Rumors of Lionel MESSI and several players retiring from Argentina

By
Roy Nemer
-
394
Lionel Messi Argentina
Lionel Messi playing for the Argentina National Team.

Prior to Argentina’s 3-0 loss to Croatia, there was a storm which was brewing and the loss appears to have caused the storm to finally hit.

As we reported earlier, there have been reports that the players no longer want Jorge SAMPAOLI as the coach of the team and have asked to have Jorge BURRUCHAGA step in to manage the final group stage match versus Nigeria. It appears there’s a bit more news.

Per Hernan CASTILLO, SAMPAOLI would remain as the coach for the match on Tuesday but it would be the last match for several of the players. Marcos ROJO, Ever BANEGA, Lucas BIGLIA, Sergio AGUERO, Angel DI MARIA and Javier MASCHERANO would all retire after the FIFA World Cup. Furthermore, Gonzalo HIGUAIN and Lionel MESSI would also retire (this time for good).

The situation which the AFA could face is that should SAMPAOLI get fired, they would have to pay him 20 million dollars as he has multi-year contract.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

394 Comments

  1. The fact that Nigeria managed to beat iceland, I hope this is the turning point of Argentina fate, We will go through to the last 16 and will do well till final.
    Vamos Argentina, from your fan i Indonesia.

    • We have no realistic chance. We have gone down so low that it’s impossible to come back.

      Moreover, Nigeria are on a high confidence level. They believe they can finally beat us. The fact that they have momentum and they are under less pressure would help them immensely.

  3. I’m here to talk football matters. Anyone who wants to shout, swear and curse don’t take your frustration out on other people. The reality is, the Argentina Primera is a JOKE right now!! All the Argentinean coaches at this year world cup are FLOPPING thus far…Colombia and Uruguay teams have several local Argentina Primera players on their rosters and one team is either losing to Japan and the other team is struggling against two of the weakest team at this year world cup.

    Man, seems like Brazil will place second and likely face Mexico in the round of 16.I had Switzerland topping the group, hopefully Germany somehow finish first over Mexico or Serbia defeat Brazil and send them home packing.

  4. Lionel Messi needs to be happy to play at his best – Argentina’s Alejandro Sabella
    By Subhankar Mondal
    The 56-year-old Argentine trainer reiterated that the Barcelona forward “is the best player in the world” and believes that he should be treated with more patience
    Argentina national team coach Alejandro Sabella has underlined the importance of giving Lionel Messi freedom on the pitch to weave his magic.

    Regarded by many as the best player in the world, the Barcelona forward has often struggled to play at his best for his country, although he did turn on the style against Venezuela in a friendly international in India last week.

    Wearing the captain’s armband for Argentina in what was Sabella’s debut game as coach of the South American giants in front of over 100,000 spectators at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, Messi provided the corner that Nicolas Otamendi turned home to give the two-time world champions a 1-0 win.

    It was one of the Messi’s best performances for his country, and Sabella is confident that the Fifa Ballon d’Or winner will continue to display many such fine displays.

    “We must let him be happy,” said the 56-year-old at a press conference in Bangladesh, where Argentina will take on Nigeria on Tuesday in another friendly. “We must let him play completely freely on the pitch.

    “I am waiting for him to score. We must give him the tranquility. He is the best player in the world.”

    Nigeria beat Argentina’s second team 4-1 in June but Sabella says that he is not looking to avenge that comprehensive defeat.

    “I don’t think revenge is a good word,” he explained. “It’s not good for human beings. It’s not good for anyone. It’s a football game and we’ll try to win.

    “It’s a different game. It’s a different country. A neutral country. We don’t have too much time to prepare.

    “I am a new coach. I just started to know all the players and the players started to know me.”

    • Sabella is a very defensive minded coach, but why in the world he suddenly invented the fantastic four? It is out of his character. Sabella must have come to Messi and ask him what can I do to make you happy?

      In 1994 we played our most beautiful futbol before Maradona did that scandal. Do you remember our line up? Simeone-Redondo-Maradona; Caniggia-Balbo-Batistuta. We played 6 legends!! I mean 6! 7 if you count Ruggeri that we started in the back. We lost only because of Maradona’s scandal, but we were extremely beautiful and effective.

  5. Did Mandzukic score for Croatia? NO, but is work rate and being a target man was a plus for is national team. Aguero does nothing for Argentina other than being a box poacher. Higuaín is ten times the player Aguero will ever be! When Higuaín came on against Croatia just as Iceland the attack looked way better. Higuaín would easily help this lackluster Argentina midfield with his dropping deep playing style. Higuaín can also hold up play as well and allow the flank players to overlap to create opening for Messi at the top of the box! Was Aguero doing any of this in both games? NO!! Aguero is a ball hogger and he is selfish to play alongside. The team overall is already weak at defending so when you have Aguero and Messi in the team this give Argentina two less defenders and two less players who can’t press. I’m a fan of Argentina and with today results I stay hopeful.

    ——————-Guzman

    Mecardo—–Otamendi——Fazio——-Rojo

    —————–Enzo Perez

    Di Maria——————– Lo Celso/Banega

    Messi——————————Pavon

    —————Higuain

    • You are so full of ill will and prejudice you can’t even take our best player as far – Tagliafico. Ill will makes you anable to allow he is really good. The “next Orban” is really good…

      • Tagliafico shows nothing in offensive play excpt of back passes, so? At least Rojo can cross, technically bad, but still a better defender on the wing, tall, strong, quick. 2014 version of Robben would eat Tagliafico alive, but maybe he is still in Rojos pocket.

        • WHat was his incisive pass to AGuero?! (as CB). He is good both defence and attack. Not long ago someone even said he is first of all good in attack.

          Did you saw the game?

  6. if they wanna win then they have to sacrifies young players with experienced players likes of banega, di maria, mascharano, biglia and fazio. my preferred will be like that’

    mercado- otamendi- fazio- rojo
    biglia- mascharano
    messi- benega/(celso) – di maria
    aguero/higuain

  8. Fernando Niembro ( From Argentina)- Journalist:

    Lionel Messi failed once again to lift Argentina at the World Cup as they crashed to defeat against Croatia and a respected journalist from the country is among those that feel he should now retire.

    Fernando Niembro’s opinion is based on the idea that Messi has too much control over the national team, including picking who he wants, while he is unable to deliver like he does for Barcelona.

    “Messi owns the Argentina team,” he said.

    “He is the coach of the Argentina team and what he decided to do is play his friend and this is the result of putting your friends. A weak team, a team that isn’t what it can be, a team without heart.

    “Messi we asked for heart. You are the best player, when a team fails what you ask of the best player is that you dig deep and you couldn’t even do that.

    “Enough of Mascherano, your friend, enough from Sampaoli and his contradictions, enough of putting pressure, enough of taking control without a plan. And the truth, once Messi walked away from the Argentina team, and it wouldn’t be bad if he thought about it again.”

    • This Argentina journalist sees the issue exactly the same way I do. Messi wants to play with his friends. I said this many times since yesterday, but few believe in what I said!

      But I disagree with this journalist. He criticizes Messi for doing so. OK Where will your critiques lead you? No where!

      I mean will Messi listen to him and change his mind like “he (the journalist) is right, I shouldn’t want to play with my friends anymore. The country is more important.” NO WAY!

      Messi will still be Messi. And we only have 3 days left. So instead of criticizing Messi, it is better ask Messi face to face, “what can I do to make you happy and play with your heart again?” And whatever he says, just DO IT!

      Some here says “I don’t care if we are winning against Nigeria or no, I really want to see my favorite players”. Sorry we are not on the same page.

      I don’t care if my favorite players won’t play. I just want Argentina to win! 4 years waiting is not funny. I have been waiting for the trophy for more than 30 years! To win the third game is simple: Reconcile with Messi. Make him happy. Stop being delusional by kicking him out and wish that your fave players will play instead. It is NOT going to happen in 3 days.

      • I don’t want my favorite players to play nor this shit group of friends again. Let’s face it:
        1) playing senior players (I call them Club De Amigos) and even if they qualify by a narrow margin, you think they won’t be hammered by giant teams in knock out stages? Do you want to see your team humiliated like 7-0 in knock out stage? I don’t.

        2) playing young players, they are not ready, they haven’t played with each other other than 20 min during subbing time, plus they had enough of feeling rejected by The Team Mafia, and they need to recover, to feel important and have potential. also, if they play and flop in a short notice next game, they will be under fire by everyone, so I would like to see their chances saved for next world cup.

        3) More important is to start fresh, throw the rotten apples, and build for the future. You can’t build unless you are hit by reality and crisis like group stage elimination, so be it. Get rid of Messi and his buddies and start from scratch for the sake of a brighter future.

