It's been a while since I posted about the Albicelestes (mostly because there hasn't been too much to write about). But with the opening of the January transfer window, Argentineans seem to have become hot property all over Europe. Below is my round-up of transfer activity involving Argentinean players, both rumoured and confirmed, organised by league of origin.
Spain
Espanyol's excellent young right-back/left-back/attacking midfielder Pablo Zabaleta, who captained the U20 World Championship winning Argentina side of 2005, has been linked to...wait for it...AC Milan! Of course, the Italian giants have been linked with every single able defender in the world under the age of 35 recently, so this is probably just a wild rumour, but contrary to my usual stance on young Argentineans moving to big clubs in Europe, I think this wouldn't be too bad if it were true. Zabaleta's always been a mature lad - he has handled his own contract negotiations since he was a teenager - and he's been playing in Europe for a while, so there's less of an adaption issue.
The owner of Milan's other team has long had his beady eyes on the young Argentinean plying his trade for Barcelona's other team. Moratti's monthly ponderings about how much he wants Lionel Messi to move to Inter have gotten just a bit creepy lately, as his declarations begin sounding ever more desperate - which is funny, since Inter aren't exactly a side in need of a saviour (or Messi-ah, even, ha ha) at the moment. Barca, for their part, haven't even bothered denying the rumours of an 100 million euro bid, or 40 million plus Adriano, or whatever it is this week. Bottom line: if the current management are stupid enough to even think about selling Messi, there will be probably be a riot. So there's that one dealt with.
On to the more troublesome of Barca's two Argentines, Javier Saviola, who seems to have a knack for picking the most horrible agents in the world - I was barely done being thankful that he fired the greedy bastard who screwed up his relationship with Barca and profited enormously from his transfer when his new one started talking like an asshole. Along with Mascherano, Tevez, and Fernando Cavenaghi, he's the finest example of what mismanagement can do to the promise of young talent. Of course, he's still a fine player, and his career could still pick up if he goes to a club that works for him.
To me, that club seems to be Villarreal. I might be a bit biased because the Yellow Submarines are my second team, but it seems like the perfect solution. Saviola himself has stated that he wants to stay in Spain, so that rules out the outlandish talk about Juventus, as well as Spartak Moscow's interest. The Russian club, who have seemingly not learnt from the Cavenaghi fiasco, are reportedly willing to pay 10 million euros for his services. Undoubtedly Barca would be pleased with such a sum, but I really don't see Saviola being attracted to the Russian league despite the good wages Spartak can pay. Besides, they want him in January, which I don't think is going to happen, given Saviola's own insistence on staying til the end of his contract and Barca's need for striking cover.
So that leaves the Spanish clubs. Espanyol seems a distant possibility to me - Barca will probably do all they can to stop it, for one, and I doubt they'd be able to pay a level of wages that would be satisfying to Saviola. Sevilla has been bought up time and time again, but they've already got quite a few strikers sitting on the bench and just bought a couple more. I don't think the demand is there.
Villarreal on the other hand apparently want Saviola on loan in January, which neither Barca nor Saviola will like, but they would seem to be a sensible destination for El Conejo in the summer. Of Villarreal's strikers, Jose Mari is inconsistent, Franco can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo, and in my opinion Nihat and Forlan don't seem compatible. They've got money in the shape of their club owner, and plenty of ambition too. Besides, it's a South American haven, has a good record for rehabilitating the careers of former Barca players, and they have a cordial relationship with Barca management.
Roberto Ayala has fallen out of favour yet again at Valencia, despite the coach Flores asking the board to renew his contract. Sporting director Carboni - who I have a healthy lack of respect for - hasn't made a habit of actually listening to the needs of his coach, though, and want to ship him out the door. Kind of the opposite of how he signed Tavano over Flores' head, when the coach hadn't asked for yet another striker, but even more annoying. Carboni makes Barca's sometimes-frustrating technical director seem like a model professional. But anyway, back to El Raton. Likely destinations are either Liverpool or Chelsea, although I'm hoping the Villarreal move mooted earlier this year is still on. They need a good center-back since young Argie Gonzalo Rodriguez is still injured, and their offence is less threatening than a kitten banishing a wilted daisy at the moment.
The Yellow Submarines are a club in a bit of trouble at the moment, though, with reports of unrest between the players, the coach and the club president. Occasional captain and Argentinean left-back Arruabarrena is going to be out of contract in the summer and he hasn't been offered a renewal, prompting the usual speculation. Espanyol have been mentioned, but I have no idea how reliable that is.
There's also been a lot of speculation about Argentines moving back to the Argentinean league, which makes me wonder where they're getting all that money from, since even clubs like Boca and River are supposed to have financial problem - hence the quick cashing-in on talented young players. Deportivo defender Aldo Duscher (infamous for breaking Beckham's metatarsal) and Zaragoza defender Leandro Ponzio have both been linked with moves to River Plate, while part-time comedy defender and occasional competent midfielder Lionel Scaloni, currently plying his trade at Racing Santander, has been linked with a move to Boca.
Argentina
AC Milan have already signed one young Argentinean this season, although I'm guessing most people won't have heard of him. Full-back Leandro Grimi, 21, turned up in Milan and promptly announced that he had the potential to become the new Maldini. Which...okay. Right.
24-year-old Rodrigo Palacio of Boca Juniors, who has just become the highest paid player in Argentina has been persistently linked with Barcelona. He's something of an anomaly, Palacio. Normally the best young players in the Argentinean league can't wait to move to Europe (and make no mistake, Palacio was/is the best striker in the Argentinean league, his team's general malaise in the Opening season notwithstanding) but he seems pretty patient. Maybe that's for the best. Personally, I can't see where he's going to fit in at Barca, if we do sign him, unless he can play as a wing-forward. Even then, he'd be holding up the progress of promising youth team players like Gio Dos Santos and Bojan Krkic. For all intents and purposes, though, the deal appears to be off for now.
Another transfer that the Barca press are very keen on is that of young Argentinean international (okay, third choice, but still) 'keeper Oscar Ustari. This is actually one I'm quite excited about. Ustari is very, very good, not to mention incredibly composed and mature for his age. Barca number one Valdes' current backup Jorquera is solid enough, but he's older than Valdes, not as quick and I wouldn't be very comfortable having him for more than the occasional match. If this transfer does eventually come off, which looks likely (maybe in the summer) Valdes could have some actual competition on his hands, which would be no bad thing.
(If Ustari does come to Barca, all of Argentina's international 'keepers would ply their trade in La Liga. There's El Pato, who's doing so well at Getafe; Leo Franco, great as ever at Atletico, and German Lux was said to be moving to Mallorca, although I'm not sure what has happened to that transfer.)
Real Madrid's new management has continued the club's time-honoured tradition of drawn-out transfers, but at least this time Calderon actually delivered the three South American youngsters he promised. The two Argentineans, 19 year old striker Gonzalo Higuain of River Plate and 21 year old defensive midfielder Fernando Gago of Boca, took a bit more wrangling than the Brazilian defender Marcelo.
I regarded these two moves with varying levels of disapproval, it must be said, and not just because they were going to Real. At first glance, Gago seems to be better placed for playing time since Capello's formation demands two defensive midfielders - and the current squad only has two, Diarra who is out of favour and Emerson, who the fans don't like. Poor Gago did indeed get a start against Deportivo alongside Emerson, but it all went horribly wrong for him. It's rather strange that he was given a start - Real haven't won in the Riazor for 14 years, and it's not the ideal type of match to throw a young man who has never played in La Liga into. Left to his own devices - meaning without Calderon's declaration during the transfer saga that Gago would be playing against Depor - I'm not sure Capello would have made the same decision.
But at least it looks like Gago will be getting plenty of games, if he can manage to improve on this performance, which is surely not beyond a player with his natural talent, and fight off the pressure of ridiculous expectations which comes with both the 'new Redondo' hype and his price tag.
On the other hand, I'm not sure what's going to happen to Higuain. He's undoubtedly very talented, but I can't help feeling that he's moved too soon. There was still room for him to grow in Argentina. But what can you do when Real Madrid come knocking? The problem now is that even with Cassano out of favour, and Ronaldo lacking match sharpness (although he can still score goals with superb positioning and touch alone) I can't see him starting. Van Nistelrooy is far too important to Capello's Madrid, and if Ronaldo and Van Nistelrooy aren't compatible, Higuain and Van Nistelrooy would be even worse. Maybe he'll play some Copa del Rey matches, but what a waste that would be. On the other hand, Van Nistelrooy isn't getting any younger...
Real's city rivals Atletico were cruelly described by one paper as having had the door slammed repeatedly in their faces during attempts at strengthening the injury-hit squad. The latest target seems to be Estudiantes midfielder Jose Sosa, who has built up a bit of a reputation for himself in Argentina this season. So that seems like a pretty smart move, Atletico offering 5 million euros for his services. The only problem is that Estudiantes (no doubt learning from the way in which Boca and River did their business with Real) want double that. So we'll see how deep Atletico's pockets are, having (somehow) managed to shell out year after year for a host of expensive signings. They're kind of like the Newcastle of La Liga, in a way, although to be fair to Atletico they're actually doing quite well at the moment.
Relegation battlers Real Sociedad need all the help they can get right now, especially on the cheap. They've signed central defender Victor Lopez from Argentinian club Arsenal (who incidentally have a co-operation agreement with Barca) and are reportedly looking to sign striker Federico Higuain (Gonzalo's older brother) from River Plate. The potential stumbling block for the latter being that Federico is currently on loan at Argentinean club Nueva Chicago, who will be less than pleased to see him go.
