encore22000@yahoo.com wrote in news:1147762640.009405.46200 @j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
IMO the #4 favorite for the title after Brasil, Italy and England in> that order.> In fact, I firmly believe that no other team has a chance to win the> title,> so.>
This is essentially a Pekerman "the kids have grown up" squad.> The only ones who havent won a World youth title with the coach> or the Olympic title with Bielsa ( the Olympics being a youth event )> are Crespo, Cruz and Palacio. Ayala is not a kid and predates> Pekerman, but he is a special case and sort of a mascot.>
This is a vastly complicated side, in keeping with Senor Jose's> theoretical propensities. In it are present all possibilities for play> of Argentina, as opposed to the unidimensional "my way or the> highway" approach of le Passarelle and Bielsa in the 2 previous> World Cups. Whether the multitudinous is better than the fixed> is open to debate, certainly the case with Bielsa's teams that> had a far better record but still failed in 2002.>
One doubts Pekerman for his youth record only, and a certain> naivete. Certainly, Maradona's proclamations notwithstanding,> there are few better equipped to lead the albiceleste campaign.> Though no venue for experimentation, the Mundial must see one> effort by the maestro to prove if he can do with the seniors what> he has done so gloriously with the kids. As with most things> in this world, there is no black and white.>
There is a weakness in goal. But thats not his fault. There have> been no good goalkeepers from Argentina after Ubaldo Fillol.
Argh!!! Don't say such a thing. Remember Carlos Roa in 1998? He was IMO one of the very best goalies of that tournament, and had some wonderful years in Cúper's Mallorca before catching the Y2K bug...
The current best one is a oldie Colombian and the next is a> 40 year old. Pekerman, for whatever his worth, would probably> be crucified if he fronted either of them. Its good that he is> taking a kid who may reach those heights in future.>
Which brings us to the defence. It is well known that this team> will live or die on the number of goals it concedes. And the defense> of this team is its weak point. The once great Ayala is over the hill,> and the once-hoped successors have not quite filled his shoes.> Apart from Milito, and the temperamental Cufre, it looks unsteady.> I would have liked to see Gonzalo Rodriguez in the lineup, and> maybe even Walter Samuel. Coloccini, Ayala and Burdisso are> not encouraging.>
The center looks good, or as good as it can get. IMO the #2 midfield> after England and on par or slightly better than the Czechs.> The lack of 2 strong Europe-based DMs in Duscher and Demichelis> ( thrown out at the very last second for Cruz ) is more than made> up by Mascherano and Cambiasso, and the great advantage is the> all-round skills of Lucho Gonzales of Porto. The DT has banked on> a 4-3-3 with Riquelme in front of 2 DMs, so discussing the rest> is irrelevamt. Aimar is Roman's sub.>
In attack is a host of riches, and #2 again in the world after Italy> and Brasil but could be fatal. Tevez and Messi are both winners> in every sense of the word, and Crespo will lead the line with Cruz> as sub, and maybe Palacio. In case and extra edge to the attack> is needed, the considerable trickery of el Conejito will be called> into the picture.
-- Vidar Jortveit Bergen, Norway
"Coin toss instead of penalty shootouts now!" - desperate cries from English FA officials leading up to WC 2006
Only six? Isn't that a bit sparse... and as you note Demichelis was> dropped at the last minute. Can you speculate on a reason?
Some of the defenders are more midfielders than defenders ?
Unless I am mistaken, Argentina often likes to play a 3-5-2, and that seemed to be what they were playing at the Confed cup.
So they could line up with 3 of Ayala, Coloccini, Milito and Heinze at the back, then Sorin/Scaloni wide left and right, Cambiasso and maybe Mascherano in the middle, and Riquelme as the free midfielder.
Scaloni was used more in MF than defence by Deportivo, and same for Sorin at Villareal.
Bad mistake in not> including Zanetti, who's in his thirties but in great shape, has the> right spirit and can be a leader. He can also play fast, a problem in> this team.
He's fast and can run all day, but is also completely useless. (IMO of course ;))
Bad mistake in not>> including Zanetti, who's in his thirties but in great shape, has the>> right spirit and can be a leader. He can also play fast, a problem in>> this team.>
He's fast and can run all day, but is also completely useless. (IMO of > course ;))
I used to be quite critical of Zanetti but I thought he looked quite good in the CL games this year.
<encore22000@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1147886523.399513.92680@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...> There was an interesting interview with Pekerman> yesterday. He said a few things which were quite> interesting and points clearly to his way of thinking> with the squad.> [snip]>
He rates Ivory Coast as too European to trouble> Argentina.
[snip]
Serbia he rates highly, for their discipline and> power, but thinks they will be unable to cope with> Argentina's variations. He doesnt seem to think they> pose much of a problem.
[snip]
[Re: Holland]:
At the same time, it appears he is not> greatly worried by this particular Dutch side, and says> he is confident Argentina can go past them.>
Can you post a link or list your source? I have followed Pekerman for some time and it would very much surprise me if he said these things.
