Basile Quits as Argentina Coach

Its almost the weekend here in Seattle. Work has been gear five since Monday – things were broken, then fixed, only to be broken again, and then reworked – not the kind of iterations you exactly cherish. Now that thats over with ( well almost; another batch script has enough potential to cause havoc over the weekend ), I typed in espnsoccernet.com in my Firefox address bar to catch up with football at Barcelona and to a lesser extent Argentina.

Scolari had occupied centrestage; Chelsea had apparently been doing well. However, I was more looking for phrases like Messi or Barcelona - the club I started supporting whole-heartedly after the good old days when Star Sports was a free broadcast and the English Premiership was ‘the’ thing of the day.   Even as the last few bytes were being transferred over, the last headline on the page clearly read news that would inspire me to kick start this blog all over again ( yes its been forever ), besides meaning that Argentina would be coachless for a few days atleast.

So Basile has stepped down as Argentina’s coach. This news comes at a time when the national team is going through a phase not common in its recent World Cup qualifying campaigns – in short, Argentina has become victim to standards it had previously set. Argentina is not supposed to draw games on a regular basis. No, not even away. And forget about losing. Coaching is what undid the team in 2006 when Germany was on the doorsteps of its own house. Argentina has historically been plagued with the inability of pocket big game coaches. It sure has superstar players; a smart coach is whats needed to solve the ultimate puzzle.  And they might have one too - in Batista - who led Argentina to Olympic glory coupled with a long due Brazil demolition. After the feat in China, expectations had grown even bigger back in South America. One good thing leads to another, they say. Not in this case though – not for Basile atleast.

Argentina beat Mexico to set up Brazil dream final

For Argentina, today was just another day. Glorious, free-flowing, creative football so typical of the Albiceleste was on display yet again. For Mexico, it was just another Copa America. Nobody beats them at reaching Copa semi-finals and then bowing out.

Argentina continue to produce some amazing goals as they hit three past Mexico this evening. Juan Roman Riquelme took over from where he left setting up one goal and scoring another, further strengthening his case for player of the tournament.

The game started with Argentina showing positive intent right from the word go. A number of chances were created. The midfield was doing its job well maintaining possession and creating some good balls. Mexico had defended tightly and, after a while, it was they who began to threaten. Mexico almost took the lead when Andres Guardado shot just wide. Their plan of containing Riquelme was also working well with the gifted playmaker at the receiving end of most fouls. One foul, however, cost them dearly. Riquelme, not surprisingly, took the 44th minute free kick that turned the game around. His brilliant delivery found Heinze who acrobatically guided the ball in, leaving three defenders and the keeper staring hopelessly at each other.

The second half saw Mexico almost grabbing the equalizer with Nery Castillo’s effort hitting the crossbar. But it was Argentina who struck again in the 59th minute. Tevez played in a clever ball to Messi on the right, who came up with a chip of the highest quality to beat a diving Oswaldo Sanchez. Within a minute of the restart, Riquelme squandered a glorious opportunity to finish off Mexico once and for all. Nevertheless, they were finished when Tevez was brought down in the box. Riquelme’s beautifully taken penalty kick shut the door completely on Mexico.

Argentina now face Brazil for top honours in a rematch of the Copa America 2004 final. On that occasion, it was the Samba boys who came out victorious on penalties. Argentina have revenge on their minds, a shot at a record fifteenth Copa title and a golden opportunity to end a streak of 13+ years without a major trophy. Not to mention, a chance to beat their biggest rivals. Now thats a hell lot to play for. It should be one interesting Sunday.

Damn Uruguay. Damn Brazil.

Part 1 – Emotions

I knew it. I knew Uruguay, in their merriest moment, would screw it up. Damn. Just when Dunga had that wonderfully hollow look on his face, what do Uruguay do. Yes my good old friends. They blow one gracefully into the crossbar. Brazil were looking at the roads. All of Uruguay would have been thinking… hurray! Our moment of glory is finally here. I, for one, thought this was surely it. This was the best I had ever invested in time. Wasn’t going to happen . I pity those poor fans. I pity that coach for his premature celebrations and then end up looking a sorry little girl. Why lord why ? Why cant they kick a football properly when they need to. I should so not hope for good things.