England
I had high hopes for young Argentinean defender Gabriel Paletta when he joined Liverpool. His take-no-prisoners style and physical presence seemed ideally suited to the Premiership, and while I harboured the same misgivings I always have when young Argentineans join big clubs - will they end up not acclimatizing quickly enough, rotting on the bench or in the reserves - I thought maybe he could follow in the footsteps of Heinze, who had such a promising debut season at Manchester United and earned the affection of the fans with his wholehearted approach to the game (as opposed to, say, Rio Ferdinard).
Anyway, Paletta fell victim to the fate I feared for him. But it's not all bad news - the team rooted to the bottom of the league table in La Liga want him on loan.
No, really. It's not as bad as it sounds. The new 'Nastic coach is apparently a pal of Rafa Benitez and wants a couple of players on loan to boost the Catalan minnows in their relegation battle. It would be good for Paletta to actually get some experience under his belt instead of tolling away in Liverpool's reserves, even if turns out to be experience fighting relegation. The biggest problem I can see with this is that Paletta's tough-tackling style might get him sent off quite a lot in La Liga.
Speaking of Gabriel Heinze, he's not been having the best time at Manchester United this season, what with being kept on the bench by Patrice Evra and all. He has taken it pretty well, which I assume will last right up until he drops out of contention for Argentina. The one thing I admire the most about Heinze has always been his commitment to the Albicelestes. He won't sit around and wait to be dropped by Argentinean coach Basile for not playing regularly enough.
Luckily, a host of clubs have been watching Heinze's situation, ready to spirit him away to fill holes in their own defences. These reportedly include his former club PSG, Valencia and the obligatory Juve and Milan links (Juve being the more concrete, since the coach has expressed interest). There are also reports that Bayern could be his destination in a part-swap deal that will finally end the Owen Hargreaves saga, which would probably happen in the summer. Can't see where he'd play at Bayern, personally, but certainly some of the other names mentioned look very possible.
And then there's the turkey of the season so far, poor Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. Tevez actually looks like he will be staying with the Hammers til the end of the season, and has looked good when he's been let out to play. Masche though has been rotting in West Ham reserves and has had enough. Curiously enough, I've seen Hammers fans complaining about how bad he has been, but I've also seen Hammers fans complain about how little playing time he's had to demonstrate his actual ability. Anyway, he's desperate to move, and everyone involved in his dodgy ownership deal will be glad to get some money out of this whole disaster.
As has been widely reported, Juvenus were apparently interested, but the suits there were put off by the complexity of his ownership. (Juve suits daunted by dodgy dealings? Imagine!) But good old Rafa Benitez is ready to come to the rescue with a loan deal and an option to buy attached, if only FIFA are willing to bend their own rules a bit.
Others
Leandro Romagnoli - anybody remember him? Promising attacking midfielder, part of the 2001 World Youth Championship-winning U-20s along with Saviola and D'Alessandro? Anyway, he's owned by Mexican club Veracruz but has been on loan with Sporting Lisbon for a while. There's talk of him joining Getafe on loan now. Apparently some other clubs were keen on him, but he wanted to play in La Liga. Smart lad.
Fernando Cavenaghi looked to be joining Romagnoli as another entry in the formerly promising, now forgotten book. Fortunately, as I've mentioned before, he's now heading out of Spartak Moscow. In La Liga, Racing Santander are apparently interested, presumably as striking cover for their comical but successful strike pairing of Zigic and Munitis. With clubs in Italy, France and Portugal also reportedly interested, the Russian club have made it clear that how much a club can offer Spartak will be the key to this transfer.
Showing posts with label zabaleta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zabaleta. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Friday, December 22, 2006
At least we didn't lose (again)?
Barca were held to a 1-1 draw by bogey team Atletico Madrid in the last La Liga game of the year, leaving the champions 3 points off leaders Sevilla with a game in hand. Not a bad league position considering how badly we miss Eto'o (and how leaky the defence is right now).
As for the game itself, I always thought we were going to lose because it's Atletico. They were the only side to beat Barca at home last season. Enough said. Then I looked at the squad list and was even more certain - Sylvinho suspended, Gio, Edmilson and Marquez rested, Zambrotta injured (in addition to long-term injuries Eto'o and Messi, of course). No left-backs, plus a frontline and midfield in desperate need of rest (how many games has Iniesta played without rest in such a short period?), in addition to a Ronaldinho who only got one training session before the game thanks to the FIFA World Player of the Year presentation in Zurich - something of a recipe for disaster, I thought.
And then I saw the starting 11 - Oleguer at left-back (WTF?), no Giuly. Kind of crazy, but it almost worked. And then poor Thuram got injured, so Motta had to play center-back, which was almost as scary as seeing Oleguer at left-back. Credit to the Catalan, though, he insisted on playing despite being injured and did a pretty good job.
We have got to stop conceding cheap equalisers - not that Argentine wonderkid (and 'new Messi') Aguero's strike was cheap, nor for that matter Drogba's. You would expect a team like Barca to be able to hang on to a 1-0 advantage, though, even if we're pouring forward in attack instead of sitting back. After all, that's how we got to the Champions League final.
The most infuriating aspect of the draw has to be Deco and Ronaldinho both getting booked for whining to the ref. It's behaviour unworthy of two great players, and bad for the team as a whole as the bookings will lead to both being suspended for the first game of the new year. No Deco and no Ronnie against Getafe - never an easy game to begin with. Thanks, guys.
Actual non-sarcastic thanks must go to Ronnie, too, for that cracking free-kick. Jet lag, what jet lag?
crocked strikers update
For your reading pleasure: an interview with Samuel Eto'o at ESPN Soccernet, where he offers his thoughts on a variety of issues, including how much he misses playing, Zidane's assertion that Eto'o should have won World Player of the Year, his pal Thierry Henry, the Premiership and his own recovery. Good stuff as usual, from a man with 'the brutal honesty of a Speak Your Weight machine in an American shopping mall' (TM Sid Lowe).
According to local media, Eto'o is as good as his word and has been working his socks off to recover quickly. Just don't overdo it, Sammy!
Lionel Messi - the original, one and only - also did an interview with local paper Sport, translated by the good folks of lionelmessi.org. He talks about the importance of Frank Rijkaard, his mentor Ronaldinho and reveals amongst other things that fellow Argentinean international and long-time friend (from his U20 days) Pablo Zabaleta, who plays for city rivals Espanyol, visited him almost everyday when he was stranded at home on crutches for a month. Aww, good to see that bitter city rivalry doesn't come before Argie solidarity.
Messi will return to Argentina tomorrow for the later stages of his recovery. Hopefully he has learned from his last experience and will not rush his comeback this time.
Lastly, former Celtic and Barcelona great Henrik Larsson has began training with Manchester United. I'd like to take this chance to wish Henke every success in his time at United. Here's hoping he leaves Old Trafford a hero, just as when he left Celtic Park and the Camp Nou.
As for the game itself, I always thought we were going to lose because it's Atletico. They were the only side to beat Barca at home last season. Enough said. Then I looked at the squad list and was even more certain - Sylvinho suspended, Gio, Edmilson and Marquez rested, Zambrotta injured (in addition to long-term injuries Eto'o and Messi, of course). No left-backs, plus a frontline and midfield in desperate need of rest (how many games has Iniesta played without rest in such a short period?), in addition to a Ronaldinho who only got one training session before the game thanks to the FIFA World Player of the Year presentation in Zurich - something of a recipe for disaster, I thought.
And then I saw the starting 11 - Oleguer at left-back (WTF?), no Giuly. Kind of crazy, but it almost worked. And then poor Thuram got injured, so Motta had to play center-back, which was almost as scary as seeing Oleguer at left-back. Credit to the Catalan, though, he insisted on playing despite being injured and did a pretty good job.
We have got to stop conceding cheap equalisers - not that Argentine wonderkid (and 'new Messi') Aguero's strike was cheap, nor for that matter Drogba's. You would expect a team like Barca to be able to hang on to a 1-0 advantage, though, even if we're pouring forward in attack instead of sitting back. After all, that's how we got to the Champions League final.
The most infuriating aspect of the draw has to be Deco and Ronaldinho both getting booked for whining to the ref. It's behaviour unworthy of two great players, and bad for the team as a whole as the bookings will lead to both being suspended for the first game of the new year. No Deco and no Ronnie against Getafe - never an easy game to begin with. Thanks, guys.
Actual non-sarcastic thanks must go to Ronnie, too, for that cracking free-kick. Jet lag, what jet lag?
crocked strikers update
For your reading pleasure: an interview with Samuel Eto'o at ESPN Soccernet, where he offers his thoughts on a variety of issues, including how much he misses playing, Zidane's assertion that Eto'o should have won World Player of the Year, his pal Thierry Henry, the Premiership and his own recovery. Good stuff as usual, from a man with 'the brutal honesty of a Speak Your Weight machine in an American shopping mall' (TM Sid Lowe).
According to local media, Eto'o is as good as his word and has been working his socks off to recover quickly. Just don't overdo it, Sammy!
Lionel Messi - the original, one and only - also did an interview with local paper Sport, translated by the good folks of lionelmessi.org. He talks about the importance of Frank Rijkaard, his mentor Ronaldinho and reveals amongst other things that fellow Argentinean international and long-time friend (from his U20 days) Pablo Zabaleta, who plays for city rivals Espanyol, visited him almost everyday when he was stranded at home on crutches for a month. Aww, good to see that bitter city rivalry doesn't come before Argie solidarity.
Messi will return to Argentina tomorrow for the later stages of his recovery. Hopefully he has learned from his last experience and will not rush his comeback this time.
Lastly, former Celtic and Barcelona great Henrik Larsson has began training with Manchester United. I'd like to take this chance to wish Henke every success in his time at United. Here's hoping he leaves Old Trafford a hero, just as when he left Celtic Park and the Camp Nou.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Spain 2 Argentina 1 - A Dissection
First of all, I have to congratulate whoever decided to play the match in Murcia, on a newly re-laid pitch which led to two injuries and at least two more scares. Neither manager wanted to play on that pitch, and with good reason.
