Left field
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Boca put River in their place
The result of the year’s first “superclasico” was logical with first division champions Boca Juniors beating second-division River Plate 2-0.
But Wednesday night’s friendly – an unprecedented clash with one of the two giants of the Argentine game in the second tier — was also something of an anti-climax after the massive build.
Argentina’s biggest soccer rivalry, whether they are playing an off-season warm-up as in this case or a decisive Libertadores Cup clash or anything in between, puts all others in the shade.
It was played in the steamy northern city of Resistencia in the sub-tropical Chaco province with massive police control to keep the hard-core element among their fans, bitter enemies, to their word that there would be no trouble.
As it happened, one of River’s senior players, former Russia-based midfielder Alejandro Dominguez, could have sparked trouble with his insulting gestures to Boca fans as he eventually and reluctantly trudged off following a red card.
“Chori” Dominguez, who should have known better, lost his self control and reacted badly to a booking, clamouring about Boca fouls and accusing the referee of bias which earned him the dismissal.
Independiente’s barrabravas bristle at “no cash” pledge
Argentina’s soccer hooligans appear to warm up for a new championship just like their teams with Independiente’s ‘barrabravas’ threatening trouble at an off-season friendly after being told by the club’s new administration “there is no cash”.
The impoverished giants from Avellaneda, record seven-times South American champions, voted in new president Javier Cantero last month who at once confronted the hardcore fans and told them they would get no funds.
It is common practice in Argentina for barrabravas to demand and get match tickets and funding to travel to away matches under threat of violence in a never-ending cycle of impunity.
Independiente played San Lorenzo in a friendly on Thursday in Mar del Plata where the barrabravas made their discontent felt with insulting chants at the board and threats against club members and peaceful fans in adjacent stands.
After a meeting with Cantero right after his election victory, barrabrava leader Pablo “Bebote” (babe) Alvarez announced his resignation as leader as if he held an official position, though he is likely to re-emerge during the Clausura championship that kicks off next month.
Cantero called the barrabravas mercenaries, which drew an angry response at Thursday’s game, and told Alvarez the club was destitute and “there is no cash for anyone”.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
A not so happy birthday for Maradona
Diego Maradona is spending his 50th birthday on Saturday far from the two things that have dominated his life -- soccer and being constantly in the public eye.
That leaves Argentina’s greatest player at a crossroads a few short months after a humiliating 4-0 defeat by Germany in the World Cup quarter-finals cost him the job as coach of his beloved Argentina.
Having cheated death more than once and defied doubters to get the job in November 2008, it would be unwise to write off his chances of returning to it one day.
Indeed, former Boca Juniors and Argentina team mate and friend Claudio Caniggia saw him recently and confirmed Maradona was still interested.
“He looked well,” Caniggia said in an interview with the sports daily Ole published on Thursday.
“Obviously, there’s pain. He still hopes for a chance, but he’s well,” said Caniggia, who pointed out that far more experienced coaches have been unable to steer Argentina beyond the last eight since 1990. “Although he doesn’t say so to me, I’m sure inside himself he thinks he deserves to carry on. I think he deserved to.”
The job is, in fact, still open with Maradona’s 1986 World Cup-winning team mate Sergio Batista enjoying a head start as the interim coach and the backing of Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona.
Messi, Maradona and Batista
With Sergio Batista at the Argentina helm, Lionel Messi has the chance to develop into the truly great footballer his talent has promised since last year’s exploits with Barcelona.
It could be that when the Argentine Football Association make their choice of coach for the 2014 Brazil World Cup cycle, they opt for a different candidate from Batista – Alex Sabella of Estudiantes for instance.
But what matters for Messi is that with Batista he really feels he is playing as well as he does with Barcelona – a bone of contention among Argentines throughout last year’s World Cup qualifiers and into the finals in South Africa where with each passing match the tactics of Diego Maradona isolated him more and more.
By the time Argentina crumbled against Germany in their quarter-final, Messi was back in his team’s own half looking for the ball, Javier Mascherano was floundering on his own in a midfield packed with Germans and Juan Sebastian Veron was wasted warming the bench.
Batista has only presided over two friendlies, with a third in Japan coming up on Friday, but he has fielded a midfield that protects and also feeds Messi for the brilliant kind of opening goal in the 4-1 win over Spain in Buenos Aires last month.
Messi has regularly said he feels comfortable with Batista, a combination that helped Argentina win the Olympic gold medal in 2008. He has not criticised Maradona, he even went as far as to say a few days ago he would be happy with either coach.
Batista, though, seeks and gives Argentina a balance lacking under Maradona, who in the eye of many Argentines is now seen as a destabilising influence on the team.