      • Are you seroius?! Is Messi our pampered and spoiled little boy to be always satisfied his whims? Is this kindergarten? I will play if I will play with buddies. If not I will refuse… LOL

        Some people think Messi is victim of the team. No, the team is victim of Messi.

          • Gonzalo, Please don’t waste your energy, People here know what’s going on trust me, they just do mind games and try to feel better by assuring themselves we are still in the running for the world cup and we can adjust and come back strong in this tournament even after showing Saudi Arabia can play better than us, Iran is a better rival to Spain than us. Let them contemplate and meditate in their fancy dreamy world.

  10. And for those of you posting line ups, understand this.

    If Caballero starts, we lose
    3 man defensive line, we lose
    Biglia starts, we lose
    Nigeria scores first, we lose
    Sampaoli acts like a moron on the side lines, we lose

    AND REMEMBER BEFORE YOU CONVINCE YOURSELF WE WILL WIN, THIS TEAM SCORED 2 ON ICELAND AND 4 ON US. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY PEOPLE HAVE THESE DILLUSIONS OF GREATNESS WHEN THE FACTS POINT OTHERWISE. SURE BE HOPEFUL, BUT REALISTIC.

    • Blind faith is a true fan. No need to hate, amazing doesn’t happen if you don’t believe.

      I though… commend the true fans but I’m pessimistic. I think we’ll be lucky to lose 2-1 and get a goal or some type of consolation to say good bye to Messi/Aguero/Masch/Biglia/Rojo

      Interesting thought. I think the one winner here is probably Romero. He’ll be back between the pipes for sure.

      This is his main gig!

  11. Right I’ve just got back from work and settled in
    Now starts the “drowning my sorrows in single malt”😢😭 session.
    All I can see in my head is that “once more over the hill my dear fellows” formation. The final goodbye to a generation. Fuck it Sampaoli should start the midfield like this:
    ……Mascherano…..Banega…….
    …………………Di Maria……………..
    ..Messi……Higuain….Aguero…..

    Go hell for leather. It can’t get any worse! Win lose or draw give these lot a fitting send off!
    And then just before the plane lands for ezieza airport, throw them off the plane without a parachute! And shout – thank you very much you cunts!
    Sorry for profanity I think the whiskey’s kicking in.
    VAMOS Albiceleste

    • these midfield could reach a much better result vs Croatia than our clown midfield with Acuna (horrible technique and passing skills), old Masche, Enzo (zero creativity), Meza (average players prototype), Salvio (out of his position)

  12. No more experimenting now!!Baldy is one fucked up mad scientist!! How can he not see that was coming from Caballero. Croatian team sniffed his nervousness and anticipated he is going to fuck up!! Mad scientist Sampa has to play Armani and drop his favorites Salvio and Acuna. Sadly Masche also has to sit this one out. We need creativity and no Talgiafico. He is good but for this kind of match we need men not boys. Banega Locelso and Pavon they need to run and cover our defense. I know Banega is slow but he is experienced and Fazio has to play doesn’t matter he is slow. We win this we will beat France.

    ————–Armani
    Mercado-Otamendi-Fazio-Ansaldi
    Dybala-Banega-Locelso-Pavon
    ———–Messi-Kun

  13. First and foremost.
    1) Does anybody manage this site? I mean really? How many fuc***ng times do we have to ask to move the comment box to the TOP so that we don’t have to look at every comment every time we post?

    2) Can people stop posting their stupid ass lineups? PLEASE stop posting this shit. PLEASE. THESE WEAK MINDED TURD BAGS ARE ALL AN INSULT TO THE SHIRT. SO STOP POSTING YOUR SHIT.

    3) Sampaoli is a disgrace.

    4) For all the Messi worshippers there you have the REAL MAN. Not talking about his play. He is a weak minded mental midget who was crying BEFORE THE GAME. This child who we have turned into a God may be a great player, but he is a child. He is no leader, has zero intestinal fortitude and if anybody thinks this guy is going to lead us anywhere other than heart break you are surely mistaken.
    Thank you for your great play, but you deceived us all as a leader. Take that captains arm band away immediately.

    5) Any of these weak minded motherfu***ers that want to quit now please leave. Please leave immediately.

    6) For all the doubters thinking there isn’t a “Friends Club” than they are blind dumb and deaf and I have some land I can sell them under a bridge.

    • You probably forgot, The guy Messi bought us to this world cup..if he wasnt there you wouldnt get the chance to comment about world cup

      • I don’t want to reach WC with a humiliation, better have a break for one tournament and come back as the one to beat, brain people, brain.

        I also still think the game against Ecuador was sold to Argentina, some analysts mentioned that based on several coincidences.

      • I guarantee you if Messi isn’t in any of the qualifiers this team would be built around Dybala and Icardi and we would be at the world cup. Do you know when we last missed going to a world cup? 1970. One TIME. Brush up on your shit before idolizing this walking china doll Messi. If I fart and it hits him he will have an emotional concussion.

        And if there is a whole new generation of Argentina fans because of Messi they can take a hike as well. I could give two shits about Messi. My only concern is Argentina.

  14. Fernando Niembro ( From Argentina)- Journalist:

    Lionel Messi failed once again to lift Argentina at the World Cup as they crashed to defeat against Croatia and a respected journalist from the country is among those that feel he should now retire.

    Fernando Niembro’s opinion is based on the idea that Messi has too much control over the national team, including picking who he wants, while he is unable to deliver like he does for Barcelona.

    “Messi owns the Argentina team,” he said.

    “He is the coach of the Argentina team and what he decided to do is play his friend and this is the result of putting your friends. A weak team, a team that isn’t what it can be, a team without heart.

    “Messi we asked for heart. You are the best player, when a team fails what you ask of the best player is that you dig deep and you couldn’t even do that.

    “Enough of Mascherano, your friend, enough from Sampaoli and his contradictions, enough of putting pressure, enough of taking control without a plan. And the truth, once Messi walked away from the Argentina team, and it wouldn’t be bad if he thought about it again.”

    • This Argentina journalist sees the issue exactly the same way I do. Messi wants to play with his friends. I said this many times since yesterday, but few believe in what I said!

      But I disagree with this journalist. He criticizes Messi for doing so. OK Where will your critiques lead you? No where!

      I mean will Messi listen to him and change his mind like “he (the journalist) is right, I shouldn’t want to play with my friends anymore. The country is more important.” NO WAY!

      Messi will still be Messi. And we only have 3 days left. So instead of criticizing Messi, it is better ask Messi face to face, “what can I do to make you happy and play with your heart again?” And whatever he says, just DO IT!

      Some here says “I don’t care if we are winning against Nigeria or no, I really want to see my favorite players”. Sorry we are not on the same page.

      I don’t care if my favorite players won’t play. I just want Argentina to win! 4 years waiting is not funny. I have been waiting for the trophy for more than 30 years! To win the third game is simple: Reconcile with Messi. Make him happy. Stop being delusional by kicking him out and wish that your fave players will play instead. It is NOT going to happen in 3 days.

  15. I like our situation.

    We are down, but not fully out. We can still hope. We don’t deserve to qualify for next round based on our performance against Croatia. Worst performance in this world cup. Poorest defensive displays from a top class team in the past 3-4 decades. If this team played against last world cup’s Germany, we would have lost by 14-1. And at current form, Nigeria will blast us for 4-0. They are most suited to kill us. Defend and counter attack. I am glad we didn’t play against them yesterday.

    So we need a miracle to go through. We need to rise from ashes. We will have to defeat Nigeria by two goals. That would require us playing good football. If we can do that, we are going to be one of the contenders.

    A confident Argentina and happy Messi would be a danger for even France.

    So either play exceptionally well and get some confidence going into the second round (where France are waiting).

    Or exit in the group stage.

      • Not at all. We should be glad that it was Croatia who we played against. Even Nigeria would have scored atleast 5. Excellent counter attack teams like Germany would have scored 10.

        Brazil defense wasn’t this worse.

  16. The fact that the team gathered and watched the Nigeria-Iceland game showed that they still care. I saw a lot of clips of how many Argentines cheering for Nigeria even in the airplane! They even sang for the Nigerians. The whole country still backs the team up. Nigeria already helps us and we need to do our job. Our last chance. If the team already gives up, they wouldn’t even bother watching the match.

    My suggestion is simple if Sampaoli won’t screw up the line up again. Let the players coach themselves, no need to listen to Sampaoli’s guidance. Do a Lebron James thing: appoint a leader and coach themselves. Maybe Messi/Masche can do that.

    I don’t think Nigeria will park the bus. That is not their DNA. They are just an attacking team. Today, the maximum number of players they put on their defense were 6. And remember, their left back/left side of the defense is their weakness. We need to exploit that.

  17. I’m not sure people paid attention to that but Sampoali during match is looking like our players. SInce beginning of every game. He looks just like loser. I mean… his face… the black cloats and some kind of fear, desperation in the eyes. I can’t see trust and faith in his eyes. This is not coach of winning team.