The most serious of these is the one that forced Maxi Rodriguez out of the game early on. Poor Maxi - his injury is a huge blow to both Argentina and his club Atletico, who are doing very well at the moment. The lastest news seems to be that he's going to be out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage, which is truly horrific news. Atletico must be concerned about losing one of their best players for so long, and this is just awful for Maxi personally since he looked to be on track for his best season in Spain. Get well soon, Maxi!
The other injury that really got on my nerves is the one sustained by Carles Puyol in the warm-up. He'll hopefully only be out for a short time and might be back in time for the Chelsea game. The two scares I mentioned are Luis Garcia, who was set to start but instead came in from the bench, and Carlos Tevez, who played on despite a knee injury. Hopefully neither will turn out to be serious.
Spain
4-4-2: Reina; Sergio Ramos, Juanito, Pablo, Capdevila (Antonio Lopez 46'); Angulo (Fabregas 76'), Albelda (Xabi Alonso 46'), Iniesta, Xavi; Villa, Torres (Luis Garcia 57')
I'm happy for the Barca boys, especially captain Xavi, a wonderful player who I'm very fond of. His goal was a cracker, beautifully set up by Iniesta's run. Iniesta had a brilliant game overall, highlighting just how criminally underused he has been in the Spanish team. Granted, they have a lot of midfield talent - Fabregas, Albelda, Xabi Alonso, Senna, the aftementioned Xavi - but what a waste. His time will come, though, perhaps in the next World Cup. In the meantime, Aragones has proved me wrong about wingers - he doesn't seem to need them after all. That said, Argentina didn't exactly use the wings either, so it's not a foregone conclusion.
Argentina
-----------Abbondazieri
Zabaleta--Ayala--Milito--Arruabarrena
--Gonzales--Mascherano--Bilos*
--------------Insua
-------Messi-------Tevez
*replaced Maxi Rodriguez early when he had to go off with a knee injury.
After the subs -
-----------Abbondazieri
Zabaleta--Ayala--Milito--Arruabarrena
---Gonzales--Somoza--Bilos*
--------------Aimar
------Saviola------Aguero
Now, before I dig my nails into the whole thing, a caveat. It is no great disaster to lose narrowly to a team like Spain. Certainly this is a better result than the loss to Brazil. Having read the Brazilian media's complaints about the quality of opposition they've had for friendlies (New Zealand and Kuwait come to mind from recent games) I think matching up against top-quality teams like Argentina are doing is better. Even if we lose the experience gained is valuable. We have friendlies against the likes of France and Germany lined up for next year, which has to be a good thing for this young team. The overall reaction from Argentina fans seems excessively strong given the above. That said, there are some causes for concern.
Problems: Line-up
I wasn't happy when the starting line-up was announced, but kept quiet in the hopes that I'd be proven wrong. No dice. Let's start from the defence and work our way up, shall we?
To me, there was nothing particularly wrong with the backline. However, poor Arruabarrena is now being slated for his performance at left-back. The chattering classes do have a point in that if Basile was so desperate for a left-back that he recalled a 31-year-old whose last cap came quite a few years ago, he might have gone for former captain Sorin instead. Not that Arruabarrena is bad, it just smacks of an emergency choice given Basile's stated preference for young players. That said, Argentina do seem to have a bit of a problem at left-back. I can only think of Diego Placente and Leandro Cufre who can play in that position. Other suggestions are more than welcome.
On to the midfield, then. I really like Mascherano, and he's a great player, but in current form I really don't know why he started the game. Unlike the problems at left-back, we've got plenty of great holding midfielders, so it's not like there's a shortage.
A position where there seems to be a critical shortage right now is the #10. I realized that when I say 'lone playmaker' that's not actually getting the concept across properly. What I mean by that is the Maradona role, basically. In this game the team missed Riquelme, not the Riquelme of Villarreal's semi-final defeat to Arsenal, but the Riquelme of Argentina 3, Brazil 1, the man who could impose his will on a game. Even the Argentine press - who practically hounded him into retirement - have now admitted he's simply the best Argentinean player right now.
Both Basile's choices to replace him failed that test this time. Aimar should perhaps be given another chance since he didn't get enough time in this game to show what he could do, but Insua has tried and failed twice now. Two games don't tell the whole story, but the question has to be asked whether someone who hasn't exactly made a massive impact for Borussia Monchengladbach this season yet should be the center of Argentina's game. I'm being a bit harsh on the man, since he did set up the equalizer, but all of us expect so much more from our playmaker.
Aimar's situation is that he has both the talent and the form problems of Riquelme. I remain convinced that he can succeed as the #10 if Basile shows enough faith in him. The only thing he can do right now is to continue improving for his club and hope that Basile is watching closely.
Moving on to the front line. Tevez is a great player, but he is not in form right now, and therefore he should not have started. Compounding the problem is the fact that him and Messi are in some ways very similar players - both are more comfortable bursting into the box from out wide or midfield than playing as a central striker. Despite what Basile said about playing Messi in a free role, that's not going to work if he's running into the same space as the playmaker - who also has a free role - all the time and attempting to do the same work. Neither Messi or Tevez are clinical finishers in the 20 goals a season sense. In fact, both are more like a #10, as discussed above. Rather than pushing them forward, playing them a bit further back might actually work better. I understand that they're both not quite mature enough as players to be the playmaker just yet, but both would make good strike partners for a proper finisher.
Saviola and Aguero together make a touch more sense since at least Saviola has some of the qualities of a central striker. Aguero on the other hand is more like Tevez and Messi. He was Independiente's #10 before moving to Spain, where of course they don't use playmakers in the same sense, unless you're Villarreal. Basile knows what these players are like. So why was no replacement for Crespo called up? It's not as if Argentina only have him as central striker.
Problems: Execution
The midfield was pretty shambolic at times, nobody seeming to know what they were supposed to be doing. Neither playmaker could stamp their authority on the game. Insua was all over the place and Aimar failed to shine. Insua also ended up in the same positions as the forwards far too many times, especially Messi. Perhaps that was inevitable, since both forwards were playing like midfielders - dropping deep to win possession, running through the midfield and expecting whoever was on the end of the penetrating pass to finish. Maybe that's a hint to Basile to actually play them in midfield, but I digress. Both Messi and Tevez squandered absolutely golden chances to score off great passes from...each other, actually.
Positives
Zabaleta should continue to be called up. I'm convinced that he can develop into a really good player with more experience. Works hard, never gives up and has a mature head on his shoulders. Additionally, I'm convinced that this backline, even with the current personnel, can work well with a bit more training time together.
Bilos has done well against Brazil and in this game. More chances for him, please, especially now that Maxi's out for so long. There seems to be no need to worry about the midfield in general, with the notable exception of the #10 position. Even then, it seems to me that those who claim Argentina lack suitable candidates for the position need to look harder. We have plenty of options, it just depends on whether Basile wants to use them or not.
(Seriously, Messi or Tevez on the tip of midfield. Try it. If Basile's willing to give him a free role, then why not take the next step?)
Conclusions
In the end, the fundamental problem for Argentina is three fold. First, the bulk of these players are young. Some have played very few or no competitive internationals. Less than half the squad have Champions League experience. That is going to show when it comes to big matches.
Second, the forward line for this game was so lacking in height it was comical - the tallest, Sergio Aguero, is a hardly Peter Crouch-esque 1.72 meters. That in itself isn't a problem. The issue is more that of the four, only Javier Saviola could be said to be anywhere near being a center forward. That position is something Basile will have to sort out fast.
Third, some of these guys were meeting each other for the first time. They had 2, 3 days of training together, and then, bam, they have to play against Spain. It was the same versus Brazil. Argentina aren't going to win matches with this set-up. In this vein, I agree wholeheartedly with Basile's approach to the Copa, which is to get a group of players based in Argentina together to train regularly and add in some players from abroad. He won the Copa in '93 with this approach, so we know it works. That said, I'll still feel disappointed if he doesn't use certain very capable and deserving players who ply their trade in Europe. Roberto Ayala for example - if anyone deserves a trophy to go out on, it's him. It would be a nice thing for Crespo as well.
Logically, when a team built around one player loses that player, it falls to pieces. The job Basile is faced with now is rebuilding the Argentinean team entirely. It's certainly not an easy task. I wish him luck.
The most serious of these is the one that forced Maxi Rodriguez out of the game early on. Poor Maxi - his injury is a huge blow to both Argentina and his club Atletico, who are doing very well at the moment. The lastest news seems to be that he's going to be out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage, which is truly horrific news. Atletico must be concerned about losing one of their best players for so long, and this is just awful for Maxi personally since he looked to be on track for his best season in Spain. Get well soon, Maxi!
The other injury that really got on my nerves is the one sustained by Carles Puyol in the warm-up. He'll hopefully only be out for a short time and might be back in time for the Chelsea game. The two scares I mentioned are Luis Garcia, who was set to start but instead came in from the bench, and Carlos Tevez, who played on despite a knee injury. Hopefully neither will turn out to be serious.
Spain
4-4-2: Reina; Sergio Ramos, Juanito, Pablo, Capdevila (Antonio Lopez 46'); Angulo (Fabregas 76'), Albelda (Xabi Alonso 46'), Iniesta, Xavi; Villa, Torres (Luis Garcia 57')
I'm happy for the Barca boys, especially captain Xavi, a wonderful player who I'm very fond of. His goal was a cracker, beautifully set up by Iniesta's run. Iniesta had a brilliant game overall, highlighting just how criminally underused he has been in the Spanish team. Granted, they have a lot of midfield talent - Fabregas, Albelda, Xabi Alonso, Senna, the aftementioned Xavi - but what a waste. His time will come, though, perhaps in the next World Cup. In the meantime, Aragones has proved me wrong about wingers - he doesn't seem to need them after all. That said, Argentina didn't exactly use the wings either, so it's not a foregone conclusion.