Messi couldnt do anything during the world cup …. he’s only good with Barcelona FC where the players are used to team work, unlike the Argentine squad where every player thinks he’s a Maradona of his own.
did u even hear what Maradona said when the team got eliminated? here’s a briefing about it. i saw it here on http://www.sawfer.com
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Reuters World Cup 2010 podcast — quarter-finals (II)
Join us for a look back at the extraordinary first two quarter-finals at the World Cup and a look forward to Germany v Argentina and Spain v Paraguay. Paul Radford, Felix Bate, Jon Bramley and Kevin Fylan argue over the merits of penalty goals in soccer and consider Ghana's desperate misfortune.
All the World Cup 2010 Games in South Africa will be streamed live at http://www.WorldCupTV.org 20:42
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
World Cup 2010 quarter-finals podcast
Welcome to our latest Reuters 2010 World Cup podcast, as we follow the lead of the world's most famous psychic octopus and try to predict what will happen in the quarter-finals. Kevin Fylan is joined by Paul Radford, Jon Bramley, Ken Ferris and Mr Mark Gleeson.
All the World Cup 2010 Games in South Africa will be streamed live at http://www.WorldCupTV.org 22:05
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
World Cup podcast – day 14
Kevin Fylan, Paul Radford, Andy Cawthorne and Felix Bate discuss a few of the forthcoming second round matches at the World Cup, including the classic Germany v England.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Tevez provides sweet headache for Maradona
Carlos Tevez has quickly gained the love of supporters wherever he has played, first at Boca Juniors, then Corinthians, now in the Premier League, with his never-say-die attitude added to considerable ball skills.
On Monday in Buenos Aires, he played as if he were facing Brazil in the World Cup finals and not Canada in a friendly. He chased and harried for 70 minutes, laid on the second goal in a 5-0 win for Maxi Rodriguez, passed to Angel Di Maria for his celestial third goal of the night and got on the scoresheet himself.
Tevez will provide Diego Maradona will a headache at the finals in South Africa fighting for a place in the starting line-up among a quintet of strikers good enough to get into any top international team in the world.
“Diego’s got to open his head. I know he has an idea for his team and (playing) system, but he has to open his head and try other options too,” Tevez said last week when the squad began their World Cup preparations.
Maradona, too, has admitted to the difficulty posed by a forward section in his squad that includes Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain, the top two scorer in La Liga, Champions League winning striker Diego Milito and Sergio Aguero, who needed just a minute on the River Plate pitch to score the fifth goal on Monday.
“It’s tough leaving Carlitos out, eh,” Maradona was quoted as saying over the weekend.
Argentina’s fans left the Monumental stadium confident they have a team to fight for the title, regardless of any misgivings some may have about Maradona’s ability to coach them on the practice field and, more importantly, when the chips are down on the pitch.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Decision day for Argentina: Live blogging the World Cup qualifiers
Unusually, the final night of European World Cup qualifying is a bit of a damp affair. Most of the groups have been decided, with by and large just the second-places, and play-off berths, up for grabs.
Undeterred, we shall keep you up to date with what's going on in Europe as a prelude to the really serious business of the night ... the decisive match in Montevideo, where Argentina are playing for their lives against Uruguay.
Here at Reuters Soccer Blog we particularly welcome comments, so please give us your views on how things are going as the actions progresses.
Come on Argentina! Messi has to get to the World Cup finals!
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
The all-star XI in World Cup trouble
Some of football's biggest names, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, are in danger of missing out on next year's World Cup, as countries such as Argentina, Portugal and France struggle in qualification.
Most, if not quite all of them, may make it in the end, of course, but for a bit of pre-weekend qualifier fun, here's my stab at a world XI wtill fretting over their places at South Africa 2010.
Think I've got it about right? Missed anyone out? Let me know in the comments.
Petr Cech (Czech Republic): The Chelsea keeper is arguably the best in the business, but the Czech Republic are currently fourth in group three and could be eliminated on Saturday if results go against them.
Patrice Evra (France): The left back could pick up his fourth consecutive Premier League crown with Manchester United this season, but he could miss out on the World Cup with France currently second in their group behind Serbia and hoping for a play-off place at a realistic best.
Thomas Vermaelen (Belgium): The former Ajax defender has enjoyed a superb opening to the season since completing a move to Arsenal, but he will not get the chance to showcase his talents in South Africa after Belgium were eliminated from their qualifying group.
Dmytro Chygrynskiy (Ukraine): Barcelona paid €25 million for the former Shakhtar Donetsk defender, but Ukraine will need to overhaul Croatia in Group Six for the centre back to stand a chance of playing in the World Cup.
France will make it, Portugal have a good chance (as long as Sweden don’t win in Copenhagen) but Argentina look on very shaky ground. I’d be very sorry to see Messi, Aimar, Higuain and co miss the World Cup but guess we’d all survive.