  20. Aguero/Messi Dybala/Lo Celso Di Maria Biglia/Rojo Otamendi Fazio Mercado/Armani

    1) Biglia is better than Mascherano against Nigeria in 2014.
    2) Defense line should copy 2014.
    3) Whatever it happens, use our most talented attacking group (MAD + PSG combo)

  21. The result itself just as against Iceland is secondary it is the fu***** shocking attitude of the players that has made us laughing stock of world football. Messi is so mentally weak, he apparently never recovered from penalty miss and has given up and has been going through his motions. Just no leadership out there. It is only going to get nasty for us after the last round of matches. Reports are coming in that Sampaoli will not step down after meeting with Tapia unless AFA pays his whole contract amount. The problem in the dressing room started after Biglia was dropped with which certain players were unhappy about. I’ve been an Argentine fan my whole life but I have never seen anything shockingly bad like this. Like Mourinho said only Saudi Arabia and Argentina have dented the quality of this world cup. Even Saudi Arabia have tested the opposing goal keeper more than us.
    I really hope Messi and co. Will keep up their promise and retire after Nigeria match. Sampaoli go eat ur own shit. And for those players who refused to put on a fight you are all the worst cowards to disgrace this wonderful world cup.

  23. I’m not sure is there any aim to be that happy of giving us once again hope. Argentine seems artifically kept alive being with prolonged agony. And it’s lasting for a long time. Since Martino/Sampaoli time.

    It seems also that we have axhausted big ration of luck that we used whole in previous WC. In football I see in long perspective teams are paying painfully debt of luck they incurred in previous tournament. Many examples here.

    • There was no luck, they became a better team as the tournament went on in 2014 fielding one of the best defenses and that what kept in all the way til the end.

      LUCK and ARGENTINA= NO SUCH THING

      • Penalties always are luck. Messi scorring the late winners in group stages and goal like Rojo against Nigeria… To reach final you need luck no matter how good you are.

        But maybe we paid already the debt in final 2014 when we had not luck.

    • See Meza, Salvio, Acuna, Tagliafico, Enzo are not NT-level players we all know, if we play 100 matches these nobodies will still stand with 0 goals and 0 assists, never will create difference, you still dont see ? Alibi players, cant even pass the ball forward, cant dribble, not fast enough, cant shoot, etc etc, a hole universum from world class, shit players. You blame Messi when he steps back deep and now your dream comes true Messi stayed ahead, what happened? Our world class midfielders cant even move the ball forward (Acuna-old Masche-Enzo-Meza-Salvio definitely the weakest argentina midfield ever, not even a player worth more than 10 millions euro). Yourwere so excited before the match because of these players, the nobodies, i was very nervous and disappointed, i knew well mediocrity against world class croatian midfielders will end a disaster. Without a midfielder with a little bit creativity and good passing skills, who can controll the fucking tempo of the game? Absurd

      • Tagliafico was our best player on the pitch!
        quit this old vs young, home based vs European bullshit.
        It’s about the best in form players that make a balanced team without interference and politics.

      • The mediocre players should be role players at best. What is role players?
        1. They are supposed to be someone who plays periodically when we need something only. For example we lead 1-0 and we need to defend in the last 5-10 minutes, then they can come on. They are NOT TO BE USED as KEY PLAYERS at all, who played 180 minutes in 180 available minutes so far. That is a really bad coaching.
        2. Role players = hard workers. They won’t get all the attention. They are out there to just do the dirty works (marking, being in the right position, covering the defense, making simple passes, etc). Remember someone like Pablo Guinazu or Basanta who played for Sabella’s Argentina? They did their job as the role players.

        Sampaoli somehow thinks that here at the World Cup, they (the role players) are ready to be introduced as the World Class players. That’s delusional. He is trying to be a genius by discovering a lot of “jewels”. yeah right!

        Today I read an interview by Ardilles, he even said that Sampaoli is very arrogant and ignorant.

        The commentators even question Sampaoli’s decision to use those “unknown” players in important matches. I mean we are Argentina. We are not Trinidad Tobago or Australia who lack of high profile players. And this is the WORLD CUP.

        • Yeah, our best player- Tagliafico – should be role player while long time burned out oldies will shine forever. You are talking as if our oldies had not enough minutes recently. They had and they failed – that’s why we have new faces.

          • when your best player is Tagliafico you are the clown of the world cup, when your best player is Meza you lose 6:1 against Spain, without commentary, real quality players, difference makers

      • No one take you serious if you’ve said there’s something wrong with Tagliafico. He is our best player on the tournament as far.

        Salvio was second best in our team in first half . Really active. By his runs and cross on right flank gave probably best opportunity in first hald. Also his defence backing super fast run on one of Croatia counter attacks was impressive. Messi in comparison to him was invisible. Where was Aguero?

        Acuna was even more active than Salvio but his decision making and passes were poor. Just like Di Maria. Still gave a lot more fight than your oldies.

        Meza looked like player who didn’t know what to do with the ball . Really scared. But still… go and check: he was enagaged in almost every our good opportunity in the game. By his pass to Aguero, by his shot from penalty box, by his pressing on Croatian defender in penalty box, by his lat run from the middle when he played CM. Where were your oldies?

        DOn’t be funny looking for excusing for Messi that he played in wrong position., Everyone know he is playing in NT wherever he wants. He just looked like old man without faith.

        • “DOn’t be funny looking for excusing for Messi that he played in wrong position.,” you always blame Messi to play too deep, whats your problem? Finally he was a striker but without zero support. The truth without Messi Argentina’s midfield is dead and always was dead, and you blame him for it too. Too much dribbles, too litle dribbles, too much passes, too little passes, this match was the perfect example what happens if Messi always stand forward, he will get zero good ball from our garbage midfielders (definitely in this game from these role players). That was the problem in 14 world cup knockout stages too, he had to play like deep lying midfielder next to Biglia, Enzo, Lavezzi with their very little creativity. Forward he receives zero good balls or help the midfield in build ups at least, do the tasks of our midfielders who cannot.

          • Di Maria the one next to Messi who can give final passes against good opponents, vs Ecuador of course he gave 2 assist to Messi in a do or die game. mybe Pavon and Lo Celso one day, at least they have the potential.

          • Apparently no one is reading your stupid comments becacue people would protest for naming Enzo and Lavezzi little creative players. Everyone saw the two were our most creative players in late stages of WC and Lavezzi also Copa 2015. Stop talking shit.

            The fact is Messi was invisible despite he was playing wherever he wants, as always. Emperor is naked. All world have agreement: he is so weak mantally.

            Here is what people think about. The first impressions:

            youtube.com/watch?v=H0MKX3KiRf0

  24. Nigeria won and now its on argentinas hands again, the argentine players need to put their life at stake to win the game against nigeria by atleast 3 goals. this is their last chance, if we cant do it on tuesday we really dont deserve to be in this worldcup. Messi has to step up. The million dollar question is can we even win against nigeria?

      • Csabalala

        just don’t try to pretend suddenly for Dybala promotor. I remember very good you are since beginning his harsh critic (as well Icardi). COuntless your comments on him whenever he did something wrong. First to blame him when he didn’t scored in NT. You are chameleon. You can’t even decide how to judgeLo Celso, Paredes or Martinez once your favourites. WHat you think it depends how things are going. You are juggling from position of their critic (when they do wrong) as the young generation players you hate to position of false promoter when you need counter balance for players you want hate. I see long time you are pathetic prevaricator here.

        • when Dybala alternative is Meza this is a no brainer, a world class talent who sadly showed nothing in argentina jersey so far, at least the potential is there, in Meza, Acuna, Salvio? Lo Celso and Pavon too, world class potentials, they can do the difference, maybe

          • No matter – you are Dybala hater. You should remember he has some Polish roots. Then you will hate him even more just like Lewandowsky.

            Ok. I just recorded you comment. Now let’s wait for Meza some time. DOn’t try deny your words if he will shine within some time in EUrope.

    • No we don’t need to win by at least 3 goals. That is not correct.
      We need to just win (as long as Iceland fails to win)

      Or, we need to win by a bit bigger margin by them (if Iceland can beat Croatia). I don’t believe Iceland will beat Croatia though. Maybe Croatia will use some of their bench players, but they are high morally. Today Perisic said that they believe that they will be even better than the Croatia of 1998. They won’t want to lose, it might affect their morale in the win or go home second round match.

  25. This team finds unimaginable ways to torture us.
    Teasing us.
    Didn’t sleep, my heart and head aches, absent minded.
    I watched the game standing on my feet for 90 minutes in front of my TV.
    Not qualifying would hurt so much.
    SHAQIRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

    • You are like me man. I stood all the time yesterday too. Then I gave up..lol!

      There is no chance we are going to beat any team in this world cup right now. Not even Saudi Arabia, which is suppose to the weakest team this year.

