Strange Argentina squad...

The new Argentina coach Basile has called up the following players for the friendly against Brazil:

Keepers: Roberto Abbondanzieri (Getafe) and Leo Franco (At. Madrid)

Defenders: Hugo Ibarra (Boca Juniors), Fabricio Fuentes (Atlas -México-), Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo), Walter Samuel (Inter de Milán), Clemente Rodríguez (Spartak Moscow), Gabriel Milito (Zaragoza) and Pablo Zabaleta (Espanyol)

Midlfielders: Leandro Somoza (Villarreal), Javier Mascherano (Corinthians), Maxi Rodríguez (At. Madrid), Daniel Bilos (Saint Etienne), Federico Insúa (Borussia Moënchengladbach), Román Riquelme (Villarreal), Luis González (Porto - Portugal-)

Strikers: Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona), Sergio Agüero (At. Madrid), Carlos Tevez (Corinthians -Brasil-), César Delgado (Cruz Azul -México-)

So no:
Heinze, Ayala, Sorín, Cambiasso, Crespo, Cruz, Saviola etc.


I think it is a very strange squad, that is very deficient in physical power, and that leaving out three of the defenders from the WC and Cambiasso is idiotic. And still no Demichelis and Zanetti!!

(The players from the Serie A must have been left out of the squad due to their fitness)

No panic yet, its just a friendly. Perhaps some teams are releuctant to let their big players go at the start of the season, or Basile is testing some new faces.

You should only panic if Basile publically burned bridges with Zanetti, Cambiaso & Crespo - like Marco van Basten has with RVN and Van Bommel!

Heinze is injured as is Cambiasso i think

I just think that Sorín is an excellent captain. Wouldn't mind if he came back to Barcelona.. as a replacement for one of the midfielders or Gio.. he is class, and works 110% in every game.

van bommel? how did he fall out with him?


was it over barcalona or somthing?

well with Basile as the new coach then,it shoule be expected that we would give certain plays a look in. expect to see abit more Boca players in the squad from now on. case in fact Insua&bilos

The strange thing is that according to www.ole.com.ar, Crespo, Saviola, Sorín and Aimar are far from making the squad

Basile wants to form an attacking "trident" with Messi, Tevez and Riquelme. But that means only two mobile players, only one real "finisher" and nobody to win a header. I don't get it...

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:The strange thing is that according to www.ole.com.ar, Crespo, Saviola, Sorín and Aimar are far from making the squad

Basile wants to form an attacking "trident" with Messi, Tevez and
Riquelme. But that means only two mobile players, only one real "finisher" and nobody to win a header. I don't get it...

That would not world IMO.

Messi----Riquelme-------Tevez

-----------Target Man-----------

would

Ayala, Sorín, Crespo, Zanetti etc, shouldn´t be called up. They don´t have any chance of playing the next WC. Copa America is worthless and Argentina will qualify for the next WC with or without them.

@sheva7

You really think that Basile is thinking 4 years ahead??!!

No, he will call up Ayala. According to the Argentinian press, Crespo and Cruz may be called up if they play well for their clubs. Sorín has slim chances of being called up again. IMO he shouldn´t call up old ageing players anymore.

They still have to find a strong striker who is good in the air, because you are right that Cruz and Crespo won't be in South Africa.

I wonder who it will be.. Maybe if Cavenaghi secures a transfer to a decent league.

Any ideas?

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:They still have to find a strong striker who is good in the air, because you are right that Cruz and Crespo won't be in South Africa.

I wonder who it will be.. Maybe if Cavenaghi secures a transfer to a decent league.

Any ideas?

Maxi Lopez

Are as you said Cavenaghi if he gets a transfer, He has been knocking them in since the Russia league has started. Seems like he has finally settled. or Milito

Messiah wrote:

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:They still have to find a strong striker who is good in the air, because you are right that Cruz and Crespo won't be in South Africa.

I wonder who it will be.. Maybe if Cavenaghi secures a transfer to a decent league.

Any ideas?

Maxi Lopez

Are as you said Cavenaghi if he gets a transfer, He has been knocking them in since the Russia league has started. Seems like he has finally settled. or Milito

should have thought of him myself...

according to Leão (Corinthians coach), Tevez and Mascherano won't play against Brazil in London.

since it's not an official friendly, they will be busy playing for the Todo Poderoso Timão.

Demichelis was injured too, yesterday he played his first game

this is just a friendly... and he has to make a team for the future.... I don't blame him, players like Zanetti will not be around for the next world cup, so its time to start blooding new players.

Cambiasso isn't hurt, he played yesterday against Sporting for Inter.

I agree with leaving out the older guys though. If they have no real chance of playing the next major tourney, just what are they doing in the squad? What's the point of keeping them around?

Put together your squad now and get them used to playing together. If they're going to win anything it'll be with these younger guys.

Well Basile said that for his second era debut( nice to start against Brazil, maybe not as heated as it would be in Brazil or Argentina but still) he gave preference to players who had already started playing, and were in "rythm". Serie A and La Liga haven't started yet so a lot of players are left there, Micho isn't yet fit in his opinion. Though it is silly to work wit players that won't be fit for the next WC, he did call(and this shows he isn't just leaving every olod guy out) Ibarra, who IMO has been as good if not better than Zanetti for RB, and who's 33 years old.

The thing is that although this is a friendly and that he should be playing young players preparing them for the next WC, this is a game against Brazil and some of the young guys aren't yet that good to replace the old ones. Besides, public opinion and support is very important for the national team coach and his players. So if his second time ahead of the national squad starts with a trashing against our all time rivals(something that could happen anyway), things could go bad for his from a start

ohh and Tevez and Masche have to go, if they are called...it's a FIFA calendar game right?

Yes, Corinthians can´t do anything, but why didn´t he call up players based on Argentina?

Yea, I see your point, but it is good that he's starting to form a new group. Portugal has also started to do the same.

Ibarra, he never seemed to settle at Porto but looked good whenever I've seen him. Good player.