Sunday, June 08, 2008

Argentina v USA: Team news and match coverage

Welcome to our humble match coverage of the friendly match Argentina will be playing against the USA in a few minutes in New Jersey.

Here is a probable lineup I've read in several Argentine websites but so far, it hasn't been confirmed.

ABBONDANZIERI will remain as the goalkeeper and he'll be behind a back three formed by Nicolás BURDISSO, Martín DEMICHELIS and the return of Gonzalo RODRIGUEZ. There's a chance Javier MASCHERANO will be rested and Ever BANEGA will play alongside Fernando GAGO in the center of midfield. There are doubts on the flanks with a couple of candidates in both the rigth and the left midfielders role. One from ZANETTI or SOSA could move on the right, while
Maxi RODRIGUEZ and Jonas GUTIERREZ could battle for the starting role on the left. MESSI will play and everything seems to suggest that Fernando CAVENAGHI will be handed the goalscoring responsibility and he could be joined by Sergio AGÜERO or Lisandro LOPEZ.

If you want to read a very extense and detailed preview from our rivals' point of view, check out this excellent information from the people at US Soccer:

http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_6619149.html

Who will be out there watching?

36 comments:

Seba said...

Forget what I said about the probable lineup!

It seems like Coco "stubborn" BASILE will keep MESSI, AGÜERO and CRUZ as our three attacking options and will deny us of the chance to watch Lisandro LOPEZ and Fernando CAVENAGHI.

I'm completely against his decision as I think the friendly tours are there to TEST PLAYERS and not to insist with the same lineup with which you already thrashed a Mexican side three or four days ago.

What's the point, COCO?

The teams are on the field now. Argentina with white shorts (I remember when we played in Turin for the 1990 World Cup against Brazil and we beat them 1-0 with CANIGGIA scoring the winner and we were wearing white shorts).

Black socks to go with the white shorts and the traditional albiceleste shirt.

So...our lineup:

ABBONDANZIERI
BURDISSO, Gonzalo RODRIGUEZ and HEINZE;
ZABALETA, MASCHERANO,GAGO, Maxi RODRIGUEZ;
MESSI;
AGÜERO and CRUZ

And to begin with, the ridiculous Alejandro FABBRI (TyC Sports commentator in Argentina) said: "A magnificient stadium that is no older than 15 years"

What a horrible "professional". He has no idea but he is not afraid to say even the most stupid thing without double-checking his sources (if he has one).

Jaggs said...

hi everybody good play by argentina double save for usa

Anonymous said...

man!!!
i sincerely hate the lineup...these kind of stupid stubborness from the coaches has cost us to much to freaking lose again..

anyways not the start i expected.

now 3-0 argetina!!!

vamos albiceleste

Seba said...

I guess my point is: "forget about the result. Let's test some players, some formations, some options!!!!"

What do you win by fielding the same 90% of the team that played (and won comfortably) only 3 or 4 days ago?

I bet Coco won't even make substitutions to give CAVENAGHI or Lisandro LOPEZ or any other benched player at least a full 45 minutes. I hope I'm wrong.

Of course I don't want to do what Brazil did when losing to Venezuela and causing a crisis because of that. I want to win tonight (and every game we play) but I think the priority should be to TEST.

Seba said...

CRUZ = Just not good enough.

He can't convert even on clear mano-a-mano against the keeper.

Time to end his international career, Coco. I know it hurts, but you can't go against all evidence.

It's not like we don't have options up front, is it?

It doesn't matter if CRUZ now goes on to score a hat-trick in the second half. He should be taking all the chances he has (or at least most of them) and he is clearly, not doing a good (or even a decent) job.

Anonymous said...

Cruz should give up his jersey ASAP. He has had 2 1-1 chances with the GK and has CHOKED! If that guy is going to be our #9 good luck to us because we will need it. He is absolutely garabe! World class passes by Messi and he can put them away.

Jack!

Anonymous said...

Can't *

Anonymous said...

Cruz must go. He's missed what, at least 4 chances??? Mi abuela can score from inside the box!!

Anonymous said...

halftime:o-o

Anonymous said...

So true Seba. I told before this match and wish I was wrong. Even to my unprofessional eyes, he just performs so bad, it wont matter how many messi we have and we would still lose this way when our striker performs so bad. And either the Americans are hitting real hard shots or pato is just not confident in holding the ball. And the american keeper is also doing real well as well their defender, they seem firm in having a draw.
still i am 3-0 but seems real hard with this kind of defence but how could I forgot we got messi..:->

Vamos Albciceleste

Seba said...

I'll be very very disappointed if I see CRUZ starting this second half.

Coco, please, open your eyes, make up your mind and send CAVENAGHI in for CRUZ! Please, man!

Anonymous said...

can u freaking belive it...the worst are in and the one who played the best is out in the bench...

i think we are probably trying our hand with the worst team we got???

Anonymous said...

SECOND HALF has Basile made the change

Seba said...

CRUZ still playing.