      • If they get their heads out of their asses minus Willy then they’ll have a chance, you think Messi doesn’t want to win and no freaking pressure after the sky fell on them like the guy from few posts down said.

        • This thing is not over yet, our knock out round just starts a little early. Many of us are not happy with the results, the coach, the formation, player selection etc, but no team has really had a cake walk thus far and this WC is tightly contested with no real clear cut hands down favorite to emerge. As supporters we need to stay positive and have faith. I know this will be a roller coaster ride sort of like in 1990. I just pray Caballero is not in goal.

  26. This is what you get when you have a team full of individuals instead of an actually team with chemistry playing together. Why is it that teams like Iran, Morocco, Australia etc. can play good football together as a team but not Argentina? Argentina is by far the most incoherent and reckless team at this year world cup. I would take Morocco and Iran playing style over this current Argentina setup any day.

    When Romero got injured, I always had a bad feeling about this world cup, I just tried to stay/be optimistic. People on here disrespect him, laugh at him and say all kinds of unkind words yet he was the one who took Argentina to its first world cup final in over 20 plus years. Romero has the record for most cleansheet in the history of Argentina national team football yet people here show him little respect. Yes, Romero sat on the bench at Man United, but whenever called upon he always delivered for both his club and Argentina. Not long ago Romero won a Europa League with United yet people here still dismiss him as our own goalkeeper who has been a loyal servant of the Argentina national team since 2010.

    None of the veteran players were given respect from the local Argentina media and some of the fans for what they have done with the Argentina national team. It’s like these people in Argentina was expecting the world cup to be given to them on a silver platter without putting in any real infrastructure for the long term. You can’t solely blame the veteran players; the problem is that Argentina haven’t been producing great players for a very long time now especially in midfield. In Argentina it’s all about producing strikers while every other position on the field stay mediocre. All the best reaching another world cup final and winning another U20 world cup. The AFA and local Argentina football is third rated at the moment compare to European nations, this organization is stuck in the past waiting for an individual to bring them glory.

    Given that majority of the world cup games have been close thus far, I wasn’t surprise Argentina and Croatia was still scoreless at the 55th minute. Let’s be honest here, Argentina was in control of the game until Cabellero decided to mess things up (Croatia had one plan, sit deep and hope for a win or a tie, this was their game plan because even a tie would have been a great result for them). Cabellero on his own possible send Argentina packing from the world cup. After the Cabellero mistake the team lost all of its morale and belief, and being that they were already under so much pressure made it even worse. The guys on the pitch couldn’t even string couple passes together after the Cabellero blunder because they were still shellshock. At least let Croatia work hard for the goal don’t give it to them on a silver platter. Cabellero mistake was really a low blow, I wanted to stop watching then. Argentina today is what France was at the 2010 world cup. This World Cup camp was never unified, there is a lot things going on off camera outside of the fake togetherness open training sessions. The difference between Argentina and Croatia the longer the game went on was in midfield. Croatia have both Barcelona and Real Madrid players in their midfield while Argentina had midfield players (except for Banega and Lo Celso) who haven’t made any name for themselves on the European stage in the last several years. Masche best years as a midfielders were during his River Plate and Liverpool playing days.

    Three different coaches during the CONMEBOL 2018 WCQ’s yet people expected different results against solid organize European teams who have been playing together in the same system with the same coach for several years now. And people need to stop comparing Tite impact on the Brazilian national team with the Argentina national team (although I think Tite impact was overrated). Tite took over the Brazilian national team in 2016, he then went on to win the 2016 Olympics. Tite had over two years to implement his ideas on the Brazilian national team while Argentina was busy changing coaches between Tata Martino, Buaza and now Sampaoli. There has not been any serious continuity at the national level when it comes to Argentina, the locals are not patient and there is no ground work being lay which will help future Argentina senior teams and U20 teams.

    Argentina need midfielders in big clubs where the actually players can improve while playing alongside other world class and top quality team mates. Argentina is just exporting majority of their young talented players to mid-table European teams yet people get excited about these transfer. I’ll get excited when Argentina start transferring midfielders to teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Man United, Bayern Munich etc. Now with all this being said, people shouldn’t have been surprise Argentina midfield was outclassed by the likes of Modric, Rakatic and Kovacic. All three players combined have won four UCL and two Europa Cup in the last several European season.

    As for Sampaoli, he was never a stable coach, his attitude on the side line is already bad enough from a visual prospective with all those tattoos plastered on his skin. The pacing back and forth is really annoying as well. The AFA made things even worse, they could have done a better pre world cup preparation. There were teams Argentina could have played against, I’m sure USA needed games given their world cup situation. Canada was another team on this side of the hemisphere who could have been a decent world cup warm up opponent. Argentina could have easily played three warm up games against Haiti, USA and Canada before making the trip to Barcelona, and even if the team had to fly to USA to play both games, it would have been worth the travel. But of course, the AFA was busy trying to make personal gains off of Messi star power that’s why they organize the game against Israel. And even if the USA and Canada games were not possible at the time because of scheduling issues, then at least have two pre world cup friendly games on the books in Barcelona/Catalonia. The biggest mistake the AFA made was getting involve with the Israel and Palestine situation. The game should have never been on if you know at the end it was going to embarrass Israel. This was a HUGE mistake!

    SAMPAOLI LINEUPS
    1st Game vs Brazil:
    Romero, Otamendi, Maidana Mecardo, Gomez, Biglia, Banega, Di Maria, Messi, Dybala, Higuaín. (goal 45 minutes)
    2nd Game vs Singapore:
    Guzmán, Salvio, Acuña, Fazio, Biglia, Mammana, Dybala, Lanzini, Correa, Di María, Gomez (It took Argentina 25 minutes to score against a weak Singapore team and it was Fazio of all person).
    3rd Game vs Uruguay:
    Romero, Mercado, Fazio, Otamendi, Guido Pizarro, Biglia, Messi, Icardi Marcos Acuña, Di María, Dybala (0 – 0 score line)

    4th Game vs Venezuela:
    Sergio Romero, Federico Fazio Nicolás Otamendi, Javier Mascherano, Éver Banega, Guido Pizarro, Angel Di María, Marcos Acuña, Lautaro Acosta Mauro Icardi, Paulo Dybala (1-1 courtesy of an own for Argentina).

    5th Game vs Peru:
    Sergio Romero, Javier Mascherano, Nicolás Otamendi, Marcos Acuña, Gabriel Mercado, Lionel Messi, Éver Banega, Lucas Biglia, Darío Benedetto, Alejandro Gómez, Ángel Di María (0-0 score line).

    6th Game vs Ecuador:
    Romero, Mercado, Mascherano, Otamendi, Salvio, Perez, Biglia, Acuna, Messi, Di María, Benedetto. (Argentina 3 – 1 Ecuador)

    7th Game vs Russia:
    Romero Pérez, Lo Celso, Otamendi, Pezzella, Mascherano, Messi, Kranevitter Agüero, Salvio, Di María (1- 0 win off an offside goal)
    8th Game vs Nigeria:
    Marchesín, Pérez, Lo Celso, Otamendi, Pezzella, Mascherano, Dybala, Banega, Agüero, Pavón, Di María (4-2 Nigeria win)

    9th Game vs Italy:
    Caballero, Bustos, Otamendi, Fazio, Tagliafico, Biglia, Paredes, Lanzini, Lo Celso, Di María, Higuaín (2 – 0 Argetnina)

    10th Game vs Spain:
    Romero, Bustos, Otamendi, Rojo, Tagliafico, Biglia, Mascherano, Lo Celso, Banega, Meza, Higuaín (Spain 6 – 1 Argetnina).

    11th Game vs Haiti:
    Caballero, Salvio, Otamendi, Fazio, Tagliafico, Lanzini, Mascherano, Lo Celso, Di María, Messi, Higuaín (Argentina 4 – 0 Haiti).

    12th Game vs Iceland:
    Caballero, Salvio, Otamendi, Rojo, Tagliafico, Mascherano, Biglia, Meza, Messi, Di María, Agüero. (Argetnina 1 – 1 Iceland).

    13th Game vs Croatia:
    Caballero, Mercado, Otamendi, Tagliafico, Salvio, Pérez, Mascherano, Acuña, Messi, Meza, Agüero (Argentina 0 vs Croatia 3).

    If you notice with all these lineups, Sampaoli never try the same team for a second game, it’s always experimenting for Argentina/Sampaoli since the first game up to his most recent game against Croatia. There was no continuity and assurance in any of Sampaoli selections. Sampaoli is a stubborn person, instead of starting the same team against Iceland that featured against Haiti (even though Haiti wasn’t much of a competition), he went ahead and use the players he was expecting to start against Israel. Being that the Israel game was canceled, all Sampaoli had to do was use the same winning team from the Haiti game against Iceland, at least that starting lineup played some sort of competitive game and had some form of winning momentum going into the world cup opener. Sampaoli was hellbent on using the players he had planned for the cancel friendly game for Argentina world cup opening game and this is why Lo Celso was mysteriously pulled from the lineup, it wasn’t the senior players fault, it was all Sampaoli not being assure of himself and his team selection. All Sampaoli needed to do was to stick with the same starting XI that won against Haiti bar Lanzini.