Argentina
-----------Abbondazieri
Zabaleta--Ayala--Milito--Arruabarrena
--Gonzales--Mascherano--Bilos*
--------------Insua
-------Messi-------Tevez
*replaced Maxi Rodriguez early when he had to go off with a knee injury.
After the subs -
-----------Abbondazieri
Zabaleta--Ayala--Milito--Arruabarrena
---Gonzales--Somoza--Bilos*
--------------Aimar
------Saviola------Aguero
Now, before I dig my nails into the whole thing, a caveat. It is no great disaster to lose narrowly to a team like Spain. Certainly this is a better result than the loss to Brazil. Having read the Brazilian media's complaints about the quality of opposition they've had for friendlies (New Zealand and Kuwait come to mind from recent games) I think matching up against top-quality teams like Argentina are doing is better. Even if we lose the experience gained is valuable. We have friendlies against the likes of France and Germany lined up for next year, which has to be a good thing for this young team. The overall reaction from Argentina fans seems excessively strong given the above. That said, there are some causes for concern.
Problems: Line-up
I wasn't happy when the starting line-up was announced, but kept quiet in the hopes that I'd be proven wrong. No dice. Let's start from the defence and work our way up, shall we?
To me, there was nothing particularly wrong with the backline. However, poor Arruabarrena is now being slated for his performance at left-back. The chattering classes do have a point in that if Basile was so desperate for a left-back that he recalled a 31-year-old whose last cap came quite a few years ago, he might have gone for former captain Sorin instead. Not that Arruabarrena is bad, it just smacks of an emergency choice given Basile's stated preference for young players. That said, Argentina do seem to have a bit of a problem at left-back. I can only think of Diego Placente and Leandro Cufre who can play in that position. Other suggestions are more than welcome.
On to the midfield, then. I really like Mascherano, and he's a great player, but in current form I really don't know why he started the game. Unlike the problems at left-back, we've got plenty of great holding midfielders, so it's not like there's a shortage.
A position where there seems to be a critical shortage right now is the #10. I realized that when I say 'lone playmaker' that's not actually getting the concept across properly. What I mean by that is the Maradona role, basically. In this game the team missed Riquelme, not the Riquelme of Villarreal's semi-final defeat to Arsenal, but the Riquelme of Argentina 3, Brazil 1, the man who could impose his will on a game. Even the Argentine press - who practically hounded him into retirement - have now admitted he's simply the best Argentinean player right now.
Both Basile's choices to replace him failed that test this time. Aimar should perhaps be given another chance since he didn't get enough time in this game to show what he could do, but Insua has tried and failed twice now. Two games don't tell the whole story, but the question has to be asked whether someone who hasn't exactly made a massive impact for Borussia Monchengladbach this season yet should be the center of Argentina's game. I'm being a bit harsh on the man, since he did set up the equalizer, but all of us expect so much more from our playmaker.
Aimar's situation is that he has both the talent and the form problems of Riquelme. I remain convinced that he can succeed as the #10 if Basile shows enough faith in him. The only thing he can do right now is to continue improving for his club and hope that Basile is watching closely.
Moving on to the front line. Tevez is a great player, but he is not in form right now, and therefore he should not have started. Compounding the problem is the fact that him and Messi are in some ways very similar players - both are more comfortable bursting into the box from out wide or midfield than playing as a central striker. Despite what Basile said about playing Messi in a free role, that's not going to work if he's running into the same space as the playmaker - who also has a free role - all the time and attempting to do the same work. Neither Messi or Tevez are clinical finishers in the 20 goals a season sense. In fact, both are more like a #10, as discussed above. Rather than pushing them forward, playing them a bit further back might actually work better. I understand that they're both not quite mature enough as players to be the playmaker just yet, but both would make good strike partners for a proper finisher.
Saviola and Aguero together make a touch more sense since at least Saviola has some of the qualities of a central striker. Aguero on the other hand is more like Tevez and Messi. He was Independiente's #10 before moving to Spain, where of course they don't use playmakers in the same sense, unless you're Villarreal. Basile knows what these players are like. So why was no replacement for Crespo called up? It's not as if Argentina only have him as central striker.
Problems: Execution
The midfield was pretty shambolic at times, nobody seeming to know what they were supposed to be doing. Neither playmaker could stamp their authority on the game. Insua was all over the place and Aimar failed to shine. Insua also ended up in the same positions as the forwards far too many times, especially Messi. Perhaps that was inevitable, since both forwards were playing like midfielders - dropping deep to win possession, running through the midfield and expecting whoever was on the end of the penetrating pass to finish. Maybe that's a hint to Basile to actually play them in midfield, but I digress. Both Messi and Tevez squandered absolutely golden chances to score off great passes from...each other, actually.
Positives
Zabaleta should continue to be called up. I'm convinced that he can develop into a really good player with more experience. Works hard, never gives up and has a mature head on his shoulders. Additionally, I'm convinced that this backline, even with the current personnel, can work well with a bit more training time together.
Bilos has done well against Brazil and in this game. More chances for him, please, especially now that Maxi's out for so long. There seems to be no need to worry about the midfield in general, with the notable exception of the #10 position. Even then, it seems to me that those who claim Argentina lack suitable candidates for the position need to look harder. We have plenty of options, it just depends on whether Basile wants to use them or not.
(Seriously, Messi or Tevez on the tip of midfield. Try it. If Basile's willing to give him a free role, then why not take the next step?)
Conclusions
In the end, the fundamental problem for Argentina is three fold. First, the bulk of these players are young. Some have played very few or no competitive internationals. Less than half the squad have Champions League experience. That is going to show when it comes to big matches.
Second, the forward line for this game was so lacking in height it was comical - the tallest, Sergio Aguero, is a hardly Peter Crouch-esque 1.72 meters. That in itself isn't a problem. The issue is more that of the four, only Javier Saviola could be said to be anywhere near being a center forward. That position is something Basile will have to sort out fast.
Third, some of these guys were meeting each other for the first time. They had 2, 3 days of training together, and then, bam, they have to play against Spain. It was the same versus Brazil. Argentina aren't going to win matches with this set-up. In this vein, I agree wholeheartedly with Basile's approach to the Copa, which is to get a group of players based in Argentina together to train regularly and add in some players from abroad. He won the Copa in '93 with this approach, so we know it works. That said, I'll still feel disappointed if he doesn't use certain very capable and deserving players who ply their trade in Europe. Roberto Ayala for example - if anyone deserves a trophy to go out on, it's him. It would be a nice thing for Crespo as well.
Logically, when a team built around one player loses that player, it falls to pieces. The job Basile is faced with now is rebuilding the Argentinean team entirely. It's certainly not an easy task. I wish him luck.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Early preview for Spain vs Argentina
I know it's in a week's time, but what an exciting (friendly) game this could be from two attack-minded teams with plenty of flair between them. Being the staunch Albiceleste fan I am, I want Argentina to win, but La Furia Roja are growing on me as well. They can hardly fail to, with the type of players they have. Anyway, preview time.
Argentina
Two highly important players have had to pull out for Argentina with injuries. Hernan Crespo, the only center forward named in the 22-man squad, picked up a muscle strain playing for Inter and will be out for a month. Gabriel Heinze got injured playing for Manchester United and will be out for two to three weeks. (Side note: this also means that there are no Serie A players in the squad, strangely enough given Inter's tendency to collect Argentineans. Or maybe not, since half of their collection - Cambiasso, Cruz, Samuel, plus the aftementioned Crespo - is injured.)
Basile has not named any replacements, unfortunately. To my mind he should have at least called up a proper center forward - either Diego Milito or Cesar Delgado would do - since one of the problems Argentina had against Brazil was that they lacked a proper finisher. How that's going to change with the same forwards this time is beyong me, but we'll see what happens.
My preferred starting 11, with the personnel changes (assuming he plays 4-3-1-2 again):
---------------Abbondanzieri
Zabaleta----Ayala------Milito----Arruabarrena
--M Rodriguez---Somoza---Bilos
-------------------Aimar
-------------Messi-----Saviola/Aguero
I considered previous track record with the team, but mostly it's based on club form and how well these guys have linked up in the past. Abbondanzieri is the undisputed number one, not only because he had a great World Cup but also because he's been doing very well for new club Getafe this season.
At the back, young Zabaleta has been giving his all for Espanyol as usual, even when played in strange positions. I think he's played at left-back, right-back, holding midfield and right side of midfield for them - and that's just this season. Random aside: I do wish he would find a better club. Nothing against Espanyol, but they're so inconsistent despite all the talent in the team and have therefore looked like they're in relegation danger since the beginning of last season. If they do well this season then it's all fine, but if they do get relegated, then I really hope he gets out of there. Anyway, Argentina have had problems filling the right-back position, and he's played well when called up before, so he should start.
Ayala should of course start and be captain, no question about it. Gabriel Milito did well in the single match he played in the World Cup and should fill Heinze's boots effectively once again, partnering one of the best central defenders in the world. He's excellent for Zaragoza and to my mind cannot be blamed for the club's inconsistency as a whole. Again, they have some brilliant players - Aimar, D'Alessandro, Diego Milito, Ewerthon, young Gerard Pique - but somehow fail at getting results in week in week out. Coloccini of the crazy hair should not play unless there's an absolute need, since he utterly fails at being consistent.
Arrubarrena has been a great leader at Villarreal for a long time, giving 100% in every match, and I expect to see the same from him for Argentina after his surprise call-up. I'm not sure how solid he is in defense, but he goes forward quite well - typical Argentinean wing-back, in other words.
