Mauro ICARDI makes Argentina squad with HIGUAIN out

By
Roy Nemer
-
55
Mauro Icardi scores for Inter
Photo courtesy AFP

German PEZZELLA, Alejandro GOMEZ and a few others have made the Argentina squad.

The list is out and while there’s no Ezequiel GARAY yet (Jorge SAMPAOLI reportedly wants to speak with GARAY first before including him), there are some defenders which are back in the team and some that are fresh faces under Jorge SAMPAOLI. As reported, Gonzalo HIGUAIN did not make the squad but Sergio AGUERO does retain his spot in the team. Here’s the list:

Argentina squad

Goalkeepers:

Sergio ROMERO
Nahuel GUZMAN
Martin MARCHESIN

Defenders:

Federico FAZIO
Emanuel MAMMANA
German PEZZELLA
Javier MASCHERANO
Nicolas OTAMENDI
Gabriel MERCADO

Midfielders:

Marcos ACUNA
Angel DI MARIA
Lucas BIGLIA
Leandro PAREDES
Ever BANEGA
Alejandro GOMEZ
Eduardo SALVIO
Emiliano RIGONI

Forwards:

Lionel MESSI
Sergio AGUERO
Mauro ICARDI
Paulo DYBALA

Argentina squad for WCQ matches against Peru and Ecuador

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55 Comments

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  9. Was watching Valencia vs Levante…Garay was very good. We need his experience and leadership. he has excellent long passes which opens up the opponents…If Arg needs to go far in 2018, Garay is a must, even if he doesn’t play all the games..

  10. Good list, glad to see Pazzella there, he’s actually pretty damn good with the ball at his feet and in the air.
    Mammana is another good addition especially since his versatility and relative speed would be helpful in a 3-4-3 formation.
    Still really sad to see that Garay is not included, wonder what the issue with him is.
    Glad to see Papu again and sad to see piatti excluded yet again but I guess you can’t call up everybody (although Diego tried!!).

    Against venezuela our boys did really well, it’s just luck wasn’t with them but if they play like that against peru and ecuador then I strongly believe that they will get all 6 points.

    • Sampaoli wanted to include him in the team but Garay refused to take part in these games. The reason? He justified that he has personal issues so he can’t be there for the national team.

  12. Outside of Messi, Di Maria is the only Argentina player that put fear in opponents. Di Maria was Argentina best player away to Colombia, take him out of that game and Argentina would have probably tied with Colombia or lost erasing another two or three points from the 24 points the team currently sits on. There were constantly 2-3 Colombian players marking Di Maria throughout the game. At home against Brazil during the 1-1 draw game, Di Maria was constantly mark by 2-3 Brazilian players because he was the best on the pitch with the absence of Messi. Messi and Di Maria are the only two players in Argentina who can unbalance the opponent defense hence the reason why they always attract attention. Acuna is a decent player and that’s about it. This is the reason why when the players represent Argentina they look so depress and sad because they don’t get any support and love from the fans.

  13. Kind of scared to predict anything to be honest. No surprise just Ruli and Correa exclusion seems odd. And once we qualify than Romero should give ultimatum for first team starter. It’s kinda scandalous he gets nothing in club football but gets in every time in first XI even he seems shaky when other young gk working their ass off(yeah i know he saved us many times and blah blah. Get over it). Don’t know the real reason behind it but felt bad that Garay doesn’t want to be part of this 2 qualifications match. Was waiting for Squad now eagerly waiting for first Practice. Don’t care what formation Mr Sampa thinking but we better be win with Peru as their whole media is building up the match like as Brazil VS Argentina playing on 5th Oct

  14. I would like to see Kun play under the new manager, because unlike Huguian, there might be some hope left for him.
    It kills me see him play like he does for ManCity and then nothing for ARGENTINA. Maybe come in, in the 2nd half when already up or not to add more fire power and hustle.

    • I still regret over Sampaoli decision not getting him on instead of Benedetto. Situation like that we need experience players. Kun definitely will be explosive in last 25 or 15 minutes if not starter. And Banega permanent sub by Paredes on 65 or 70 minutes.

    • His timely interceptions are great. He also is a threat for opponents at set pieces. Overall, this guy deserves to be part of the squad and if Argentina qualifies and he plays well for his club this season then he will have his ticket to Russia.

  18. Two strange choices.
    Rigoni over Correa.
    Marchesin over Rulli.
    Pezzela is a surprise. Gonzalo Rodriguez will be mad. He did well at Fiorentina and was ignored so many times.

    Possible line up based on this selection: 3-4-1-2
    Mercado – Fazio – Otamendi
    Salvio – Paredes – Banega – Gomez
    Messi
    Aguero – Icardi

    • Marchesín might play in the Ecuador match. Remember he plays for Club America where they play in altitude. The game vs Ecuador will be in altitude. He’ll know the judgement of the ball’s pace.

    • Don’t think Sampaoli will go for Paredes-Banega pair. Peru will try with long ball and Biglia with Banega kinda risky too. It will be interesting to see what Sampa does though unless he calls anyone from local

  19. It would have been good if Sampaoli had selected J. Correa instead of Maria since he may take at least a fortnight to recover from the injury. He says nobody except messi is guaranteed a place in the team. Then why not drop Maria at least when he is injured?