    Moreover, no matter the old/young players Sampaoli experimented with since he took charge, the team still struggle to score goals under his leadership. Even against Singapore it took Argentina 25 minutes to open the scoring. Against Haiti recently Argentina could only manage a pk goal in the first 45 minutes. So if you cancel out the Singapore and Haiti game along with Messi hat trick heroics against Ecuador you’ll notice that the team have struggle to score in the other ten games. Whatever Sampaoli was doing it clearly wasn’t working yet he still stayed the course with these tried and fail ideas leading into the world cup.

    People need to realize also that local Argentina Primera is not good enough as a league to produce world cup winning players. Unfortunately, this is not the old days anymore where a local selection national team could compete against any opponent on the world stage. The last time the local Primera produced great players straight into the national team was during the 2006 world cup; Masche, Tevez, Lucho Gonzalez and Roberto Abbondanzieri. People need to wake up and stop overhyping and over exaggerating the local players from the Argentina Primera. As I said before, if you can’t win the U20 and Olympics tournament with these players then how in the world are we to expect them to shine on football biggest stage?

    I never get why Di Maria has become a default left-winger in the Argentina national team while at club level he goes back and forth from the left wing to midfield. Di Maria can play in midfield, it’s useless playing him on the left wing for Argentina where he never looked happy under Sampaoli tactics. In these last years, Di Maria should have been promoted as RAM after the 2014 world cup where is energy and pace would have been more useful in midfield. Moreover, playing as a RAM gives Di Maria more opportunity to shoot at goal because he is left footed.

    If anyone here, think Nigeria is going to play as attacking against Argentina as they did in 2014 are kidding themselves. Nigeria will go 4-5-1 just like Croatia and Iceland. 4-5-1 is Argentina kryptonite, the team and coaching staff seems to can’t figure out the best way how to counter this tactic used by their opponents. Nigeria will defend deep then counter while Argentina will have to attack because the team need a win to qualify while Nigeria will qualify even with a tie depending on the Iceland game against Croatia.

    No amount of youth was going to do any better for Argentina at this year world cup because they’re all mediocre players from average local clubs and mid table European clubs. This Newer Argentina generation is a JOKE! Nothing but overrated kids being promoted here on Mundo, step outside of this bubble and no knowledgeable football pundits ever mention these young Argentinean players.

    This is the difference with Argentina and the rest of the bigger teams and semi big teams at this year world cup: Germany has Kroos in midfield, Brazil has Casemiro in midfield, France has Kante in midfield, Spain has Iniesta in Midfield, Belgium has De Bruyne in midfield, England has Henderson in midfield, Denmark has Eriksen in midfield, Serbia has Matic in midfield, Switzerland has Xhaka in midfield and Croatia has Modric in midfield. All these current midfielders play high stake role for some of the biggest clubs in Europe at the moment. Teams like Denmark, Serbia, Switzerland and Croatia benefit from their one or two/three star midfield players than anything else. What other prominent midfielder does Argentina have right now other than Banega? (Lo Celso is talented but still green, he wet his pants against Real Madrid) If Enzo Perez was a class midfielder, he would have scored the chance he had against Croatia in front of an open net.
    My suggestion for the Nigeria game: The coach need to go back to a traditional back four; play Di Maria, Lo Celso/Banega and Enzo Perez in a three-man midfield; use Pavon, Messi and Higuian in the attack.

    • I say Sampaoli gets too much credit for Chile’s transformative success which was a team he inherited from Bielsa/Borghi. I don’t think he has the pedigree to be coaching a team like Argentina.

    • People need to realize also that local Argentina Primera is not good enough as a league to produce world cup winning players.

      Dude, how much marijuana are you smoking before writing this senseless shit? First, Iran is coached by Carlos Quieroz. Alex Ferguson’s right hand man and was the first team to qualify for the world cup. They are not a great team but they are respectable.

      Second, your comment about Primera is horse shit. Half these stiffs sit on the bench of European teams and don’t do shit like Caballero. And they shit their pants when they are asked to play. I don’t give a shit where they play or how good they are, no regular minutes on the club team means no call up.

      Third, you talk about line ups. The coach does not have a plan. So stop slamming young guys. We produce more top talent than 95 percent of the countries out there. IF all the players in every league that were Argentine returned to Primera we would have the best league in the world.

      THE OLD PLAYERS ARE DESTROYING ARGENTINA BECAUSE THEY WANT TO PLAY WITH FRIENDS. I WOULD RECOMMEND BEFORE YOU WRITE NOVELS YOU READ ARGENTINE NEWSPAPERS AND LISTEN TO SOMETHING LIKE RADIO RIVADAVIA TO EDUCATE YOURSELF

  28. Probable Results For Argentina to qualify:

    1)Iceland Lose to Croatia and Argentina Wins against Nigeria.

    2)Iceland Croatia Draws and Argentina Wins

    3) Iceland Win 1-0 or 2-1 and Argentina wins 2-0, 3-1 or 4-2 (Unlikely)

    4) Iceland win 2-0 and Argentina Wins 3-0 , 4-1 or a revenge 5-2 (unlikely)

    Truth is Croatia will win and Nigeria is favourite to beat us.

    But Positive sign is now its in our hand we have a chance to live. Always be positive. If you are dying, you dont give up. You try to live one more day. U never know what happens later.
    With this team we probably wont go far in the knock outs even if we qualify. But it wont hurt to believe. God gave us a sniff. We see blood.
    Atleast I would like to see Dybala, Pavon and Lo Celso i dont care if we lose but I want to see them. It will be good for future. Argentina does not die here. There is a future.
    Vamos

    • Nigeria is fast, not as physical like the previous two and maybe just maybe ARG wakes up after the embarrassing last game and NO WILLY obviously.

      • Seeing Iceland miss that PK was poetic justice for all their bullshit, at least Messi was stopped by their keeper and wasn’t aiming for their fans in the stands

    • mercado, old mascherano,meza,acuna,banega,higuain. thats his problem. you have way better players that are A either on the bench or B not even called up.

    • Ok guys. The lifeline is there. What is more important, i wont miss if i say crucial, is that suddenly all the pressure is gone. Why ??? because we were death and burried, all the “legends” spoke like shit against the team and now we dont have anything to lose. Just put the smile on your face leo and play some football. If you and your temates belive only sky is the limit. There is so much fire and potential in this team that i truly belive that we will rise. We have to rise. And if someone is intersted croatia wont play with A team for sure. They will play with no less then 7,8 new players. So they will be weak and iceland will probaably win that game. But not more than 2 goals margine.

    • Only facts?? Nobody but Messi really know. Otherwise he is just not a very tough, crazy son of a bitch, individual. Like Maradona, like Ronaldo of the past three years or like the ultimate, Michael Jordan. If Messi had a tenth of Jordan killer instinct there is no way, absolutely no way, Germany would have lifted that trophy in 2014. Somehow, some way, he would have carried that team to the finish line. I think now it’s the realization that all the hope for Russia 18 has gone down the drain already. But you never know. He is the best player to have graced this earth. He is coming out from death now and all it will take is one, just one, early goal for him and you might throw all the possible way Argentina could move on, all those myriad of possibilities, out the window. Because a such awoken Messi could drop four and subsequently wreak havoc for any opponent. For Argentina is dead, but if Argentina live to see another day the team will look like Italy in 1982: Horrible in group and unstoppable thereafter. All others will be rooting hard for Argentina exit, HARD.

  30. Got to leave it all out there.
    4-2-3-1
    Armani
    Ansaldi Otamendi Fazio Tagliafico
    Banega Lo Celso
    Dybala Messi Pavon
    Aguero

    Banega has played DM & both he and Lo Celso are faster than Masche. They can connect the gap.

  31. Against all odds we have been given a lifeline. We should grab it with both hands. No more experimenting.
    Just 4 4 2
    Mercado, Otamendi, Fazio, Ansaldi
    Banega, Mascherano, LoCelso, Dybala
    Messi, Aguero

    If Messi is unmotivated again,, sub him for Pavon or Higuain.

    This is do or die. Win 3 zero and we are in second round.

  33. I don’t think Iceland will beat Croatia second team if they play that open. Iceland can only win if they park the bus and got lucky.

    African teams are always our “friends”. I notice most of the African coaches, captains or media always vote for Messi for Ballon D’or. CR7 votes mostly came from the European sides.