In midfield, Maxi Rodriguez's World Cup heroics, not to mention his recent great form for Atletico should see him start. I've put him on the right since Daniel Bilos played on the left against Brazil and did very well, hence his inclusion instead of Luis Gonzales. Somoza starts at holding midfield instead of Mascherano because what I've heard about his form for West Ham hasn't impressed me, plus he's not even properly match sharp yet. It pains me to write this, since I really like Masche and he's been always been great for Argentina, but he was very poor against Brazil and we can't afford that again. Somoza in contrast has been doing very well at new club Villarreal, earning good reviews, and played well against Brazil when he came on.
Insua I haven't seen too much of, nor was I convinced by his performance against Brazil, so - unfairly or not - he hasn't been considered. Aimar has really found a new lease of life at Zaragoza, playing in a more South American style alongside Andres D'Alessandro. His recent form for the club has been very impressive, although there has been the usual murmurs that he should pass more and dribble less, etc. But to me, that's not Aimar's style. After Riquelme's retirement, Aimar is now Argentina's best player, as well as the most creative. Like Riquelme his style is distinctive, and like Riquelme he can run a game if he feels like it. I'm hoping he has a good day, continuing with the great understanding he showed with Messi at the World Cup.
Speaking of which, my favourite Barca youngster should be very pleased to be playing alongside his childhood idol in Aimar. I was concerned with his form after the game against Racing, but it would be crazy not to start him after what he's done in recent games against Werder Bremen and Atletic Bilbao. So the question becomes who is going to partner him? Tevez should not be in contention to me, because he hasn't really gotten into his stride for West Ham and the stress surrounding all that means he probably won't play all that well (like against Brazil).
Saviola on the other hand has been on great form for Barca, where he has suddenly gotten a new lease of life due to the injury to Sammy Eto'o. He would probably just edge Aguero in my book because he has shown 1) that he can score goals right now and 2) he can play well with Messi. Those two train together everyday and therefore probably have a better understanding. Aguero has been on great form too, but - like Messi on a bad day - I'm still not convinced by his finishing. While the two claim that they would play well together because of their friendship and understanding, I'm not convinced since they've hardly trained together. Besides, they both seem more like second strikers to me, and we had that problem against Brazil already.
The major problems I can see with the line-up above, besides the striker issue I've already highlighted, would be 1) a lack of height, 2) a lack of width, and 3) midfield strength. Height problems are pretty normal for an Argentinean side because we've always had great but short players. But this proud tradition could find its most absurd expression in this formation, since the front attacking triangle could have an average height of about 1.67 meters (Aimar-Saviola-Messi). Aguero and Tevez aren't much taller. Thankfully the Spanish team aren't exactly giants themselves, nor are they always solid at the back or good at defending dead balls, so it's not exactly a disaster. Imagine if Argentina were playing the giants of Germany, though.
The second problem mostly stems from the specific opposition we're facing. This Argentina team is usually pretty good at using the wings, attacking with the full-backs linking up with the midfielders who feed the front three, but the single pivot style plus a front two does limit the width up front. This isn't normally a problem, but Spain do play my favourite formation, the 4-3-3, although they don't do it nearly as well as they could, to me. However, they do have excellent wingers and full-backs, not to mention great midfielders to link them, so our full-backs need to be careful, especially since the front two won't be able to help them push the opposition on the wings back in this kind of formation.
The last problem is linked to the second, namely that I can see this midfield being stifled out of the game. Maybe not by Spain, unless they play three central midfielders again (which would be stupid of them, judging by the last time they did such a thing), but Aimar is very liable to being shut down by a physical team, so Maxi and Bilos are going to have to cover for him, maybe even more than they did for Riquelme.
Spain
This will be less detailed as I don't know nearly as much about Spain as I do about Argentina. Still, they're fast climbing my favourites list, despite an admirably consistent tendency towards failure. On to squad news, and Reyes has pulled out with an injury, which is bad news since he's been in such good form lately for Real Madrid. Racist bastard coach Aragones could call up a replacement, but we're not sure who that will be just yet. Raul has been dropped for the first time in forever (literally), which is kind of awkward given the fact that he seems to be getting back to form. I'm not quite convinced that he is, so let's leave that and move on.
My preferred starting 11, out of the 17-man squad list (4-3-3):
-------------Casillas
Ramos---Pablo---Puyol---Lopez
---Fabregas--Alonso--Xavi
--Angulo---------------Vicente*
--------------Villa
*My preferred replacement for Reyes, since there's no one else in the present squad list who can play on the left wing
I love the fact that Spain use 4-3-3 but hate how flat and wingless their particular version can be. So my preferred Spain formation will probably never happen because it actually uses the wings, but nevermind. If Senna was fit he'd play instead of Cesc, because no matter how much I like the Arsenal boy Senna is still more reliable. Angulo and Vicente should be used because they're actual wingers, unlike some of the other players Aragones has used in their positions (Villa and Torres), who would provide some proper width, and they're on form. Villa is preferred to Torres because I think he's the best Spanish center-forward, period, and completely wasted on the wing.
On a final note, this will be a very interesting game in one sense because most of these players will be very familar with each other, since the majority play each other all the time in the Spanish league. So Sergio Ramos knows the joys of defending against Messi, Aimar and Aguero, for example, while the entire Argentine backline (all of them playing in La Liga) will know what a pain Villa can be to stop. It will also pit team mates against each other in Barcelona players Puyol and Xavi against Messi and Saviola, not to mention Atletico Madrid's Pablo, Antonio Lopez and Torres against Maxi and Aguero, and Valencia's Albelda, Angulo and Villa against Ayala. Should be fascinating to watch. Here's hoping for a good game.
Argentina
Two highly important players have had to pull out for Argentina with injuries. Hernan Crespo, the only center forward named in the 22-man squad, picked up a muscle strain playing for Inter and will be out for a month. Gabriel Heinze got injured playing for Manchester United and will be out for two to three weeks. (Side note: this also means that there are no Serie A players in the squad, strangely enough given Inter's tendency to collect Argentineans. Or maybe not, since half of their collection - Cambiasso, Cruz, Samuel, plus the aftementioned Crespo - is injured.)
Basile has not named any replacements, unfortunately. To my mind he should have at least called up a proper center forward - either Diego Milito or Cesar Delgado would do - since one of the problems Argentina had against Brazil was that they lacked a proper finisher. How that's going to change with the same forwards this time is beyong me, but we'll see what happens.
My preferred starting 11, with the personnel changes (assuming he plays 4-3-1-2 again):
---------------Abbondanzieri
Zabaleta----Ayala------Milito----Arruabarrena
--M Rodriguez---Somoza---Bilos
-------------------Aimar
-------------Messi-----Saviola/Aguero
I considered previous track record with the team, but mostly it's based on club form and how well these guys have linked up in the past. Abbondanzieri is the undisputed number one, not only because he had a great World Cup but also because he's been doing very well for new club Getafe this season.
At the back, young Zabaleta has been giving his all for Espanyol as usual, even when played in strange positions. I think he's played at left-back, right-back, holding midfield and right side of midfield for them - and that's just this season. Random aside: I do wish he would find a better club. Nothing against Espanyol, but they're so inconsistent despite all the talent in the team and have therefore looked like they're in relegation danger since the beginning of last season. If they do well this season then it's all fine, but if they do get relegated, then I really hope he gets out of there. Anyway, Argentina have had problems filling the right-back position, and he's played well when called up before, so he should start.
Ayala should of course start and be captain, no question about it. Gabriel Milito did well in the single match he played in the World Cup and should fill Heinze's boots effectively once again, partnering one of the best central defenders in the world. He's excellent for Zaragoza and to my mind cannot be blamed for the club's inconsistency as a whole. Again, they have some brilliant players - Aimar, D'Alessandro, Diego Milito, Ewerthon, young Gerard Pique - but somehow fail at getting results in week in week out. Coloccini of the crazy hair should not play unless there's an absolute need, since he utterly fails at being consistent.
Arrubarrena has been a great leader at Villarreal for a long time, giving 100% in every match, and I expect to see the same from him for Argentina after his surprise call-up. I'm not sure how solid he is in defense, but he goes forward quite well - typical Argentinean wing-back, in other words.
In midfield, Maxi Rodriguez's World Cup heroics, not to mention his recent great form for Atletico should see him start. I've put him on the right since Daniel Bilos played on the left against Brazil and did very well, hence his inclusion instead of Luis Gonzales. Somoza starts at holding midfield instead of Mascherano because what I've heard about his form for West Ham hasn't impressed me, plus he's not even properly match sharp yet. It pains me to write this, since I really like Masche and he's been always been great for Argentina, but he was very poor against Brazil and we can't afford that again. Somoza in contrast has been doing very well at new club Villarreal, earning good reviews, and played well against Brazil when he came on.
Insua I haven't seen too much of, nor was I convinced by his performance against Brazil, so - unfairly or not - he hasn't been considered. Aimar has really found a new lease of life at Zaragoza, playing in a more South American style alongside Andres D'Alessandro. His recent form for the club has been very impressive, although there has been the usual murmurs that he should pass more and dribble less, etc. But to me, that's not Aimar's style. After Riquelme's retirement, Aimar is now Argentina's best player, as well as the most creative. Like Riquelme his style is distinctive, and like Riquelme he can run a game if he feels like it. I'm hoping he has a good day, continuing with the great understanding he showed with Messi at the World Cup.
Speaking of which, my favourite Barca youngster should be very pleased to be playing alongside his childhood idol in Aimar. I was concerned with his form after the game against Racing, but it would be crazy not to start him after what he's done in recent games against Werder Bremen and Atletic Bilbao. So the question becomes who is going to partner him? Tevez should not be in contention to me, because he hasn't really gotten into his stride for West Ham and the stress surrounding all that means he probably won't play all that well (like against Brazil).
