PREVIEW & STARTING LINEUP CONFIRMED!

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Hey everyone,

Here is the official lineup for tonight’s match VS. Colombia.  Hopefully, our boys pull off a win tonight and BAUZA surprises us a little.  Any predictions out there? Who will be the man of the match? PRATTO? MESSI? DI MARIA?  Hopefully it’s a match that brings back pride to our national team.

starting-lineu

As always, VAMOS ARGENTINA!!

 

127 Comments

  1. Romero: Should warm benches everywhere. Fine bench keeper, just don’t play him.
    Mercado: Not a RB
    Otamendi: Clumsy, but should be a part of our defense
    Funes Mori: Bad. Do we seriously lack a proper CB that we need to play a player like Funes Mori?
    Mas: Again, not national team material.
    Mascherano: He was awful in what he does best, defending. Passing was poor and slow. Tackling were off and wasn’t intercepting anything.
    Biglia: same as Mascherano. I don’t know what he does in the team. does he defend? why do we need so many defender? Is it 1960? Are we playing 6-3-1? He should be replaced by someone like Enzo or Augusto.
    Banega: Horrible. Trying to dribble out of everywhere. He should remember that he isn’t a winger. should be replaced by a proper midfielder.
    Di Maria: Played better than the last 3/4 matches, but still useless. i don’t remember him completing one single good pass. Always chose the wrong option, tried to dribble and failed. Anybody is fine in his place at the moment!
    Pratto: Very hard working. Made good runs, hassled defenders…great game.

    Bauza: He should F@#K Off. he has no business managing The Argentina National Football Team.

    • Istiaqu: a good and accurate write up from you and i wish it could be A: in all of tomorrows newspapers in Argentina and

      B: email it to bozo and the AFA as they seem blind to what is actually going on in the field of play.

      n.b you might have to do a copy in Braille for the above 2 being bozo and the AFA

  2. Romero – inadequate, mediocre, was lucky not to concede, terrible positioning.
    Mercado – better than Zabaleta at this point, good defensively but not a fullback
    Mascherano- did his job well, key interceptions and not much fuss, stuck to his defensive duties and did not venture forward
    Biglia- almost anonymous, one or two good interceptions but that’s about it
    Mas – given a hard time by Cuadrado, he is not a world class left-back (time to call up Tagliafico)
    Banega- terrible, no contribution
    Di Maria – had an OK game, helped out in defence, scored a goal and was generally better than he has been for us recently
    Messi – out of this world, maestro, genius, etc, etc
    Pratto – excellent, did what he had to do, hard working guy, needs to start from now on until Icardi is called up (if ever)
    Enzo – a few good moments going forward, needs to start over Biglia IMO

  3. Mas is not enough. Banega, Romero and Biglia should be out from starting x1.

    Young players…Rulli,Paredes,Dybala and Icardi(Pratto) should be starting for Argentina in next match.

    Its good that Chile won..that will keep pressure on our team and coach. So we can expect changes and improvement.

    I dont want Uruguay going to a safe spot.

    • i agree… Mas is not good enough he is below average player.. but i doubt Bauza will drop him after just 3 games … mercado also doesn’t look good too defensive.. too defensive.. too many defensive minded player is killing our midfield!!

  4. what can i say? as to laugh or cry.

    yes we won and for that im screaming in delight wahoooooo but to win 3-0 means bozo will not be fired and if that is not enough to make me mad di maria scores and guess what he will also be retained.

    a bitter sweet day i guess.

    • It’s one of those times where we are going to suffer for a few years (circa 1994 – albeit a very talented team, or 2010 – Team Diego).

      In 1994- we had to go through the playoffs against Australia to sneak into the world cup. It was just a torturous affair.

      In 2010 – Well – we had to wait till the last game, a win against Uruguay with Diego sliding down the pitch in celebration, defying the laws of physics , to qualify.

      I just cannot stand the thought of having to go through that level of stress. Let’s hope we qualify. I just don’t see the manager being changed. I just hope he comes to his senses, gets the right players into the squad at least. Is that too much to ask for?

  5. Final 3-0 Argentina. Precious 3 points.

    Standings as of today:
    1. Brazil
    2. Uruguay
    3. Chile – 20
    4. Argentina – 19
    5. Columbia – 18
    6. Paraguay – 15

    *Note : Peru vs Brazil yet to be played.

    Good news :
    1. We are in 4th baby
    2. Messi . Messi. and Messi. Scored a tremendous goal and put the other 2 on a platter for his teammates.
    3. Pratto was very ,very effective. Deserved his goal, and deserves a spot in the squad.