Part 2 -On the field

All I have to say is Uruguay were the side that deserved to go through. Dont relate this to what you read above. At the same time, I am in no mood to give details.

Part 3 – What does this mean for us ?

Simple. If we get through Mexico, which we hopefully should, we get to kick butts we love kicking. But before that, today we are up against one of those teams that can drill a big hole in our boat. I fear them for their unpredictability. Add to that the fact they play physical. And score when you least expect them to. Get my point ? If this wasn’t enough, think about that world cup game. How close were we to a nightmare.

OK. Enough of Mexico apprehension. Over to some serious talk now.

Argentina would be starting with their regular 11, as expected, with Tevez partnering Lionel Messi. Mexico will be without star striker Nery Castillo. Argentina is a level above Mexico, both as a team, and individually. If we play the passing game that we usually do, with Riquelme at the helm of things, we should have little problems. Tevez would be another headache for Mexico. Messi, in turn, would be getting some more space.

However, expect this to be a very tight game. Mexicans have revenge on their minds. Argentina has what it takes to control the game. Will they, is the big question.

Right then, time for work.

Classy Argentina storm into semis

Four high quality goals from Argentina saw them comfortably through to the semis. Peru was completely outplayed as Riquelme started and finished proceedings in style.

Despite no goals being scored in the first-half, Argentina created a couple of chances – the best ones coming off Messi’s boots. The 20 year old is slowly settling into his own with every game – today being arguably his best display.

Riquelme could have put Argentina ahead in the first-half but his tight-angled shot found the keeper. On another occasion, Messi picked up pace after beating a defender but his shot deflected off another and hit the post. Minutes later, it was Messi again, cutting into the box from the left. Having elegantly worked his way through two defenders, he got around
another one before taking a shot only to be denied by a fourth.

With scores levelled at nothing, it was time for Coach Basile to make a change. Tevez was introduced right after the interval in place of Diego Milito. He made his presence felt immediately. Zanetti sent the ball into the box for a diving Tevez header that hit the top post.

With nobody finding the net and pressure building up, someone needed to break the deadlock. It was Riquelme who answered the call. Making the ball his own after some delightful passes, Riquelme moved swiftly from right to centre before unleashing a fiery shot that gave the keeper no chance. Minutes later, Riquelme was again at the ball. Giving the impression he was going to take a shot, he produced one of those brilliant passes that so often make good defences look silly. It was meant for Messi who was more that glad to receive it before calmly beating a defender and the keeper to
make it 2-0.

The third goal was a smart combination play from Messi and Tevez. A cheeky Messi pass opened up Tevez on the left who ran into the area before returning the favour to Messi. The youngster was denied by the keeper but Argentina wasn’t as Mascherano was waiting on the right to pounce on the rebound.

The final goal originated at the other end from the Argentine keeper who cleared a set-piece to find Tevez. Breaking away on the counter, Tevez passed for Riquelme to finish in style.

Argentina now take on Mexico, who hammered six goals against Paraguay, in the semis in what should be a mouth-watering contest. If you happened to see the Arg-Mex world cup classic last year, you know exactly what I’m
talking about.

Argentina top Courtesy Mascherano

The Liverpool man is considered by many to be amongst the best holding midfielders in the world. Today he did just a little more. A second-half Javier Mascherano strike was enough to put Argentina atop group C setting up a quarter final date with Peru. On the other hand, Paraguay, who managed to contain Argentina for more than an hour, have to deal with Mexico in the knock-out stage.

The first half can, at best, be classified as mundane with both sides unable to break the deadlock. Wait a minute. Did I just say both ? Correction. Paraguay weren’t even trying to score. They were happy sitting back: it was Argentina who needed that goal after all. Digging deep into its reserves, Argentina unleashed a new look team which lacked the co-ordination and free-flowing game that is so very much their trademark. One got the impression that the sting in front of goal was not there today.

One of the rare good first half chances came in the 13th minute. Cambiasso, working his way down the left, crossed in for Palacio who set up Aimar for a header that went just wide. Tevez sent a powerful far range shot wide. Cambiasso also managed a couple of neat first touches in this half, though that didn’t prevent the spectators from booing on numerous occasions when they were actually spectating.