Saviola on the other hand has been on great form for Barca, where he has suddenly gotten a new lease of life due to the injury to Sammy Eto'o. He would probably just edge Aguero in my book because he has shown 1) that he can score goals right now and 2) he can play well with Messi. Those two train together everyday and therefore probably have a better understanding. Aguero has been on great form too, but - like Messi on a bad day - I'm still not convinced by his finishing. While the two claim that they would play well together because of their friendship and understanding, I'm not convinced since they've hardly trained together. Besides, they both seem more like second strikers to me, and we had that problem against Brazil already.
The major problems I can see with the line-up above, besides the striker issue I've already highlighted, would be 1) a lack of height, 2) a lack of width, and 3) midfield strength. Height problems are pretty normal for an Argentinean side because we've always had great but short players. But this proud tradition could find its most absurd expression in this formation, since the front attacking triangle could have an average height of about 1.67 meters (Aimar-Saviola-Messi). Aguero and Tevez aren't much taller. Thankfully the Spanish team aren't exactly giants themselves, nor are they always solid at the back or good at defending dead balls, so it's not exactly a disaster. Imagine if Argentina were playing the giants of Germany, though.
The second problem mostly stems from the specific opposition we're facing. This Argentina team is usually pretty good at using the wings, attacking with the full-backs linking up with the midfielders who feed the front three, but the single pivot style plus a front two does limit the width up front. This isn't normally a problem, but Spain do play my favourite formation, the 4-3-3, although they don't do it nearly as well as they could, to me. However, they do have excellent wingers and full-backs, not to mention great midfielders to link them, so our full-backs need to be careful, especially since the front two won't be able to help them push the opposition on the wings back in this kind of formation.
The last problem is linked to the second, namely that I can see this midfield being stifled out of the game. Maybe not by Spain, unless they play three central midfielders again (which would be stupid of them, judging by the last time they did such a thing), but Aimar is very liable to being shut down by a physical team, so Maxi and Bilos are going to have to cover for him, maybe even more than they did for Riquelme.
Spain
This will be less detailed as I don't know nearly as much about Spain as I do about Argentina. Still, they're fast climbing my favourites list, despite an admirably consistent tendency towards failure. On to squad news, and Reyes has pulled out with an injury, which is bad news since he's been in such good form lately for Real Madrid. Racist bastard coach Aragones could call up a replacement, but we're not sure who that will be just yet. Raul has been dropped for the first time in forever (literally), which is kind of awkward given the fact that he seems to be getting back to form. I'm not quite convinced that he is, so let's leave that and move on.
My preferred starting 11, out of the 17-man squad list (4-3-3):
-------------Casillas
Ramos---Pablo---Puyol---Lopez
---Fabregas--Alonso--Xavi
--Angulo---------------Vicente*
--------------Villa
*My preferred replacement for Reyes, since there's no one else in the present squad list who can play on the left wing
I love the fact that Spain use 4-3-3 but hate how flat and wingless their particular version can be. So my preferred Spain formation will probably never happen because it actually uses the wings, but nevermind. If Senna was fit he'd play instead of Cesc, because no matter how much I like the Arsenal boy Senna is still more reliable. Angulo and Vicente should be used because they're actual wingers, unlike some of the other players Aragones has used in their positions (Villa and Torres), who would provide some proper width, and they're on form. Villa is preferred to Torres because I think he's the best Spanish center-forward, period, and completely wasted on the wing.
On a final note, this will be a very interesting game in one sense because most of these players will be very familar with each other, since the majority play each other all the time in the Spanish league. So Sergio Ramos knows the joys of defending against Messi, Aimar and Aguero, for example, while the entire Argentine backline (all of them playing in La Liga) will know what a pain Villa can be to stop. It will also pit team mates against each other in Barcelona players Puyol and Xavi against Messi and Saviola, not to mention Atletico Madrid's Pablo, Antonio Lopez and Torres against Maxi and Aguero, and Valencia's Albelda, Angulo and Villa against Ayala. Should be fascinating to watch. Here's hoping for a good game.
Monday, September 18, 2006
the future of Argentina part 1: defenders
This will mark the beginning of a series of (massive) posts on the future of the Argentinean National Team after the retirement of Juan Roman Riquelme and new coach Basile taking charge. I've discussed bits and pieces of the issue here and there, but not in any systematic fashion. Here I'll take a look first at what shape the new team will take, then likely candidates for each position. Please excuse the European-centric view, it wouldn't be this way if I had more information about those who play their football in the Argentinean league. This post deals with the defenders.
formation and tactics
If Basile's last stint as coach of the NT and his work at Boca are any indication, he favours an all-out attacking style, which is good news for the spectacle-hungry fan. However, no one's sure if he will continue what Pekerman eventually settled on by keeping the 4-3-1-2, which he also used at Boca, or going for a more aggressive 4-3-3 like the NT that won the Copa America under him in 1993. Either way, he's got plenty of talent to call on.
(Abbreviations: WYC = World Youth Championship. Speaking of which, I'm going to compile some statistics at the end of this series - how many players have won competitions at youth level like the Olympics, the WYC and the South American Youth Championships, how many are from each league and so on.)
Profiles are in order of age, from oldest to youngest. At the end I'll put the players into three categories: unlikely to feature, likely to feature in Qualifying/Copa America, and likely to feature in 2010 and give short reasons (age, ability etc).
Goalkeeper
Roberto 'Pato' Abbondanzieri (Getafe, Spain) will probably continue to be the first choice for a couple of years, and deservedly so given his assured performance at the World Cup, but at the age of 34 the search is on for a good replacement with an eye towards the next Copa America and World Cup Qualifying. Right now, though, his great work especially dealing with crosses, distribution and impressive penalty shootout record (only 3 out of 5 penalties get past him) keeps him at the top.
Leo Franco (Atletico Madrid, Spain) had the misfortune of coming on for the injuried Abbondanzieri in the World Cup match against Germany, letting in the equalizer and then all 4 German penalties in the shootout. He can't really be blamed for any of the above, though, given the circumstances of each. A World Youth Championship winner with the '97 team that also contained stars such as Aimar and Riquelme, he has a good record with his club, although at the age of 29 he may just be discarded in favour of someone younger before the next World Cup.
German Lux (River Plate, Argentina) was also a WYC winner with the '01 team that contained Saviola and Maxi Rodriguez, picking up an Olympic Gold medal as part of the '04 winning squad's first choice 'keeper (during which he strangely had a shot on goal in the first match against Serbia and Montenegro). He was also first choice for Argentina in the Confederations Cup '05, but missed out on a place in the World Cup squad because of concerns over his mental state after a personal tragedy in the family. Has been first choice for River Plate since last season, and at the age of 24 is one of the contenders for first choice in 2010.
Oscar Ustari (Independiente, Argentina) is yet another WYC winner, this time with the '05 side of Aguero and Messi. He was the third choice goalkeeper in Germany, taken primarily to get a feel for the World Cup as he is seen as a great prospect by many. Only 20 years old, Ustari has been first choice 'keeper for Independiente since last season, showing great maturity and leadership skills despite his age. There are rumours that Barcelona have an eye on his development. Definitely one for the future.
Defenders (center-back)
Roberto Ayala (Valencia, Spain) has been the undisputed leader of the Argentinean backline for many years. Now 34 years old, he was a member of the Olympic Gold-winning team of 2004 and has been a mainstay of the NT for more than a decade, earning more than 100 caps and playing in the last 3 World Cups. There were doubts over his ability to keep up going into Germany, since he'd had an operation on his knee and missed large parts of the Liga season, but 'El Raton' proved his detracters wrong with a towering performance, combining great passing ability with dominance in the air, assured marking and his trademark headed goals. I think he'll be back to lead the team for at least a couple more years, since he's definitely our best central defender at the moment. To be honest, I wish he could defy age and play on for Argentina in 2010, but obviously that's not possible. Having won league titles in all the countries he has played in, as well as the UEFA Cup and European Super Cup, it's sad that his wonderful career will end without a World Cup triumph. Perhaps the Copa America would prove a consolation.
Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United, England) is one of Argentina's first-choice center-backs at the moment. After drifting through a couple of different leagues he's done very well settling in ManU and is first-choice there when fit. Arguably him going off with a long-term injury in their first European match last season played a part in them failing to get out of the group stages. Heinze's great qualities are his work-rate, courage and accurate tackling. I think he could become one of the best in the world with a bit more experience and maturity. A key member of the '04 Olympics squad, 28-year-old Heinze formed a solid defensive partnership with Ayala in the NT that was only blighted by occasional rashness. Could be a leader of the defence in 2010.
Walter Samuel (Internationale, Italy) was left out of the World Cup squad in '06 but recalled for the friendly against Brazil. He's actually only 28 years old, and was a member of the '97 WYC squad, but always somehow seems older to me. Maybe I've been affected by all the talk about him being past his best. Samuel was hailed as 'the Wall' at Roma, but bombed at Real Madrid and now performs inconsistently for Inter (as does the entire Inter team, it must be said). I don't see him getting back into the squad unless there's an absolute shortage - he's been on the sidelines of the NT for far too long, and hasn't performed that well when drafted back in.
Gabriel Milito (Zaragoza, Spain) has been a defensive mainstay for his club since joining from Independiente. Very impressive everytime I've seen him play, with great distribution, he's been kept out of the starting line-up of the NT by the Ayala-Heinze partnership, only playing a single game in both the Confederations Cup and the World Cup. Only 26, though, so he'll probably be an important member of the team for years to come.
Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain) can also play at defensive midfield and right-back, but he's mostly a center-back for Argentina so he goes here. Captain of the '01 WYC-winning squad and part of the Olympic Gold winning team, he featured mostly in the Confederations Cup and World Cup Qualifying for the full NT. Played two games in Germany standing in for the injured Burdisso at right-back, not very impressively it must be said. He's known for being somewhat inconsistent, perhaps owing to the fact that he's had a torrid time staying at a club for more than a season. Now that he's settled at Depor, maybe things will improve. Only 24 years old, so he could feature in the next 4 years, but I remain unconvinced that he should on current performances.