Only six? Isn't that a bit sparse... and as you note Demichelis was> dropped at the last minute. Can you speculate on a reason?>
Julio Cruz was very hot at the end of the season. Although I think that Pekerman is right to take Cruz, since he is the only old-style center-forward other than Crespo (and more in-form than Crespo), I think that it was an error not to take DeMichelis instead one of the many defenders taken. There is no natural substitute for Mascherano, although Coloccini has played a few games at defensive midfield for Argentina. Moreover, I've watched a few Corinthians games and Mascherano is nowhere near his pre-injury form. I believe DeMichelis should have been taken instead of Burdisso.
If Argentina is expecting to make serious inroads in the Cup> they have to come up with more than talent in the midfield.>
Argentina is a good, maybe very good side, but it's not> WC-Semifinal-good.>
Totally disagree, partly because I think they are good enough to win, but mainly because as we see EVERY time, in the modern game any half-decent team (and ARG is certainly at least that) can make the semis with the right breaks, hot scorer, goalie good at PKs, etc. One of the "favorites on paper" will win, though. And I think Arg qualifies here, also. Most of us (including myself) I think have a tendency to overstate the failings of particular teams because we are comparing them to an ideal which rarely exists, instead of comparing them to the other teams in the field. Maybe England or Arg don't "look like WC winners" if you compare them to France 98 or Germany 1990 (much less Brazil 70, Holland 74, etc.), but they are surely two of the most talented teams in this tournament.
All that said, it's still Brazil's to lose (for the same reason).
<encore22000@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1148013859.266537.151190@38g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...>I apologize. I think, reviewing everything, that I had absolutely no> grounds> for attacking your posting history. I dont know why I did it. I am> going thru a> bad phase with my son.>
I will try to record the interview the next time it comes up, or try to> get> it from somewhere else. Even then, it may turn out that I> misinterpreted> Pekerman.>
I hope we can both enjoy the coming WC as wellwishers of the> Albiceleste.>
I'm glad that's over. As far as the albiceleste, I hope so too. Frankly, my only hope is that they look so hopeless. Like Brasil last time around or Argentina in '86. I realize that this is a very slender reed to lay my hopes on.
In article <NF9bg.89410$dW3.72116@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com>, Daniel Windler <dawindler@erasethisporfavor.yahoo.com> wrote: # 2. I read several Argentinean newspapers on the internet every day, # including sports-only Ole, and had not read any of the words that you # ascribed to Mr. Pekerman. To the contrary, all of the comments from Mr. # Pekerman that I've read and seen follow the standard cliches regarding how # great the other team is, how hard the games are, how there are no favorites # in a WC, etc.
The level of frankness on these "Los Technicos" interviews is pretty astounding. Even to discussing one's OWN team's tactics...
Daniel Windler wrote:> "Riffster" <nerazzurriNOWAYJOSE@comcast.net> wrote in message > news:B7qdnRg7-tlsv_HZnZ2dnUVZ_vmdnZ2d@comcast.com...>
"JK" <jknapp@oacpc.com> wrote in message >>news:HBFag.1201$E84.784@chiapp18.algx.net...>>
symbiotrans@yahoo.com wrote:>>>
Bad mistake in not>>>>including Zanetti, who's in his thirties but in great shape, has the>>>>right spirit and can be a leader. He can also play fast, a problem in>>>>this team.>>>
He's fast and can run all day, but is also completely useless. (IMO of >>>course ;))>>
Your opinion and a gold coin will get you mugged - for your opinion.
I suppose I should concede that I'm basing my low opinion of Zannetti on his worth in midfield. In defense he may be more useful.
"Futbolmetrix" <futbolmetrix@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:e4ld3i$c9k$1@news.iucc.ac.il...> "Daniel Windler" <dawindler@erasethisporfavor.yahoo.com> wrote in message> news:BNabg.89715>
But Argentina won a world cup in which it started>> Oscar Garre at left back.>
(Argentina won a world cup with Jose Luis Brown as their libero)>
They won a world cup opening a tournament with the following team:>>
Yeah, but all these World Cups won by Argentina with crap left backs, crap> liberos, and ridiculous starting lineups had something in common: a little> fat bloke with the number 10 shirt playing the best tournament ever.>
If you want to bring logic into the discussion that's your choice, but there's still a certain rhetorical power to reminding people that Oscar Garre started that first game.
The other parallels with the '86 team and the '90 team (in contrast to the '98 and '02 teams) is that on the eve of the tournament, no one has much of an idea what the tactics or starting lineups are going to be. Three months before the '98 WC and the '02 WC, any argentinean could have told you the starting lineup of the national team, and the tactical formation. In '86, no one had any idea at the start of the tournament, and Bilardo kept on changing the team until the England game.
In the 2002 WC, most of the players had been playing together from the Passarella era. They were a completely formed team. Here, with only one friendly before the world cup, Argentina's most likely starting lineup has played only a few minutes together, if at all.
And, yes, without expecting to see another Maradona, Argentina's hopes are on the shoulders of incredible world cups from riquelme, messi, and tevez.
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