After a dull half, Argentina resumed proceedings with a renewed sense of purpose. A number of chances were created. Two shots hit the post: The first, a low shot from Tevez when given the slightest of rooms. The second, a powerful strike from Palacio that bounced off the top. Tevez curled another one just over. A goal seemed coming anytime. However, it took a double substitution in the form of Messi (to the crowd’s delight) and Mascherano who also paired up to put Argentina ahead. Messi’s speed and creativity brought new life into the attack. In a brilliant move, he moved up the left flank and beat two defenders before making the decisive cross. Mascherano, suddenly finding the ball at his feet and a gang of defenders running at him, came up with a high precision strike to save the day for Argentina.

Paraguay tried to equalize, but in vain.

Argentina – Paraguay : Winning is a must

Argentina have had it relatively easy in the past 2 games. Today, they face a side that knows how to score goals. Paraguay, at this point of time, is sitting right on top of Argentina. If it stays that way, we will be facing Mexico in the quarters, which, btw is going to be no joy ride. If you happened to see the Arg-Mex world-cup classic last year, you know exactly what I’m saying. Also, a win means we won’t be facing Brazil until the final ( if Brazil get there that is). Therefore, we need to WIN today. A draw won’t do us any good.

As reports continue pouring in from Venezuela, it looks like Tevez and Palacio would be starting today. (In case you are unaware, Crespo’s Copa has ended due to the injury he picked up in the last game). Messi, for a change, might be on the bench to begin with. Aimar may finally get to start. According to goal.com, here are the probable starting 11 for each side.

Argentina:

Roberto Abbondanzieri, Hugo Ibarra, Nicolas Burdisso, Daniel Diaz, Javier Zanetti, Luis Gonzalez, Fernando Gago, Esteban Cambiasso, Pablo Aimar, Rodrigo Palacio and Carlos Tevez.

Paraguay:

Aldo Bobadilla, Dario Veron, Julio Caceres, Paulo Da Silva, Carlos Bonet, Claudio Morel Rodriguez, Edgar Barreto, Julio Dos Santos, Jonathan Santana, Nelson Cuevas and Salvador Cabanas.

Strangely, Riquelme and Veron might be on the bench too. Real Madrid’s Gago will get his shot. If this lineup holds, I am expecting Tevez to play a major role today.( Just to let you know, BBC has confirmed that Tevez would be joining Manchester United this summer)

Feel free to send in your views regarding the team composition and game predictions.

Good Luck Argentina !

Argentina dump Columbia

It appears as if Argentina has got into this habit of giving everyone a reason to celebrate. Today, it was Columbia at the other end. How long the festivities lasted, however, is a different story altogether.

Argentina started the game without a change in its lineup and in pretty much the same fashion as they did against the U.S. The yellow shirted Columbians, who were recently humbled by Paraguay, needed to put up a strong show to make amends and dream of staying a little longer on Venezuelan soil. With this in mind ( and possibly Columbian media nightmares), they meant business right away. Columbia struck in the 9th minutes when Argentina’s defense left Perea unmarked who neatly back-heeled to find the net. What followed in the next 10 minutes was indifferent play from Argentina. A number of haywire passes meant little control of the midfield, which in any case appeared in chaos ( by Argentina’s standards ) with Riquelme and Veron once again resuming their joint venture. Messi, in the meanwhile, had not seen much of the ball when he hit the jackpot in the 19th minute. The last thing the Columbians needed was a controversial penalty. That’s exactly what they got when Messi went up for the ball with a yellow shirt, who appeared to have done nothing wrong ( ironically, the referee was Brazilian ). Crespo equalized sending the ball hard down the middle; so hard that he pulled a muscle and called for an immediate replacement. On came Diego Milito, joining his brother in hot conditions. With 33 minutes on the clock, Riquelme suddenly found himself on the scoreboard. The second goal was manufactured beautifully with a series of one-touch passes before Riquelme, less known for his headers, sent one beyond the keeper. There were periods of dull play which saw fouls being commited on a regular basis, mostly on the Argentinians. With 43 minutes gone and the crowd almost resigning to half-time, Messi justified his status as perhaps the most exciting player in world football. Patiently collecting a midfield ball, he sped away diagonally beating a good amount of yellow shirts before he was unfairly dispossessed. The free-kick that resulted provided Riquelme another chance to show how dangerous he could be on set-pieces. Having missed his previous two chances, he expertly squeezed this one through the wall, beating the keeper on his own side of the post.