Gonzalo Rodriguez (Villarreal, Spain) was unfortunate to sustain an injury that kept him out of the World Cup, and yet another one that came just as he was about to break into the NT which will keep him out for most of the season. Won the South American U-20 title in '03 with a team that included new West Ham signings Mascherano and Tevez. Gonzalo played twice for Argentina in the Confederations Cup, but remained on the fringe during Pekerman's time in charge. He's one of Argentina's brightest defensive prospects, having put in impressive displays for Villarreal particularly in the previous season. Only 22 years old, but already attracting attention from the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, not to mention the inevitable rumours about Inter. Barring injury worries, he should definitely feature in the next 4 years.
Gabriel Paletta (Liverpool, England) was a member of the WYC-winning squad of '05, his performances there earning him a move to Liverpool in the last transfer window, where he has yet to feature in a competitive match. He's a bit rough around the edges, but has a great sense of positioning and what he can and can't get away with. Also scores the odd goal - an old-school Argentinean defender, in other words. Yet to be capped for the NT, but surely it's just a matter of time and of course getting himself some playing time at Liverpool. At 20 years old, one for the future.
Defenders (right-back)
Javier Zanetti (Internationale, Italy) was controversially left out of the World Cup squad that went to Germany. A well-respected former captain of the NT, both for his efforts on the pitch and great character off it, Zanetti is one of the most-capped Argentinean players having taken part in the France and Japan-Korea World Cups, the Confederations Cup and World Cup Qualifying this time round, only to be mysteriously left out of the final squad. At his best he combines skill and pace with great runs down the right and is a hallmark of consistency both as the captain and symbol of Inter and for Argentina. At 34 he's only got a couple of years in him left, but I hope that Basile can give him a proper end to a wonderful career by selecting him at least for friendlies and maybe Copa America.
Lionel Scaloni (Racing Santander, Spain) is only included here so I can marvel at how a comedy defender like him got into the NT, let alone the World Cup squad. Okay, the 28 year old is a WYC winner with the '97 team, and maybe he used to be good for Depor, but I've seen the phrase 'West Ham comedy defender' next to his name far too many times. Not to mention I've also seen his attempts at defending against Mexico in Germany, when Pekerman tried him out as a replacement for the injured Burdisso and found his efforts to be worse than even Coloccini's attempt at filling the same position, and the latter's not even a right-back. Joined Racing recently hoping to kick-start his career again, but hopefully won't been seen in the sky blue and white again unless absolutely necessary.
Nicolas Burdisso (Internationale, Italy) was a surprise inclusion in the '06 Germany squad, after a season in which he only played 16 games for Inter. Another member of the '01 WYC-winning squad and the '04 Olympics winning team, he hasn't really impressed for the full NT. Did his job well defensively but was criticized for his lack of ability going forward until Ruud van Nistelrooy fell on him in the match against Holland and his World Cup ended. He's only 25 but I don't really see him getting too many chances under Basile, unless as a stop-gap or substitute. Players who sit on the bench for their clubs are unlikely to be selected, after all. If he becomes a starter for Inter, then his adaptability could be an asset.
Pablo Zabaleta (Espanyol, Spain) is a player I've admired such he captained Argentina to the '05 WYC title, playing on the right side of midfield. Since signing for Espanyol after the tournament, he's been playing at right-back for them and doing admirably well, considering the wildly inconsistent form of his club in general. A mature, cool-headed player with perhaps more effort than technique in defence but very good going forward, perhaps reflecting the fact that he started his career as a striker but moved gradually back. He was the one bright spark in the friendly against Brazil which was only his second cap and put in a very good claim for being called up again. 21 years old and developing well, so I hope he continues to be selected and becomes a regular.
Defenders (left-back)
Juan Pablo Sorin (Hamburg, Germany) led Argentina at the World Cup, performing admirably with his barnstorming runs up and down the left, working well with then-club mate Riquelme. His illustrious career for Argentina began when he captained the '95 WYC winning side, going on to win 70 caps including almost all the matches in the Confederations Cup and 2 World Cups. Sorin's club career has been less impressive, drifting from league to league and probably setting a record for the number of countries a single footballer has played in (Argentina-Italy-Argentina again-Brazil-Italy-Spain-France-Spain again-Germany). Played well for Villarreal in the last two seasons as a left-sided midfielder before being told that he was surplus to requirements. He's done everything asked of him as captain, but probably won't feature much in the future, being 30 years old and not a favourite of Basile.
Diego Placente (Celta Vigo, Spain) seems to be the forgotten left-back these days, after appearing at the 2002 World Cup, Qualifying for '06, and at the Confederations Cup final. A crucial member of the '97 WYC team, he only moved to Spain last year after spending the last five seasons as a regular for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. At 29 years old I can only see him filling in for the next few years, especially since he's been on the fringe of the NT for a while.
Leandro Cufre (Monaco, France) can reportedly play at right-back and center-back too, but I'm going by what I know - his performances at left-back for Argentina. Well, performance, really - he's only been capped 4 times, and played in a single game of note (the World Cup match against Holland, filling in for Sorin). You may remember him as the one who got red-carded against Germany for stamping on a German player in the after-match brawl, despite never playing in the game itself. A regular for Roma last season, he hasn't really impressed me from what I've seen, but maybe the move to France will suit him. 28 years old and yet another member of the '97 WYC-winning side, he may yet have further chances if he does well for his club, if only because of Argentina's current lack of left-backs.
Clemente Rodriguez (Spartak Moscow) was a surprise call-up to the NT for the Brazil friendly, having only featured in a couple of matches and the '04 Olympics squad until then. He's actually settled relatively well in Russia last season and has looked impressive for them so far this season. Basile loves a good attacking full-back and at 25 years old there's a high possibility that he'll be a member of the squad for years to come.
Unlikey to feature
Walter Samuel - hasn't been good for too long
Javier Zanetti - advanced age in a position that calls for speed, unfortunately
Lionel Scaloni - 'former West Ham comedy defender'
Juan Pablo Sorin - out of favour
Diego Placente - seemingly forgotten
Likely to feature in Qualifying/Copa America
Roberto 'Pato' Abbondanzieri - still first choice, still excellent
Leo Franco - seems to be default back-up for El Pato
Roberto Ayala - can't see anyone else leading the defence while he's still performing well
Gabriel Heinze - one of the first names on the team sheet when fit
Gabriel Milito - first substitute for both of the above
Fabricio Coloccini - useful as a versatile stop-gap
Gonzalo Rodriguez - Basile will be eager to bed him into the team
Pablo Zabaleta - seems to have earned himself a place with good displays
Nicolas Burdisso - versatile and fairly reliable
Leandro Cufre - because of the lack of experienced left-backs
Clemente Rodriguez - impressive so far, adds attacking threat
Likely to feature in 2010
German Lux - has shown promise already
Oscar Ustari - 'goalkeeper of the future'
Gabriel Paletta - if he lives up to his promise
Conclusions: Argentina currently have no truly world-class goalkeepers, a lot of central defenders and not enough great full-backs. What happened to proper wing-backs?
formation and tactics
If Basile's last stint as coach of the NT and his work at Boca are any indication, he favours an all-out attacking style, which is good news for the spectacle-hungry fan. However, no one's sure if he will continue what Pekerman eventually settled on by keeping the 4-3-1-2, which he also used at Boca, or going for a more aggressive 4-3-3 like the NT that won the Copa America under him in 1993. Either way, he's got plenty of talent to call on.
(Abbreviations: WYC = World Youth Championship. Speaking of which, I'm going to compile some statistics at the end of this series - how many players have won competitions at youth level like the Olympics, the WYC and the South American Youth Championships, how many are from each league and so on.)
Profiles are in order of age, from oldest to youngest. At the end I'll put the players into three categories: unlikely to feature, likely to feature in Qualifying/Copa America, and likely to feature in 2010 and give short reasons (age, ability etc).
Goalkeeper
Roberto 'Pato' Abbondanzieri (Getafe, Spain) will probably continue to be the first choice for a couple of years, and deservedly so given his assured performance at the World Cup, but at the age of 34 the search is on for a good replacement with an eye towards the next Copa America and World Cup Qualifying. Right now, though, his great work especially dealing with crosses, distribution and impressive penalty shootout record (only 3 out of 5 penalties get past him) keeps him at the top.
Leo Franco (Atletico Madrid, Spain) had the misfortune of coming on for the injuried Abbondanzieri in the World Cup match against Germany, letting in the equalizer and then all 4 German penalties in the shootout. He can't really be blamed for any of the above, though, given the circumstances of each. A World Youth Championship winner with the '97 team that also contained stars such as Aimar and Riquelme, he has a good record with his club, although at the age of 29 he may just be discarded in favour of someone younger before the next World Cup.
German Lux (River Plate, Argentina) was also a WYC winner with the '01 team that contained Saviola and Maxi Rodriguez, picking up an Olympic Gold medal as part of the '04 winning squad's first choice 'keeper (during which he strangely had a shot on goal in the first match against Serbia and Montenegro). He was also first choice for Argentina in the Confederations Cup '05, but missed out on a place in the World Cup squad because of concerns over his mental state after a personal tragedy in the family. Has been first choice for River Plate since last season, and at the age of 24 is one of the contenders for first choice in 2010.
Oscar Ustari (Independiente, Argentina) is yet another WYC winner, this time with the '05 side of Aguero and Messi. He was the third choice goalkeeper in Germany, taken primarily to get a feel for the World Cup as he is seen as a great prospect by many. Only 20 years old, Ustari has been first choice 'keeper for Independiente since last season, showing great maturity and leadership skills despite his age. There are rumours that Barcelona have an eye on his development. Definitely one for the future.