    • Messi is by very far the most popular player in Africa. He has a huge following. As for Iceland they are not that good at all. They cannot play open against anybody, they will be killed. I will say this again be aware awakening a sleeping Giant. As of right now the dynamics have changed for Argentina and Messi, they are no longer expected to be here. Whether anybody admit it or not, whether Messi and co admit it or not, the unfair burden, the unbearable weight has been lifted. They can now go and just play, just have fun and whatever happen happen. If madman Sampaoli doesn’t, in a final dumb move, sabotage everything, a free Argentina, a free Messi, could be unstoppable.

  34. Please somebody tell me who these ‘friends of messi’ are. List them definitively. If Nigeria wins then messi may be allowed to pick the lineup.

    What team will he put out there?
    I’m serious about wanting to know who he is insisting on? There is so much innuendo on this site, so somebody just tell me already.

  35. It seems that Iceland is cursed after beating us 🙂

    News update from TYC sports:

    Argentina team is scheduled to practice, but they watch the Nigeria-Iceland game first.
    It seems like they still have the fire!

  38. Nigeria : 2, Iceland :0

    for Iceland same team, same defenders, same goalkeeper and same play how let 2 goals to score Nigeria because 10players of the Nigeria team focusing to score and attack Iceland box but for Argentina 9players are focusing 1player to score goal himself.

    which team is playing heartedly?

    when it comes to arg vs nig on 26th jun surely I am saying Nigeria will win.

  41. hoping is well but even if nigeria will beat iceland the croatians will play to lose and we re really not sure for beating nigeria with what we did see yesterday level

    • Nigeria gives oxygen to Argentina but question is, Argentina have any guts to face this energetic Nigerian team?or again we humiliate with huge margin?I don’t know what happen on Friday.. after this results between Nigeria and island argentina must start training as early as possible but there are several news that player r not wanted to train under sampaoli but my opinion is that forget about the previous matches just focus only Nigeria match and give your 100% and we will win definitely…

  42. Even If Nigeria wins:
    1) Do you think Croatia will fight again when they are qualified already and will top the group due to goal difference? They have already played the game of their lives, they are exhausted now and need to save energy for knock out stages, they will give the game to Iceland to be advanced as second.

    2) Even if Croatia wins over Iceland or draw, do you think Argentina is able to win against Nigeria after all that mess in admin staff, coaching and players and the media? especially knowing Nigeria thrashed Argentina 4-2 and will come furious to win again and advance.

    Get your act together guys!

    • 2-0!!!!

      One more goal Nigeria come on!

      As for now, we need to win a bigger goal margin against Nigeria than Iceland against Croatia.
      For example. If Iceland win 1-0, we need to win 2-0. If they win 2-1. We need 3-1.

      If Nigeria score one more, then it is exactly the same point and goal difference after today’s match between Nigeria and Iceland.

    • Look what happens when Iceland can’t park the bus. Croatia’s backups which have players like Kovacic would still pick them off because Iceland would be chasing the game.

  43. In 1990, we lost the first match against the 8 men Cameroon. We were dejected.
    Then we won against USSR
    And draw against Romania. Third place was enough to bring us to the second round, but we would face all the giants. Starting with:
    1. Brazil. Cani, Maradona, and Goyco helped us.
    2. Yugoslavia. Goyco saved us
    3. The host Italy who had never conceded any goal until semi final. Goyco saved us

    Finally we met West Germany and we lost because Cani was suspended and a questionable PK.

    This time, if we beat Nigeria, you know what our path will look like?
    1. France
    2. Spain or Portugal (Quarter final)
    3. Germany or Brazil (Semi)
    4. Final

    Trust the process!

  44. Sir, Paplo D
    I’m actually really glad that migren didnt let me watch the second half because also it was so evident what will happen after enzo failed that one great opportunity and wiseversus in the other end willy almost did it allready in 1 st half ! so gongratlulation once again for our great coach(saviour or anyone can call him whatvever name they think suite’s him the best! ). The real sad part of this hole story is that now the nigerian’s are actually leading 1-0 against iceland, though there’s still plenty to play, but if the nigerians can pull this one out and croatians will not let iceland to win, then do u still think we could actually beat nigerian’s with the current situation around the whole team or do u think like most of the people in here that our boys are done ? rather than they can still give it ago at against nigerians at least to reach the second round ? all the best for future of argentina and for u too ! Ricky Villa

    I wrote this earlier today….
    “what a complete disaster for our Argentina and this falls completely on the head of samp from his poor team starting selection (again), dreadful use of subs ( we are losing the mid battle and hes takes off a striker for a striker-why?, abysmal reading of the game and a serious lack of any direction, the players have no idea of what his game plan actually is nor do we the fans.

    Their were serious rumors, before today’s game of the team being in disarray, split camps and not a lot of good will towards samp at all and kuns words after the game seem to confirm this.

    We are not gone yet but we simply do not deserve to go through at all, infact we bearly deserve to be at this w/c-remember those quaifs anyone?? As they say its not over until the big one is singing but i can hear here warming up.

    Today i saw a team who has no idea what they were supposed to do, we have again 2 holding mids and no l.c instead-why? as we lack any creativity in the mids, the 3 at the back has been a disaster for us but once again he does it, a goalkeeper who the whole world knew was past it and guess what 2 games and 2 massive mistakes, a player in pavon who should start, is their really no way to play messi and dybala together-yes their is, we need to play 4.4.2 but sadly he failed to take players like icardi and gomez (just to name 2)-who was the 5th best assist player in Europe this season.

    For me samp needs to stand down (barring a miracle or miracles and we win it-cough cough) their has to be a massive purge of this team and we are going to have to accept just like the yellow team and spain their will be a few years of pain ahead. the youth system is still broke and that is also a long fix as without good youth coming through then nothing changes.
    I know some wont agree but i hope messi (who did little wrong today as he got so little ball) does stay around as he has a lot to offer us yet.

    To take over? i have heard previously sim would do the job part time and id take that any day of the week, we simple cant afford him full time but if he wants to do it part time-yes yes and yes please, for those saying pocc of Tottenham-who earns a cool 3 million g.b.p a year, that is not going to happen and as much as i rate pocc very very highly hes not ready for this mess yet (i mean job) but he is one to keep watching”

  45. Why should we not hope? This team have no chemistry now but have the talents. Mental strenght can overcome anything. IF you give a lion another chance to eat you he will devour you. If Nigeria win I bet you Argentina will win by many goals. Also, I beleive playing Franc is better for us than Danemark. Mark my word. Guys it’s not over, the pathway by being 2nd is ok. Bring 4-3-3 formation. Bring back Dimaria on the left wing, bring Banega in the middle, Have masherano in central back, Bring Dybaly, drop Meza. We could do some damages.

    • Guys please dont concentrate on other teams, Argentina team has a lot of issues to solve as a team. Unless we get our act together beating Nigeria is no given !!!

  48. We are the worst and the most critical fans in the World. We put extra burden on our player. Our teams will never win with this kind of Burden. I am sure sonething went wrong back in Argentina. I could tell by players body language in the field against Croatia. Let Messi live. He is a human being after all. If he played for any other country he would have won 2 World Cups by now.

  52. Mentality problems.
    In Germany, you fight to the end, here in Argentina you give up and insult the coach, the players and all those who have no idea are involved.

    Calm down and relax, if Iceland did not wins against nigeria and vs Croatia, Argentina can move into the next round with a win against Nigeria.

    But everybody is involved in discussions about sack the coach or the players are now against the coach and so on

    Argentina will not win in the next 40 years with this mentality

    Mentality problems.

  53. appreciating decision from the senior players…….i think it is the right time to leave……i am happy about the fact that no one would say , this group of players were not given enough time to be successful with the national team….they were given enough time and they could not do it….but the problem is the reason of the failure has not been revealed yet…..all the fans deserve to have a clear picture in this regard…..

  54. Here is the situation:
    1. If Iceland draw today, we will need Croatia’s help to at least not lose against them in the third match.
    2. If Iceland lose today, it will be easier for us because they will need to win big against Croatia
    3. If Iceland win today, then this is the worst scenario because Croatia will have to beat them (using their second team) so we will qualify

    Notes: All of the scenario above is if we assume we will win against Nigeria.
    Croatia will 100% use their bench players because no matter what, they already top the group (unless Iceland win today)

    Another good news is that Nigeria look really bad and their midfielders are uninterested to trace back to defend. So we will likely have a lot more spaces against them compared to the first 2 matches.

    • Nigeria looking very bad also means Iceland can win today 🙂
      I was hoping for a draw yesterday, just a horrible day. And I mentioned multiple times the penalty miss will come and haunt us. This is what I hate the most about Messi and team. Get the penalty in, after that you can revolt as much as you want.

    • Correction even if Iceland lose today, they dont need to win big against Croatia, all they need is a win unless of course argentina put 3 across nigeria(extremely unlikely with current team)… here are the tie breaker procedures from FIFA website. There is another scenario nigeria if they win today all they would do is look for a draw against argentina, so it wont be that easy as people claim.