It looks like DEMICHELIS replaced BURDISSO and José SOSA came in for MESSI (in a very strange substitution).

But the most important sub, BASILE didn't make it.

USA just hit the bar through ONYEWU after Pato went out hunting butterflies YET AGAIN.

Anonymous said...

are there any changes made by argentina

Anonymous said...

maybe basile is letting cruz play his last game for argentina

Anonymous said...

is argentina playing good?

Anonymous said...

is cruz still playing?

Anonymous said...

cruz is gone but seems like my 5-0 is now at most 1-0.....

cant believe we won 4-1 against mexico and are 0-0 against usa!!!! this is bad if we play like this against brazilians cause all the americans were missing in this game are quality finishers...
vamos albiceleste

Anonymous said...

who came in for cruz?

Seba said...

Sorry anonymous. I was just eating.

Lisandro LOPEZ in for CRUZ (in 20 minutes of the second half).

CAVENAGHI in for Maxi RODRIGUEZ.

We've got 15 minutes to go now of a very very boring and dull match.

Not the kind of game that will get the Americans to become interested in what they call "soccer".

Pablo MASTROENI (USA) was red-carded for something I was unable to see. It looked like a ridiculous decision by the ref but maybe he said something we didn't notice.

SOSA, GAGO and MASCHERANO are all playing a terrific game.

Now it's ZANETTI in for ZABALETA.

Anonymous said...

today is MASCHERANO'S birthday

Seba said...

MAD MASCH with a criminal tackle on Landon DONOVAN (a present on his 100th cap for the USA?).

I've never seen a crowd getting so excited and celebrating a red card for an opposing player like what I've just seen after the ref booked MASCHE.

BANEGA in for AGÜERO.

Raining heavily in New York now and this could be the most boring Argentina match I've seen in decades!

Seba said...

That's true anonymous! Today MAD MASCH turned 24.

A red card as a present...not a good thing.

Anonymous said...

now we have to look forward to the ecuador game

Anonymous said...

Lets not go overboard with this game, should Argentina had won? Yes, did they No. I mean i al glad Basile brought in a few players here and there and I am very happy Messi only played 45min. Was it fatigue? I do not think so, it was that the Americans played with a lot of pride, since they got beaten by engaldn and spain last couple of weeks. Brasil lost to Venz. But there was no play making in the second half. But overall good showing on the US tour. Now Cruz needs to go! Back to BA for the WCQ.

Jack!

Anonymous said...

Seems like our feelings are also synonymous. This is the worst game I ever and ever saw Argentina played. We used to play far better even in losing. The second half, the American keeper didn't touched the ball because of an Argentinian shot. What a waste of time, at least messi seemed to enjoy savouring the time:->

Horrible choice by the coach. I really hope it taught him some good lesson cause the Brazilians wont forgive us if we play like this. This was the first time I wished we loosed, at least it would have soon how bad was the game. We cant have any excuses with this kind of team to settle for a draw.

I really hope I wont have to get freaked out again with the Brazil match.

Gutnite guys
Vamos Albiceleste

Seba said...

I'm amazed at what this Argentina team can do. We can beat a good team like Mexico and score 4 goals (3 in the first half hour) and then we can bore 70000 people to death at Giants Stadium (plus a few million watching!).

I'll share my comments with you in a match report I'll post later.

Anonymous said...

I agree the second half was very boring, I kept on flipping to the NBA finals. Argentina came out swinging they wanted a early KO like they did to Mexico, oly problem was the all the chances were going to Cruz and well he was playing like he has only played the sport one time in his life. Second half Us hit the post and Aguero was taken down in th box with no call. Oh well, it is what it is.

Jack!

Anonymous said...

I hoped It"s the last game for basile too
Tonymed

John said...

Okay, I did not watch the game. But still I can feel the frustrating moment everyone here is feeling.

Well I don't want to say much but I just hope someone by the name Coco BASILE will take notice of this.

Don't worry folks, this wasn't the only thing that was boring during the weekend.

Euro 2008 opener between the host nation, Switzerland and Czech Rep was pretty the same. Almost putting me to sleep.

Not to forget, the highly anticipated French Open final.

If there was one good thing, F1 of course!!!

Roy said...

Cruz is done with the National Team. I mean DONE. How do you miss 3 clear chances like that and you MISS? Messi played good and I'm glad he didn't get the full 90 minutes. There's no point, especially if Cruz was gonna stay on. Aguero had a good performance as well. Gago looked amazing, just amazing. Mascherano(before being sent off) played great. Our back line looked solid and Pato... eh no comment. Maxi looked great doing the set pieces.

So Caven and Lopez come on with 30 minutes left in the match AFTER Messi is subbed off?

Anonymous said...

I rarely see Coco giving the chance for any new blood like other managers .He always play the boring game .Insist on using Pato .As long as he was the Manager of Argentina ,The Wc champion will not come to us .It may repeat the 2002 Wc .That"s the nightmare for me .But It may got worse
Tonymed

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