ARGENTINA 1 - 3 BRAZIL

[just_jenni]

To quote "The Special One" from "I'm on Setanta Sports": Very, very sad.

I don't even want to post these pics, but let me get it out there.

Maradona dribbles while Argentina crashes and burns.

Comments

[whjtree]

They are lost on the court,don't know what can they do. Poor thing.
Even Kun-Messi did not cooperate well. *sigh

[just_jenni]

Better to start from scratch. Keep the best players (Datolo, Otamendi, Veron) and maybe call up all the Argentines from Velez Sarsfield and Estudiantes. Revolutionary maybe, but what can they lose?

Seriously, though, they need a stronger midfield. It is too bad Riquelme cannot come back. His leadership is needed.

Rant

[izzy505]

The sight of Maradona is making me sick right now. That man knows nothing about coaching and yet the AFA continue to indulge his diva attitude. His idea of tactics are pass it to Messi and let the magic happen...what magic?! He's man marked out of every game and like the article you link to says he doesn't have a Xavi to give him a killer pass to break down the defense. He makes bizarre player selections. Why does he still call up Heinze? That man is a walking disaster, Insua would do a better job than him at this point. Also why does he continue to leave out players like Higuain, Garay and Zarate for example. At this rate it will be a miracle for Argentina to qualify as long as he is the coach. ARGH!

Re: Rant

[just_jenni]

I agree with all you say. Some people think that Maradona is regarded as a god in Argentina and is therefore not 'fire-able'. He would have to quit, but will his ego let him?

Too true that Messi needs the supply from a good playmaker. I sigh to think about Riquelme and I feel bad for every time I called him a 'sourpuss' or some other name. But Argentina has other good playmakers...what about Rolfi Montenegro, Ariel Ortega, Matias Defederico? Why wasn't Emiliano Papa playing? What about Ever Banega, whose form is excellent right now? The most intelligent coaches pick in-form players and let them continue their goalscoring, or whatever.

I still think they will qualify, but they will depend on 'help' from other teams to do so, unfortunately. Paraguay will be a tough nut to crack. Holy shit, have you seen their players? So many good ones. Big and strong, too. *facepalm*

[txorakeriak]

To be honest, I had hoped for this. Maradona is destroying the Albiceleste, and the sooner he gets the boot, the better. Unfortunately, the AFA don't seem to realise that if he isn't sacked NOW, Argentina won't qualify for the World Cup. They seem to be adamant to keep him for as long as possible, until it's absolutely certain that Argentina won't go to South Africa.

I'm sorry for the fans and the players - they've obviously resorted to stoic endurance for which I can't blame them - but I think that unless Argentina lose their next match against Paraguay as well (and maybe even another one), nothing will change.

Let's hope that the AFA will sack him when there's still a little chance of qualification left, not when everything's too late.

[just_jenni]

I don't know if the AFA has the guts to fire Maradona. And their president, Grondona, is corrupt as well. *sigh* I don't have much hope of Maradona leaving anytime soon. Paraguay is an excellent team, strong and in form atm. I don't think Argentina can beat them in its current form, being on a downer and all. It will be a test of the Albiceleste's mental fortitude to see if they can do it. It's do-able but extremely difficult.

[anarchyinthenj]

Diego as coach is the worst thing that's happened to us. EVER. He hasn't even coached 10 games and he's already part of the "historia negra" (worst result ever 6-1, and first time we lose as locals against Brazil). It's fucking ridiculous he's still here and hasn't been kicked out

[just_jenni]

Do you think they will kick him out, or will he have to quit?
I like Dominguez very much with Velez, but last season was his first in Argentina since leaving Mexico, let alone this being his first call-up. I think I know what Maradona was trying to do, pair him with his usual partner, Otamendi. But it may have been too much for the kid, too soon. God, how I wish for Roberto Ayala to be five years younger! Or ten!

Yeah, and where was Papa? How ridiculous not to use him when it was apparent the starting lineup wasn't working!

No way should Lio Messi be criticized. He is a player, and a great one, but he is not a miracle worker all by himself! On Barcelona he has the world's best midfielder in Xavi Hernandez to supply him. Too bad about the rift with Riquelme. And don't even get me started on the Higuain issue. If that boy ends up playing for France, it will be Diego Maradona's fault.

OMG, the AFA is so stupid! That Grondona is another one who has to go!

I'm sick to my stomach about this. :(

[anarchyinthenj]

They won't kick him out and they won't ask him to leave, I think he'll stay here until he wants (and by that time, we'll already be out of the WC).
I don't get why he called up Schiavi if he won't even sit him on the bench, at least he's a bit more experienced and is fucking taller (or didn't Diego noticed that our players were all 1.5mts and Brazil's 1.9?). Ayala would've done great :(

Exactly, and there ore other good players to cover up that position too, like (I hate to say this) Ibarra, for example.

Yeah, Messi had to go back to our own side to grab the ball, and the second he did, he had 3 Brazilians over him, and nobody as an option for a close pass. It's fucking stupid, you can't expect him to play perfectly when all our midfielders suck (except for Masche, maybe).

Diego should understand that coaching a team isn't just calling great players and throwing them to the field. That's why it's called a team, you're supposed to find players that work well with each other, not just because they're individually great.

[just_jenni]

I am so afraid that I think you're right about Maradona staying as long as he wants with the NT. It's like he has nothing better to do than go in there and mess up a perfectly good team, but he can't see it and won't admit it! I get the idea that this is just a 'hobby' for him. I don't understand either why he calls up perfectly good players only to bench them. It's like it's all done on a whim.

You said it excellently:

Diego should understand that coaching a team isn't just calling great players and throwing them to the field.

That is just what he's doing. It's so amateur.