      1) Greatest number of points
      2) Goal difference in all group matches
      3) Goals scored in all group matches

  55. June 22, 2018 at 11:35 am
    Big Fuck You dicks

    Whoever still writing Mascherano as a Midfielder in their line up.

    34 years old Chinese grandpa mascherano still can fuck your ase but he can’t controll a midfield .you get that

    Argentina ain’t win win anything if he’s still in the team, he should have retired from NT after last worldcup .

    I respect him but I don’t him to touch the pitch again for argentina as a player. He may be welcomed as a coaching staff.

    He has no attacking abilities as well as no defending capacity left in his ageing state.plz just get a life other than playing football do whatever’s you wa
    Reply

    • June 22, 2018 at 11:35 am
      Big Fuck You dicks

      Whoever still writing Mascherano as a Midfielder in their line up.

      34 years old Chinese grandpa mascherano still can fuck your ase but he can’t controll a midfield .you get that

      Argentina ain’t win win anything if he’s still in the team, he should have retired from NT after last worldcup .

      I respect him but I don’t him to touch the pitch again for argentina as a player. He may be welcomed as a coaching staff.

      He has no attacking abilities as well as no defending capacity left in his ageing state.plz just get a life other than playing football do whatever’s you wa
      Reply

  56. Dybala and Pavon were brought after the ship was sunk. Yeah, go guys do miracle now or else you are not good enough for the team. Sampaoli brought them because he had no choice at that point. Initial plan was to start with them and unsettle Croatia. Best way to defend by attacking and make Croatioans busy defending. Where is Lo Celso, Ansaldi, Fazio????? Question mark, Dybala and Messi are not friends and they don’t stand each other, you can sense that on field regardless of what they pretend or say to the medial to shut them up. Messi is leaving for the best of the team, we need collective football no one man show.

    • June 22, 2018 at 11:35 am
      Big Fuck You dicks

      Whoever still writing Mascherano as a Midfielder in their line up.

      34 years old Chinese grandpa mascherano still can fuck your ase but he can’t controll a midfield .you get that

      Argentina ain’t win win anything if he’s still in the team, he should have retired from NT after last worldcup .

      I respect him but I don’t him to touch the pitch again for argentina as a player. He may be welcomed as a coaching staff.

      He has no attacking abilities as well as no defending capacity left in his ageing state.plz just get a life other than playing football do whatever’s you wa
      Reply

    • We reached this WC due to Messi’s one man show.

      For many of us Argentina fans, we believed in the team only because we had Messi. We unrealistically was expecting a Messi magic to save us.

      Otherwise, how can we expect us to win this world cup with so many crap players. The truth is we don’t have any talent in various positions. In fact everywhere except attack.

      Besides that, we had no passion, hard work, team spirit and unity which many small teams have with which we could have overcome the shortcomings in the talent side.

      I am pretty sure even a Messi – Maradona combo up front wouldn’t be able to save this team in this world cup unless one of them played in the midfield. That would have fixed some of the issues, but it would not guarantee a victory as our opponents would always fancy scoring one more goal than us.

  57. Most of the fans here wanting a nigeria win…so that this good for nothing team, the real loosers get some hope..argentina never produced a graet team in many decades. just couple of great players here and there…now dont say veron,crespo,mascherano,heinze,sorin, and numerous other were world beaters. Only I can think of maradon, messi,batistuta,riquelme,ayala,zanneti.

  58. I really wonder what was going through Willy’s head at that moment… notwithstanding that one dive save, Willy was already not comfortable with the ball at his feet in the early stages of the match… there were already the warning signs… he was fumbling too often, control of the ball was extremely poor, confidence at an all time low…

    And of course, despite all his discomfort with the ball, despite all the various options and angles offered to him, Willy decided to flick the ball directly over the on-rushing CRO player. WTF.

    • Sampaoli probably told him to be brave. Why he would ask that of his GK and play an uninspiring midfield, only he can answer. I personally would prefer my GK booting the ball away and my midfield showing personality and flair but me and Sampa might have two different football visions.

      • June 22, 2018 at 11:35 am
        Big Fuck You dicks

        Whoever still writing Mascherano as a Midfielder in their line up.

        34 years old Chinese grandpa mascherano still can fuck your ase but he can’t controll a midfield .you get that

        Argentina ain’t win win anything if he’s still in the team, he should have retired from NT after last worldcup .

        I respect him but I don’t him to touch the pitch again for argentina as a player. He may be welcomed as a coaching staff.

        He has no attacking abilities as well as no defending capacity left in his ageing state.plz just get a life other than playing football do whatever’s you wa
        Reply

    • I feel bad for Willy since everyone makes mistakes but he should know better than trying ti be fancy in the penalty area. If your defense is suspect, don’t try to pass out your way out of the back. Just kick and clear the ball.

      If only Enzo had buried that open net chance…….This team is too unlucky lol

  59. For this performance need not blame one particular thing; Coach, Players, Fans everyone played their part;
    Back of the mind every1 knew this was coming; Pyschologically the players are down, just after conceding the goal, they given up everything; still a good 40 mins to play;
    Last goal was clear example; 4 or 5 defenders in the box; none were trying to close the opponent players (2) instead they were appealing for the offside call;

    I don’t want Sampaoli to leave; Give him some time; Of course he failed now; Martino, Bauza didn’t even try to bring in some new players; Sampaoli at least tried;

    We have some good players on whom we can bank; Dybala, Icardi, Martinez, Pavon, Centurion, Lo Celso, Meza, Tagliafico, Ascacibar, Battaglia, Paredes, Acuna etc; We can build a team which is functional; Not a set of defenders & attackers; We need to have a proper team with good midfielders; Have to defend as a unit & strong mentally;

    You shouldn’t give it away until the final whistle is blown; Particularly the captain & experienced players;

    • What the…?? Theres still stupid fans who defends stupid sampaoli??do you want argentina football suffering for the next worlcup too?? I think you will be stupid fans of the years,, damn

    • June 22, 2018 at 11:35 am
      Big Fuck You dicks

      Whoever still writing Mascherano as a Midfielder in their line up.

      34 years old Chinese grandpa mascherano still can fuck your ase but he can’t controll a midfield .you get that

      Argentina ain’t win win anything if he’s still in the team, he should have retired from NT after last worldcup .

      I respect him but I don’t him to touch the pitch again for argentina as a player. He may be welcomed as a coaching staff.

      He has no attacking abilities as well as no defending capacity left in his ageing state.plz just get a life other than playing football do whatever’s you wa
      Reply

  60. Big Fuck You dicks

    Whoever still writing Mascherano as a Midfielder in their line up.

    34 years old Chinese grandpa mascherano still can fuck your ase but he can’t controll a midfield .you get that

    Argentina ain’t win win anything if he’s still in the team, he should have retired from NT after last worldcup .

    I respect him but I don’t him to touch the pitch again for argentina as a player. He may be welcomed as a coaching staff.

    He has no attacking abilities as well as no defending capacity left in his ageing state.plz just get a life other than playing football do whatever’s you wa

  61. I really wonder what was going through Willy’s head at that moment… notwithstanding that one dive save, Willy was already not comfortable with the ball at his feet… there were already warning signs… hie was fumbling ant tryingontrol of the ball was extremely poor, confidence extremely poor.

    • Caballero was trying to show off, show that he has skills and is cool and composed. This excuse of a keeper has a big fucking chip on his shoulder after being second or third choice GK for so long in his career. He’s a disgrace who should never again be chosen for Argentina. The coach who chose him should also be fired as soon as possible.

  62. Why we are in the moment we are. Because our coaches were not enough brave to remove the old generation slowly yet after WC 2014 (Higuain) and first Copa (2015) and introduce young players without shocking therapy. A lot people were claiming yet after WC 2014 and especiall after Copa 2015 to do that but it was ‘safe; for Martino, Bauza, Sampaoli to keep with the oldies. Now Sampoli wanted to rebuild the team few weeks before WC having a half of team of the burned out oldies and a half of youngster which had not enough time to grow and adapt to NT. Procrastinatio, cunctation, cowardica and myopia led us where we are now.

    And finally giving whole the team to Messi…

    Messi is past. With player like Dybala instead we will able to build real team as he is not monopolizing and distorting game.

    • June 22, 2018 at 11:35 am
      Big Fuck You dicks

      Whoever still writing Mascherano as a Midfielder in their line up.

      34 years old Chinese grandpa mascherano still can fuck your ase but he can’t controll a midfield .you get that

      Argentina ain’t win win anything if he’s still in the team, he should have retired from NT after last worldcup .

      I respect him but I don’t him to touch the pitch again for argentina as a player. He may be welcomed as a coaching staff.