Despite sitting pretty at 3-1, it was only after the interval that Argentina started playing their true game. The first few minutes of the second-half were an absolute delight to watch. It was not uncommon for a series of 15 or more consecutive touches to evade Columbian shirts. And with Messi frequently on the ball, the crowd had a lot to look out for. The Columbians seemed to have given up and the game all but sealed when Argentina, despite all its pretty football, let one go in off a 72nd minute corner. The Columbians, fired up from this free gift, finally woke up and started to run at the Argentinian goal. They had their chances, the closest one producing a fine save from the keeper with Gabriel Milito clearing the ‘anyones ball’ that resulted. Another beautiful aerial ball was headed straight to the keeper. With Argentina protecting a slender lead, Diego Milito, who had been dreaming about god knows what the entire evening, showed up in the box out of nowhere and got the deflection he needed. That finally sealed it.

A 4-2 result now requires Argentina to beat Paraguay to claim first place. While we wait for that game, Columbia can catch their flight back home.

Argentina-Columbia : What to expect ?

So I’m back at my favorite place – the Lakeside Cafe. I’ve been dozing around over the weekend which has eaten into my time scheduled for discussing the Argentina-US game. Plus, the 1-day Copa break gave me some time to focus on Indian cricket, something I’ve been blatantly neglecting, without regrets though, for a while now ( btw India beat South Africa to win their first overseas series since 2002). It would be a little too late to dedicate an entire article on the US game. So, instead, lets talk about the upcoming Argentina-Columbia encounter highlighting a few things Argentina can take from the US rout.

Despite starting at a slow pace, Argentina finally got into a rhythm of its own after the break. Aimars’ introduction was a blessing in disguise. He was instrumental in clearing the midfield confusion largely resulting from Riquelme and Veron playing alongside, I believe. Riquelme had his moments of brilliance, disguising the ball beautifully on multiple occasions. His free kick that caught the US by surprise was textbook Argentina on set-pieces. The 1-2 with Messi who finally set up Crespo for his second was again typical Argentina. Not satisfied with his exploits for the day, he picked up Tevez effortlessly who slotted calmly to make it a respectable 4-1. Having said that, he did have a tough time finding crespo or messi in the first 45 minutes, thanks largely to a young but determined US defence that had succeeded in islanding Messi better than most defences in Europe can claim. Veron, on the other hand, was distributing the ball a little quicker than Riquelme did. His power-packed 20 yarder that hit the woodwork would have so easily gone in had it not been for Keller’s finger-tip save. One thing is for sure. As I see it, playing the slow Riquelme alongside Veron divides the command, which in my opinion, Riquelme is better gifted to handle. Riquelme flourishes when he dominates the game at his pace, which is usually slow enough to frustrate the opposition. The killer pass that catches defences consistently off-guard has so often proved to be the difference for clinical Argentina. So with Riquelme controlling mid, Veron doesnt really fit in.

Messi was marked well initially. But once he switched wings, you could see he was more in the game. Cambiasso struggled throughout and might not get to start the next game. Gago might very well get the nod ahead of him. Zanetti, Ayala and Heinze did well although Milito makes me a bit nervous. Mascherano has been rock solid and deserves to start against the Columbians. Tevez has been inspirational for West Ham and the few minutes he spent in the middle were sufficient to put him on the scorecard. No wonder fans want him to stay at Upton park. Whether he should start or not, maybe depends on who Argentina face. If its a tough opposition, he better be there at kick-off.

I expect a physical game tomorrow – South American encounters usually are. Its a good time for Alfio Basile to get his combination right; if nothing else, atleast think clearly on the Riquelme-Veron issue. As far as predictions go, this should be pretty straightforward.

Latest reports suggest Argentina will start with the same 11.

Phew ! Thats the first one off my production line.

Go Argentina !