It don’t get any better or bigger than this. Argentina vs Brasil in the Copa América Final.
Argentina will be looking to win a record 15th Copa and has the team and and the football form to get it done.
Basile will go with the same lineup again.
I don’t imagine that Argentina will face the same tight marking and defensive setup from Brasil as they did against Mexico but it will still be a hard fought game as all the Clásico’s always are.
Today will be Leo Messi’s first final with the Argentina shirt. Riquelme will once again play against a Brazilian team and he always seems rise to the occasion and play great when facing a Brazilian team. May that continue today.
The backline will have to be very alert and focused as they take on fast, skillful, and goal scoring threats such as Robinho and Wagner Love.
Despite Dunga’s attempts to take pressure off himself and Brasil, there is no favorite today.
There is never a favorite in el Clásico.
Argentina has played a great and memorable Copa América but it won’t mean anything unless it wins today. Argentina has improved in every game and finds itself in a fantastic moment, the individual talents and collectively. Argentina has won every game so far and has done so respecting and defending a style of play. LA NUESTRA. OUR FOOTBALL.
All that’s left is the final step.
It’s time to bring the Copa back home.
VAMOS ARGENTINA CARAJO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ARGENTINA STARTING LINEUP
GK – Roberto Abbondanzieri
D – Javier Zanetti
D – Roberto Ayala
D – Gabriel Milito
D – Gabriel Heinze
M – Juan Sebastian Verón
M – Javier Mascherano
M – Esteban Cambiasso
M – Juan Roman Riquelme
F – Lionel Messi
F – Carlos Tevez
July 15, 2007 at 11:36 pm |
This is a loser generation.
Pato, Zanetti, Veron, Ayala, Riquelme…
It´s time for a change, time for a new generation.
Ustari, Banega, Gago, Aguero, Higuain, Messi, Mauro Zarate
I´m tired of failures.
July 16, 2007 at 12:57 pm |
Unfortunately for Zanetti, Ayala, Crespo and Veron that is the tag that they will be given and forever have to live with. However, all of them, except Veron, have given alot to the national team for many years and I respect them for that. In this Copa America Zanetti was one of Argentina’s best players as was Crespo until his inury.
I definitely agree with you about the need for change and with the WC qualifiers beginning in a few months it would seem to be the right time.
July 16, 2007 at 2:35 pm |
Ouch ! I am so disappointed for Argentina. They brought their big guns and their veterans and prepared for this Copa as if it were a mini-WC. What happened yesterday was the very worst possible outcome. Now, its two consecutive Copa finals in which they were beaten by ‘B’ teams from Brasil.
Instead of regaining the swagger, they are now subject to even greater scrutiny (and ridicule in some circles). I think they should stay the course begun by Pekerman and concentrate on keeping their young nucleus together. Zanetti and Riquelme can still add to this team, even if their NT accomplishments don’t match their club trophies.
Argentina destroyed its opposition in the Copa, so I think its a mistake to throw away the coach for two defensive miscues vs Brasil.
July 16, 2007 at 4:47 pm |
I agree about Basile, he is not responsible for yesterday’s loss. I think the blame rests completely on the shoulders of the players.
If Basile was doing a great job beforehand with the same lineup how can he be blamed for yesterday’s disastrous performance?
The team was awful except Mascherano. Every one else played horribly. I can’t believe that the team came out so flat to play a Copa America Final, against Brasil.
After Ayala’s own goal whatever was left in them (mentally and footballing) just crumbled. The worst part I thought was that the team, again except Mascherano, played with no heart and with no huevos.
We lost to a mediocre Brasil team that scored on 2 counter attacks and held their defensive line while constantly fouling in the middle, especially on Riquelme.
Again, there are no excuses. There was an early goal scored against Argentina but this time the team was not able to recover as they have before in the Copa and they had almost the entire game to come back from that first Brazilian goal and were not able to.
I agree with you about keeping the young nucleus together.
As far as Zanetti and Riquelme, Argentina does not have a player at this moment that can replace Zanetti and Riquelme in their positions.
I see that as a problem more than anything else.
I think that alot of changes have to be made before the WC qualifying campaign begins. The GK, the backline and the right and left midfiield postions need a major shakeup.
Yesterday’s debacle was a huge blow to Argentine football. Let’s hope the young players can recover from it.
July 17, 2007 at 12:52 am |
Mucha tristeza, mucha bronca. hast pense que Argentina podía llegar a golear a los brasileros, pero fue al reves. Una vez más nos volvemos con las manos vacías.
http://www.losalbicelestes.com.ar
July 17, 2007 at 2:53 am |
Siento lo mismo.
Si estaban dadas todas las condiciones para que Argentina ganara la Copa, hasta tuvo en la final a un Brasil sin sus figuras, que jugo al contragolpe, marcando y fouleando como loco en el medio. Un Brasil sin lujos, con poco futbol. Un Brasil metedor !!!!!
Si no se dio esta vez. Cuando se va dar?
Pero al margen del pobre nivel futbolistico de la Argentina, a mi lo que mas me dolio es haber visto a una Seleccion Argentina con tan poco alma, corazon, y huevos, justamente en una final contra Brasil.
Para mi era algo inimaginable pero paso de verdad.
No me acuerdo la ultima vez que vi a una Seleccion Argentina que mi hiciera sentir tanta lastima y hasta verguenza.
Tal vez es exagerado o demasiado duro decir eso pero es lo que senti ayer y sigo sintiendo.
Hay mas de un jugador que ya cumplio su ciclo en la Seleccion y ahora lo unico que se puede hacer es digerir lo que occurio ayer, apoyar a los muchachos jovenes que estuvieron y siguen siendo el futuro de la Seleccion y esperar que Basile haga los cambios necesarios antes que empiezen las eliminatorias y el camino hacia un nuevo mundial.
Un golpe durisimo lo de ayer pero la Seleccion sigue teniendo grandes jugadores y grandes talentos para seguir adelante.
Hay recambio……..de sobra………
July 18, 2007 at 2:02 am |
I totally agree with all the previous posts as far as a shake up is concerned.
Argentina need to start from a clean slate, similar to what Basile did in 1991 when he first took over. He completely cleaned house on the team used by Bilardo. The only players that remained were Ruggeri and Goycochea. Everyone else got the axe.
I think this is what is needed here. The “loser generation” needs to be let go. Football is about results. This particular group of players just have not got it done. After so so many years without a trophy, a lack of confidence starts to creep in. This old core of players don’t have the winner’s mentality. It doesn’t matter how much they have contributed to the NT or how skillful or good they may be. The bottom line is they are not winners. That’s all you are going to be judged by at the end of the day.
They need to take a risk and bring in some fresh blood and give the young players a chance. At the same time, some of the old guard like Heinze (I think he should be made captain) should be kept to provide some experience and leadership, as Ruggeri did for the 1991-1994 teams.
Maybe we need to change back to the Bilardo system. But then again, I don’t think Bilardo’s system would have brought the success that it did if we didn’t have a guy called Diego Maradona at the time.
July 18, 2007 at 2:03 pm |
I agree with you. The good thing for Argentina is that it does have many players, young talented players, that can be brought in to what I hope will be a new era for the national team.
You’re right about keeping some experienced players on the team. It is important.
It’ll be interesting to see how Basile handles the post copa debacle as preparations will begin soon for the WC qualifiers.
Basile will definitely have alot to think about.