Domestic call up list for remaining WC qualifiers

Maradona gave the call up list of Argentina based players today and they are:

G – Diego Pozo (Colón)

D – Nicolás Otamendi (Vélez Sarsfield)
D – Rolando Schiavi (Newell’s Old Boys)
D – Luciano Monzón (Boca Juniors)

M – Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes de La Plata)
M – Enzo Pérez (Estudiantes de La Plata)
M – Mario Bolatti (Huracán)
M – Federico Insúa (Boca Juniors)

F – Martín Palermo (Boca Juniors)

This is the complete call up for the last two WC qualifiers:

GK – Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar)
GK – Mariano Andújar (Catania)
GK – Diego Pozo (Colón)

D – Martín Demichelis (Bayern Munich)
D – Nicolás Pareja (Deportivo Espanyol)
D – Nicolás Otamendi (Vélez Sarasfield)
D – Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City)
D – Emiliano Insúa (Liverpool)
D – Rolando Schiavi (Newell’s Old Boys)
D – Luciano Monzón (Boca Juniors)
D – Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille)

M – Jonás Gutiérrez (Newcastle United)
M – Javier Mascherano (Liverpool)
M – Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes de La Plata)
M – Enzo Pérez (Estudiantes de La Plata)
M – Angel Di María (Benfica)
M – Pablo Aimar (Benfica)
M – Mario Bolatti (Huracán)
M – Luis González (Olympique Marseille)
M – Federico Insúa (Boca Juniors)

F – Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
F – Ezequiel Lavezzi (Nápoli)
F – Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)
F – Diego Milito (Inter Milan)
F – Martín Palermo (Boca Juniors)
F – Sergio Agüero (Atlético de Madrid)
F – Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid)

A few thoughts about the last WC qualifying call up list:

The GK’s.

Poor Juan Pablo Carrizo. Carrizo went from being Maradona’s #1 GK to not being good enough to be the 3rd GK on the national team. Pathetic.

Maradona will go with a young, unproven GK for the final two WC qualifiers, with everything on the line.

The defense.

Of the domestic players called up I think Schiavi has the best chance of being in the starting lineup. Monzon will battle it out with Insua for the starting left-back position. Zabaleta has no competition in the right-back position. Barring any surprises, Zabaleta will make his national team debut in the WC qualifiers. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

In the center-back spots Heinze, sadly, will be one of the starters. That leaves Schiavi, Demichelis, Pareja, and Otamendi. The fact that Schiavi was called up says it all. Maradona thinks very highly of him and Schiavi has a very good chance of being one of the starting center-backs. I don’t think Demichelis will be fit enough and his current form is in question. He is returning from an injury and didn’t play this weekend in the Bundesliga. Pareja might have an edge over Otamendi because of the Velez defender’s poor performance in his last national team appearance and his loss of form with his club team.

In the middle.

Mascherano will most likely remain in the lineup but Bolatti is there waiting for an opportunity to play. On the right side it’ll be either Lucho Gonzalez or Jonas Gutierrez. On the left side it’ll be either Di Maria or Federico Insua.

Who will lead Argentina’s attack? Aimar or Veron.

Hopefully, Veron will not see any more playing time but if Palermo is in the lineup then we will probably see Veron as he is a player that can provide balls that are more tailored to an in the box type forward like Palermo.

If Aimar plays then I think that Gonzalo Higuain’s chances of being in the lineup increase. With Aimar in, there is also the horrendous possibility that Aguero or Tevez will be back in the lineup.

Maradona definitely has some good players to choose from for the final two games but will he be able to do in one week what he has not been able to do during his entire team as national team manager?

That is, put together a team with the best players, from the call up list, give them a tactical formation, direct them on the field and get through to the players the importance of what they’re playing for and what is required of all that wear the Argentina shirt.

Also, will these Argentina players respond to the enormous responsibility that they have in front of them. Saving the World Cup qualifying campaign. Getting Argentina to the next World Cup.

Everything is up in the air.