    Bad news:
    1. Midfield – shambolic. Banega and Biglia were brutal to watch.
    2. Defense : Mori and Mas absolutely unconvincing

    The game against Chile in the next round has monumental consequences. More thoughts later.

  6. Back in 5th position. We have some tough games coming up with Chile at home, altitude games in LaPaz and Quito and a visit to Montevideo.
    Messi did it all tonight. Without him we do not belong at the WC.
    Hopefully this win does not prevent some major overhaul, but I am afraid we’re gonna see the same squad in March to face Chile.

    • I’m sure we’ll end up seeing more of the same. Guys like Romero need not even go back to his club and warm the bench. He might as well backpack around S.America till the next round of qualifiers in March .

  7. Just look at bauza’s face. Looks like a man who did it all by himself. What a load. of shit he is.

    He knows nothing about football. Just milking one guy. Just imagine what our chances without messi. we created zero opening. no.movement, no incisive passing. Just a bunch of losers running around like headless chickens.

    • i agree and ive said before that pratto puts in more effort then the other 2 and messi need Mobil players not static ones like hig.
      pratto is a good plan b to bring on.

  8. Pratto absolutely working his socks off here. Running the defenders ragged, earning free kicks .

    Biglia with a very, very dangerous tackle in the box against Rodriguez. It could easily have been given a penalty in a different game. Absolutely TERRIBLE stuff from biglia.

  9. Fortunately for us, Columbia has Sanchez on their side, whose long passing accuracy has been absolutely TURGID.

    Also, is FUMING MORI the best we have at CB? Miserable.

  10. Strange. For the first 10 mins of the 2nd half, Pratto has moved a bit wide to the right and Banega has moved more centrally forward. Not quite sure what the thinking is there. Hopefully just a phase.

  11. As i predicted before, a BIG win…will halt the chance for changes.

    What i believe that, today is the first match Bauza got full control on the team. It happened due to the heavy criticism..and a danger of losing WC. Otherwise it would have been Aguero instead of Higuain. With Higuain and Aguero fit…and use Pratto instead…thats a bold decision.

    Today every player moved well and tried to recover the ball. There is some changes.Big difference between two team is Messi

  12. We really need Enzo Perez, he is not worse than Biglia defensively and so much better going forward, although at his point I would keep Biglia and sub Enzo for Banega instead.

    • True Enganche , more likely that if Perez comes on, it will probably be for Banega. In Bauza’s head, the Mascherano-Biglia partnership is PRISTINE and should not be broken up.

  13. Colombians loosing their temper. Wouldn’t be at all surprized if we would see a red card. ARG must keep a cool head and concentrate on playing not bitching to referees after every whistle. First 25 minutes were good but then we started to go their way with all the useless whining. So heres what we need to do: Cool down. Shut up. Get back in form.

    Oh and whatta beauty that free kick by La Pulga! Prattogoal was great too in terms of good ball movement from left wing to right and set piece and the header were by the book.

    • True that. The midfield needs to pull up their socks and take control and frustrate the columbians a bit more.

      Biglia and Banega need to get MUCH more involved. Biglia is practically just positioned just behind the center line. If the ball or player is there, he tries to get involved. Otherwise, he ain’t moving for nothing.

  14. Half-time thoughts:

    1.Romero has had nothing much to do other than look like a lost puppy on a Falcao header which fortunately sailed high.

    2. CBs: Not sure who was responsible for picking Falcao up in that aforementioned header. Nothing much to do otherwise. Otamendi missed a good chance to score off a free-kick. Both Fuming Mori and Otamendi have tried a few long passes , but need to cut that crap off. Extremely wayward and wasteful.

    3. Mercado – steady so far without offering any kind of forward width though. On a yellow, needs to be careful.

    4. Mas – all the danger coming from his side thanks to Cuadrado looking dangerous. Needs more support.

    5. Mascherano : Wasteful long passes. Defensively steady and is sniffing out threats in the midfield.

    6. Biglia : Anonymous so far. Not sure what he offers. Sniffed out 1 threat in midfield, but even my grandmom offers more attacking threat.

    7. Banega: Not really involved either. Had 1 good chance , but a weak and tame shot straight to Ospina. Needs to dictate play and take charge of midfield.

    8. Di Maria : Marginally better than the brazil game, but needs to support Mas against Cuadrado, Columbia’s most active player.