Defenders (center-back)
Roberto Ayala (Valencia, Spain) has been the undisputed leader of the Argentinean backline for many years. Now 34 years old, he was a member of the Olympic Gold-winning team of 2004 and has been a mainstay of the NT for more than a decade, earning more than 100 caps and playing in the last 3 World Cups. There were doubts over his ability to keep up going into Germany, since he'd had an operation on his knee and missed large parts of the Liga season, but 'El Raton' proved his detracters wrong with a towering performance, combining great passing ability with dominance in the air, assured marking and his trademark headed goals. I think he'll be back to lead the team for at least a couple more years, since he's definitely our best central defender at the moment. To be honest, I wish he could defy age and play on for Argentina in 2010, but obviously that's not possible. Having won league titles in all the countries he has played in, as well as the UEFA Cup and European Super Cup, it's sad that his wonderful career will end without a World Cup triumph. Perhaps the Copa America would prove a consolation.
Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United, England) is one of Argentina's first-choice center-backs at the moment. After drifting through a couple of different leagues he's done very well settling in ManU and is first-choice there when fit. Arguably him going off with a long-term injury in their first European match last season played a part in them failing to get out of the group stages. Heinze's great qualities are his work-rate, courage and accurate tackling. I think he could become one of the best in the world with a bit more experience and maturity. A key member of the '04 Olympics squad, 28-year-old Heinze formed a solid defensive partnership with Ayala in the NT that was only blighted by occasional rashness. Could be a leader of the defence in 2010.
Walter Samuel (Internationale, Italy) was left out of the World Cup squad in '06 but recalled for the friendly against Brazil. He's actually only 28 years old, and was a member of the '97 WYC squad, but always somehow seems older to me. Maybe I've been affected by all the talk about him being past his best. Samuel was hailed as 'the Wall' at Roma, but bombed at Real Madrid and now performs inconsistently for Inter (as does the entire Inter team, it must be said). I don't see him getting back into the squad unless there's an absolute shortage - he's been on the sidelines of the NT for far too long, and hasn't performed that well when drafted back in.
Gabriel Milito (Zaragoza, Spain) has been a defensive mainstay for his club since joining from Independiente. Very impressive everytime I've seen him play, with great distribution, he's been kept out of the starting line-up of the NT by the Ayala-Heinze partnership, only playing a single game in both the Confederations Cup and the World Cup. Only 26, though, so he'll probably be an important member of the team for years to come.
Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain) can also play at defensive midfield and right-back, but he's mostly a center-back for Argentina so he goes here. Captain of the '01 WYC-winning squad and part of the Olympic Gold winning team, he featured mostly in the Confederations Cup and World Cup Qualifying for the full NT. Played two games in Germany standing in for the injured Burdisso at right-back, not very impressively it must be said. He's known for being somewhat inconsistent, perhaps owing to the fact that he's had a torrid time staying at a club for more than a season. Now that he's settled at Depor, maybe things will improve. Only 24 years old, so he could feature in the next 4 years, but I remain unconvinced that he should on current performances.
Gonzalo Rodriguez (Villarreal, Spain) was unfortunate to sustain an injury that kept him out of the World Cup, and yet another one that came just as he was about to break into the NT which will keep him out for most of the season. Won the South American U-20 title in '03 with a team that included new West Ham signings Mascherano and Tevez. Gonzalo played twice for Argentina in the Confederations Cup, but remained on the fringe during Pekerman's time in charge. He's one of Argentina's brightest defensive prospects, having put in impressive displays for Villarreal particularly in the previous season. Only 22 years old, but already attracting attention from the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, not to mention the inevitable rumours about Inter. Barring injury worries, he should definitely feature in the next 4 years.
Gabriel Paletta (Liverpool, England) was a member of the WYC-winning squad of '05, his performances there earning him a move to Liverpool in the last transfer window, where he has yet to feature in a competitive match. He's a bit rough around the edges, but has a great sense of positioning and what he can and can't get away with. Also scores the odd goal - an old-school Argentinean defender, in other words. Yet to be capped for the NT, but surely it's just a matter of time and of course getting himself some playing time at Liverpool. At 20 years old, one for the future.
Defenders (right-back)
Javier Zanetti (Internationale, Italy) was controversially left out of the World Cup squad that went to Germany. A well-respected former captain of the NT, both for his efforts on the pitch and great character off it, Zanetti is one of the most-capped Argentinean players having taken part in the France and Japan-Korea World Cups, the Confederations Cup and World Cup Qualifying this time round, only to be mysteriously left out of the final squad. At his best he combines skill and pace with great runs down the right and is a hallmark of consistency both as the captain and symbol of Inter and for Argentina. At 34 he's only got a couple of years in him left, but I hope that Basile can give him a proper end to a wonderful career by selecting him at least for friendlies and maybe Copa America.
Lionel Scaloni (Racing Santander, Spain) is only included here so I can marvel at how a comedy defender like him got into the NT, let alone the World Cup squad. Okay, the 28 year old is a WYC winner with the '97 team, and maybe he used to be good for Depor, but I've seen the phrase 'West Ham comedy defender' next to his name far too many times. Not to mention I've also seen his attempts at defending against Mexico in Germany, when Pekerman tried him out as a replacement for the injured Burdisso and found his efforts to be worse than even Coloccini's attempt at filling the same position, and the latter's not even a right-back. Joined Racing recently hoping to kick-start his career again, but hopefully won't been seen in the sky blue and white again unless absolutely necessary.
Nicolas Burdisso (Internationale, Italy) was a surprise inclusion in the '06 Germany squad, after a season in which he only played 16 games for Inter. Another member of the '01 WYC-winning squad and the '04 Olympics winning team, he hasn't really impressed for the full NT. Did his job well defensively but was criticized for his lack of ability going forward until Ruud van Nistelrooy fell on him in the match against Holland and his World Cup ended. He's only 25 but I don't really see him getting too many chances under Basile, unless as a stop-gap or substitute. Players who sit on the bench for their clubs are unlikely to be selected, after all. If he becomes a starter for Inter, then his adaptability could be an asset.
Pablo Zabaleta (Espanyol, Spain) is a player I've admired such he captained Argentina to the '05 WYC title, playing on the right side of midfield. Since signing for Espanyol after the tournament, he's been playing at right-back for them and doing admirably well, considering the wildly inconsistent form of his club in general. A mature, cool-headed player with perhaps more effort than technique in defence but very good going forward, perhaps reflecting the fact that he started his career as a striker but moved gradually back. He was the one bright spark in the friendly against Brazil which was only his second cap and put in a very good claim for being called up again. 21 years old and developing well, so I hope he continues to be selected and becomes a regular.
Defenders (left-back)
Juan Pablo Sorin (Hamburg, Germany) led Argentina at the World Cup, performing admirably with his barnstorming runs up and down the left, working well with then-club mate Riquelme. His illustrious career for Argentina began when he captained the '95 WYC winning side, going on to win 70 caps including almost all the matches in the Confederations Cup and 2 World Cups. Sorin's club career has been less impressive, drifting from league to league and probably setting a record for the number of countries a single footballer has played in (Argentina-Italy-Argentina again-Brazil-Italy-Spain-France-Spain again-Germany). Played well for Villarreal in the last two seasons as a left-sided midfielder before being told that he was surplus to requirements. He's done everything asked of him as captain, but probably won't feature much in the future, being 30 years old and not a favourite of Basile.
Diego Placente (Celta Vigo, Spain) seems to be the forgotten left-back these days, after appearing at the 2002 World Cup, Qualifying for '06, and at the Confederations Cup final. A crucial member of the '97 WYC team, he only moved to Spain last year after spending the last five seasons as a regular for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. At 29 years old I can only see him filling in for the next few years, especially since he's been on the fringe of the NT for a while.
Leandro Cufre (Monaco, France) can reportedly play at right-back and center-back too, but I'm going by what I know - his performances at left-back for Argentina. Well, performance, really - he's only been capped 4 times, and played in a single game of note (the World Cup match against Holland, filling in for Sorin). You may remember him as the one who got red-carded against Germany for stamping on a German player in the after-match brawl, despite never playing in the game itself. A regular for Roma last season, he hasn't really impressed me from what I've seen, but maybe the move to France will suit him. 28 years old and yet another member of the '97 WYC-winning side, he may yet have further chances if he does well for his club, if only because of Argentina's current lack of left-backs.
Clemente Rodriguez (Spartak Moscow) was a surprise call-up to the NT for the Brazil friendly, having only featured in a couple of matches and the '04 Olympics squad until then. He's actually settled relatively well in Russia last season and has looked impressive for them so far this season. Basile loves a good attacking full-back and at 25 years old there's a high possibility that he'll be a member of the squad for years to come.
Unlikey to feature
Walter Samuel - hasn't been good for too long
Javier Zanetti - advanced age in a position that calls for speed, unfortunately
Lionel Scaloni - 'former West Ham comedy defender'
Juan Pablo Sorin - out of favour
Diego Placente - seemingly forgotten
Likely to feature in Qualifying/Copa America
Roberto 'Pato' Abbondanzieri - still first choice, still excellent
Leo Franco - seems to be default back-up for El Pato
Roberto Ayala - can't see anyone else leading the defence while he's still performing well
Gabriel Heinze - one of the first names on the team sheet when fit
Gabriel Milito - first substitute for both of the above
Fabricio Coloccini - useful as a versatile stop-gap
Gonzalo Rodriguez - Basile will be eager to bed him into the team
Pablo Zabaleta - seems to have earned himself a place with good displays
Nicolas Burdisso - versatile and fairly reliable
Leandro Cufre - because of the lack of experienced left-backs
Clemente Rodriguez - impressive so far, adds attacking threat
Likely to feature in 2010
German Lux - has shown promise already
Oscar Ustari - 'goalkeeper of the future'
Gabriel Paletta - if he lives up to his promise
Conclusions: Argentina currently have no truly world-class goalkeepers, a lot of central defenders and not enough great full-backs. What happened to proper wing-backs?
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