Pablo Mastroeni and Claudio Reyna. So it's not that big of a deal. Just because they represented us at youth levels does not mean that they are obligated just to sit around and hope one day they will be called. Lets not forget Michael, was born and raised in the US, it wasn't until a few years back till he moved from Southern California to Argentina. Funes Mori has spent 1/3 of his life in the US as well.

el principe (United States)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 2:21 AM 0 The most difficult country for youngsters to be called up is Argentina. The likes of Lamela would go straight to any national team in the world but Argentina or maybe Spain. Unless you are really really something special like Higuain, then it is normal to think about representing other "weaker" countries.

holytoledo (United States)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 1:33 AM 0 They should take the offer. With guys of the caliber of Higuain, Agüero, Messi, Iturbe, Lamela, Lanzini et al. these two deserve a legit shot at a national team while they are young. And hell, if that means Mexico gets a bigger spanking at the hand of the gringos, then so be it.

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 2/20/2013 at 12:17 AM 0 Dinucci i agree with you and i really hope they dont as its always murphys law on one of them will come back to bite us in the ass some time some where. any you are both argentine and not even in your nightmeres should you play for another country.

Jack! (United States)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 11:17 PM 1 Play for the US, it will be goo seeing them play and score against the Mexicans, :-)

Dinucci (Argentina)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 11:15 PM 0 I really hope they don't but hey they wont play for argentina atleast anytime soon

shOvwar (United States)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 10:33 PM 1 Play for USA. Arg NT is out of your reach. Atleast u ll get to play for a NT. This is a good opportunity.

Argentino Trucho (United States)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 10:28 PM 1 As an albiceleste supporter from the US, I would love to have these guys on the US NT. We only have a few good players and both of these guys would be a step up from the majority. Hoyos + Funes Mori + Dempsey + Bradley sounds decent.

Kenneth (United States)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 10:11 PM 1 Hoyos is interesting, more of a classic european number 10, not that fast good free kicks and long shots. Would be perfect for the US Funes Mori is just not good, i could care less if the both of these played for the US i would be happy for the US to finally get some decent quality.

Johnny (Thailand)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 10:03 PM 0 Unless both have vastly improved, neither is NT material for the Argentine NT. For the USA, I suppose so, but not for Argentina.

pablo.d (New Zealand)

Posted on 2/19/2013 at 9:38 PM 0 NO and NO or for you jugren nein and nein