    9. Messi : Outstanding free kick, unstoppable. Brilliant cross for the 2nd. Numerous little tricks and shimmies. Carrying the team on his back.

    10. Pratto: Great work rate, good header for the 2nd. Much more active and involved than other options so far.

    The midfield has to buck up and deliver.

  15. Even though we are wining, I don’t like dimaria and banega… we need Enzo and pizzaro… and I would mention biglia, but that’s not going to change anything since no matter whose coach they will love him for some odd reason..

  16. Bauza should show some balls and drop romero!!! Guy is finished!!! After spending a decade on the bench his GK instincts are totally gone.. banega out enzo in.. correa for dimaria

  17. Finally some players seem to have woken up.
    Messi is doing fine and Pratto is doing what Pipita and Kun weren’t doing: moving in the area, creating space.
    Great free kick and good header.

    However, during the Falcao header Romero was once again glued to his line. Falcao easily beated our defenders.
    We’re making some clumsy mistakes. The yellow for Pratto. Dumb.
    Mercado should control his temper. That will be exploited by a clever opponent and leaves us one man down.

    Happy with the 3 points. My fear is that it will leave Bauza in his seat until March with no urge to make changes…

  18. Our midfield is still invisible.. dimara n banega have offered nothing offensively as usual… enzo in for banega n correa for dimaria.. and no aguero n higuain.. nooo

  19. Good football in the first 23 mins now we clueless don’t even know what formation we are playing.. Btw Gracias Pratto unlike those two club boys

  20. Master tactician Zombie peckerman looking at messi and wondering why didn’t i play messi in that quaterfinal vs germany who was already 5 times better than julio cruz at 17!!!

    • And subbed off Riquelme, plus wasted David Trezeguet before the U20Sudamericano in 1995, not to call him in the squad. Trezeguet’s parents are argentinians, the rest is history…

  21. Banega with a great chance, but a weak shot safely into Ospina’s hands. Surprised Di Maria didn’t take the shot on and bang it right off the defender as usual 🙂

  22. We have 2 goals…but tbh we still are clueless…we look good cause Colombians have lost their head..Di Maria is somewhere in the field surely …it’s only Messi that we are ahead

  23. Pratto with a well placed header from a stunning messi cross to make it 2-0! Higuain and Aguero with a headshake.

    That cross though….!

    Messi is ABSOLUTELY in the mood.

      • Pablo my man! I hope we don’t throw away this hot start.

        Messi is the only one who’s making things happen.

        Biglia’s attempted 1-2 with Messi is the kind of thing that pisses me off. Messi was under pressure, and the chances of him getting that ball back from Biglia was less. And YET biglia tried to feed it to him, and we promptly lost possession.

        COME ON BIGLIA ! Offer something else other thant the obvious.

        • I know how you are feeling mr v.
          winning today will be fantastic if we do but im so sceard bozo will not go as he is cluless.
          Its far to ovious far too many of our player’s need to be steped down fron n.t duty but bozo seems like the 3 monkeys of see no evil etc etc

  24. Aguero n higuain would have found a worst possible way to screwup that pass from messi… even pratto seems better than those two clowns!!

  25. I still don’t understand Bauza’s fascination with Biglia though. A strictly OK player who reads the game well, but usually offers nothing in attack, no pace. Surprisingly, Enzo Perez was one of the better players last game!

    PRATTO SCORES from a MESSI Cross!!!!

  26. I have been sad and angry and disapointed with Argentina the past week but now when the game is on again in few minutes Im hopeful and excited. always the same cycle. But Im always going to cheer for the albiceleste shirt! Through thick and thin. Prediction: three points by winning 2-1. Goals by Messi and Mercado. Vamos Argentina!

  27. Ecuador will definitely qualify with their home matches, 100%, Paraguay and Peru are not serious contenders, Argentina, Columbia, Chile battle for 2 places. Playoff against an asian team again not a real danger.

  28. Juli you ask the question of any predications….with this line up and formation, we will struggle to score goals, plain and simple. Same old issues with this shitty team who have mental issues.

    If Colombia score first, we will certainly lose. At best, a draw unless Messi produces some brilliance

  29. This line-up could have been significantly improved (or if you are a skeptic, it would not have been worse) if Enzo replaced Biglia, Correa for Di Maria and Rulli for Romero but our knucklehead coach does not see that.

    We really need Banega and Di Maria to step up their game, be more creative and help Messi.

    Anyway, we must win this one, vamos Argentina carajo!

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