    • Seems like Di Maria did this guy something..95% of your comment is always about Di Maria. Whenever you can find a Argentina player that is bigger than Di Maria on the world stage in the same position then your argument will be taken seriously. As for now, you’re neither a coach or a scout, you’re just a guy spewing irrelevant opinions about Di Maria.

      • Sorry to have hurt your feelings. Di Maria and such shits are your favorites. So I know that there is 95% possibility that you would defend these craps if I or anyone criticize him/ them in this blog. There are better Argentines than Di Maria in the same position. But no point in arguing with you.

        • Agree 100 percent with Kidult here. All of the bashing that Di Maria gets here is way over-the-top. There is literally no one other than Messi and Mascherano who more consistently lays it all out for Argentina. We’ve seen in (is it 2 or 3) recent finals. Argentina looks like a credible threat to win everything until Di Maria gets injured. Even against Venezuela we saw that the moment Di Maria goes out, the team takes on a drastically less dynamic character. Messi is certainly the MVP; Mashcerano has been, until recently, the heart and backbone of the team; and Di Maria is still the engine. That may change in the future, but for now, from what we’ve seen, when there is no Di Maria, there is no party. Not one of his proffered alternatives has come close to giving us what a fully in form Di Maria has consistently given. Is the guy perfect, absolutely not. But I defy you to list one player that can play his role that is truly better than him, not someone who is up and coming and not someone who has been popular, but someone that is actually better? You can’t. Correa is not bad, and has some promise. Acuna is not bad, either. Don’t get me wrong, but neither would be more dynamic in that position at this point in time. Finally, and this is a minor point, but please, it’s “Di Maria.” As a Spanish speaker, it grates on me to hear this guy called out of his name.

          • I’m sure you’ve seen Di Maria vs Uruguay. The vast majority of his crosses were extremely poor. Against Venezuela he was excellent until he got injured,yet again. It’s a deja vu …. Is he a very talented player? Absolutely! Very, very inconsistent though. What’s the point of flashes of brilliance when the overall product is lacking. I’d rather have Acuña who is not nearly as talented as Di Maria but at least he is consistently decent or very good as long as he is played in his natural position. Di Maria should be a super sub where he could make a devastating impact running at tired defenders in the last 15 minutes of the game.

          • Di Maria consistent? Crazy, just crazy. He fucked up 70% of his games in NT. ALways was out due to injuries in crucial moments.

            “We’ve seen in (is it 2 or 3) recent finals. Argentina looks like a credible threat to win everything until Di Maria gets injured”

            Oh really? How is that our team on WC 2014 was so poor creeping to the final thanks to Messi. Di Maria was there. Our best game was final (so many opportunities). DI Maria was not there. Lavezzi and Perez did much more than Di Maria and the team was playing without that typical chaotic stuff of Di Maria.

      • @ KidultHood, Although I’m not a big fan of Di mari, but that doesn’t prevent me from telling the truth. Di maria is very good when he is on form but his main problem is inconsistency. If Di Maria was consistent like Messi I’m sure things would have been different by now. One of my favourite Di Maria games is the friendly match against Germany right after we lost the world cup, he created 3 goals and scored the fourth.

  20. Dybala should be on the bench. no more experimenting. no more trials for Messi-Dybala synchronization please. we have no time for this.
    Di maria needs space to run. in matches where the opponents are defending , he bring nothing. he can’t even bring one correct cross. so he should be used as a subtitute. or use him as right midfielder , so he stops the useless crosses.
    Messi must play as striker. please do not make him return back to collect the ball.
    no more banega please. he is slow and can get tired in the second half.
    Paredes should play instead of bangea. he is young and faster and can play long and short balls. beside he is great definisve midfielder.
    no more Mascherano. he was once our hero at the world cup. but now he is aging. he lost concentration and energy.

  21. Except exclusion of Correa and Lanzini good list. There’s no of fullbacks but I don’t see in Europe another possible fullbacks as Mammana, Mercado. Jonathan SIlva still is not enough impressive. Roncaglia? Rojo after injury.

    Sampaoli will prefer rather one of Bustos, Salazar, Buffarini, Jose Luis Gomez. At least on RB. While local players are yet to be called up.

    As for me, to put it mildly, there’s something wrong on wings when we are playing 3:4:3.

  22. For those who continue to ask about Garay, Garay does not want to return back to international football. Sampaoli will travel to Spain to try to convince him otherwise.

  24. This list is a joke..Mr. Sampaoli is fixated on this crazy 3-4-3 formation. Look Mr. Sampaoli, if you had Marcelo on the Left and Carvajal on the right then your crazy 3-4-3 formation would make sense. This list does not give confidence sir, please rip it up and start all over again. This is one depression looking selection.

    • With Marcelo and Carvajal the best formation is 4-X-X without world class left or right backs the 3-5-2 or 3-4-3, like Conte did with Victor Moses (forward) and Marcos Alonso or the same shit with centre backs on the wings

    • I agree only to the extent that there isn’t time to reinvent the wheel now. It’s nerve racking to see a back 3 without pace. Fazio as the CB in the center is a recipe for nail-biting, suffering fans. I don’t think 3-4-3 is necessarily bad, I just don’t know if we have the pace to make it work from the middle of the pitch back.

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