      He has no attacking abilities as well as no defending capacity left in his ageing state.plz just get a life other than playing football do whatever’s you wa
      Reply

      • June 22, 2018 at 11:35 am
        Big Fuck You dicks

        Whoever still writing Mascherano as a Midfielder in their line up.

        34 years old Chinese grandpa mascherano still can fuck your ase but he can’t controll a midfield .you get that

        Argentina ain’t win win anything if he’s still in the team, he should have retired from NT after last worldcup .

        I respect him but I don’t him to touch the pitch again for argentina as a player. He may be welcomed as a coaching staff.

        He has no attacking abilities as well as no defending capacity left in his ageing state.plz just get a life other than playing football do whatever’s you wa
        Reply

  63. It seems like some of you are fans of the youth of the team. And you think I am a fan of the senior players. No, I am die hard fan of Argentina.

    I will be the happiest person if Nigeria win today and Argentina beat them in 4 days.
    But, I am trying to be realistic. This team has Messi, the number one player in the whole world. And he is currently super unhappy and upset and destroyed mentally.

    As a true fan of Argentina who want Argentina to qualify, I just hope that we will do whatever it takes to quality. The only way for me is to heal the wounded lion (Messi). NOT to tell Messi (and his friends as you say) to f#$# off and let your favorite players play.

    • Yes, then that will require ICL to win CRO (something which they had done before) while we have to play our guts out and the game of our lives (again) to win NIG.

      At the moment, ICL are playing attacking football.. and I thought they only knew how to park a bus… wtf.

      • Croatia will have no incentive to play hard against Iceland and will rest their best offensive players. Meanwhile Iceland will fight for their lives for the 0-0 draw.
        Best chance for us is if Nigeria beats Iceland.

  64. Give pacifiers to the friend’s club.
    How can anyone support this kind of behavior?
    They would rather sink Argentina than being benched.
    They can beat Nigeria and qualify and win the World cup but still no respect will be given by me to them.
    They don’t play Argentina, its fans. They play only for themselves.
    I am sure Sampaoli can’t look himself in the mirror because he let himself become a puppet.
    Once you did that it is hard to go back and earn respect of the players.
    His fight is too late but I support him in this situation.

    • Ghostdeini

      Purge the old generation totally

      and just start from the scratch after WC

      all I think now

      I feel some kind of katharsis now

  65. ……………………………Armani

    Ansaldi……………Otamendi…Rojo………Tagliafico

    ….Salvio………Mascherano….Lo Celso………Pavon

    …………………Dybala…….Messi…..

  66. Why was Messi not himself aside from the tremendous pressure? anything else that I missed?

    Lets pack it up and go home, I had very high hopes for Sam, nm he was the only coach available that took the job…….but off course this is ARG and nothing comes easy, worse manager than Maradona says a lot.

  67. Friends Club is close due to renovation until further notice. Meantime you can enjoy a vacation spot at Wanda and Icardi’s hounor all free with a majestic Champagne.

  68. Why Sampaoli to be kick out?! He said himself: “It’s Messi team”.

    People who were thinking Messi is god and would like to ask him even about tactic may see results of Messi Dependientia.
    Tagliafico was the only good player yesterday. He, Dybala, Lo Celso (?as faw he is the only winner because he didn’t participated) – players to begin build new team. The rest must go. Messi and Otamendi first of all (the second is playing like in 2010).

    • Actions speak louder than words, if Sampaoli really wanted to make it Messi’s team he wouldn’t play two defensive minded midfielders, one striker and a bunch of wing backs. Do you think that’s how Messi wants to play? Learn to use critical thinking and stop being hung up on the nonsense Sampaoli says. If he wanted it to be Messi’s team he never would have dropped Lo Celso who played well with him and would have started Pavon. He certainly would have waited for Romero or given Armani a chance. The only person who wants Caballero starting is Sampaoli because he wants to build from the back. That sure backfired in his face though didn’t it.

      • I was a bit sarcastic and ironic. I know Smapoli choose some players but still on the pitch we are totally dominated by Messi presence hence our new and old players can’t grow and stand on their own.

      • Well if messi is serious about winning the world cup and be the best, he wouldn’t put personal issues and favorites in his way like cancelling Icardi project, refusing to play with Dybala (he can’t look him in the eye btw), we don’t know what happened with Lo Celso, Pavon is not starting (although Sampa wants his as a starter), Enzp Perez is brought for Lanzini although we have way better attacking midfielders left out. If wants to win the world cup, he would beg Garay to come and defend for Argentina, he would make more efforts to involve young players and inspire them, instead he was giving the world a fucked up attitude at Croatia game, guess what he was missing the genius winger Di Maria and his buddy Biglia.

        Guys grow up, you don’t know shit about this senior friends and their alliance. Messi refused to play last night because he’s not surrounded by his buddies, only Aguero and Mascherano, but still not enough.

        For the record: Sampa’s initial plan to unleash both Dybala an Pavon from the get go, but there was big fight on that matter.

        • What are you talking about? Messi refused to play because he wasnt surrounded by his buddies?? You make it seem like Messi is Neymar (immature and throws fits cause he can’t have thing his way). I am not sure where this friends club narrative came from but it def wasn’t a thing when Argentina made 3 finals in a row. Why would Messi intervene with Pavon and Lo Celso starting when he himself said, he loves playing with them? Enzo was brought back because he’s friends with Messi or because he’s always played well for Argentina? Don’t be a blind fan dude and use your brain. Why would Samp bring more attacking players when the team is loading with wingers and attacking minded people and fragile in defense? And why even bring up Garay in this? He clearly declined calls in the past hence why he was never called up again. Let me guess.. That was Messi’s fault too? Anyhow, you can believe what you want. Hopefully Messi and his buddies retire soon so whoever you think is the next Argentina great (player/generation) can lead them to glory (sarcasm)

      • @El Piojo Well said man! People here are quick to run with the narrative of Messi and Friends. Like you said, if it was Messi’s team, he would have never deployed Masch and Biglia. Pavon and Lo Celso or Banega would have started since they suit his style of play.

        Also, Dybala’s play yesterday was further confirmation why he would not be suitable to play on the right. His play yesterday was reminiscent of Di Maria’s where he continues to shoot rather than pass to another teammate in a more dangerous position.

        • Dybala and Pavon were brought after the ship was sunk. Yeah, go guys do miracle now or else you are not good enough for the team. Sampaoli brought them because he had no choice at that point. Initial plan was to start with them and unsettle Croatia. Best way to defend by attacking and make Croatioans busy defending. Where is Lo Celso, Ansaldi, Fazio????? Question mark, Dybala and Messi are not friends and they don’t stand each other, you can sense that on field regardless of what they pretend or say to the medial to shut them up. Messi is leaving for the best of the team, we need collective football no one man show.

          • @WCRussia you answered your own question… I too want Lo Celso and Pavon in the lineup.. If they are not there, blame Sampaoli. Better question, why would Messi care as a forward whether Fazio or Rojo or Tag start in defense? You have to be more logical than that man, Samp himself clearly said in his interview, the team is fragile defensively hence why he started Biglia and Masch. He started Rojo because he’s strong and has speed. Obviously, he didn’t like what he saw so he dropped Rojo and changed the formation? As for Pavon, Messi praised him so why he would Meza start instead? Because of Samp’s inafuration with Meza, nothing more. Also, who said Messi and Dybala hated each other? So let me get this straight, he hated Dybala so much that he still made the team? What sense does that make? You guys need to stop blaming the players… If you want to criticize their play on the field, go for it but you guys are caught in gossips

  69. Well when we became the first team that beat Tite’s Brazil (without Neymar only) in a 1-0 victory, we had as many as 6 of our senior players starting: Romero, Biglia, Banega, Di Maria, Messi, and Higuain. And NONE of the senior players on the bench. The likes of Masche, Rojo, or Aguero were injured at the time.

    https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2017/06/09/world/friendlies/brazil/argentina/2415141/

    That is how you treat the senior players.

    Yesterday, he kept 5 senior players on the bench: Rojo, Biglia, Di Maria, Banega, and Higuain an had only 3 starting in Masche, Messi and Aguero.

    Make an argument with me if this was not the reason why Messi was upset.

    I got it we need to rebuild, but rebuilding process is AFTER the world cup, not DURING! Period.

    • I don’t know if you guys were playing sports professionally or not before, but I used to be an athlete too when I was younger. I find it absolutely NORMAL (meaning NOTHING WRONG) when someone has favorite teammates. When I was an athlete, I also had favorite teammates and I also did not like some of my other teammates because I got no chemistry when playing with certain players.

      You can’t blame Messi for having his favorite teammates.

    • I think your comments are fair. The problem is many of these guys are there and they should not be.
      If you remember in the past, it was common practice for the majority of players to retire from the national team after 2 or 3 world cups. This is the matter of course with every country not just Argentina. Many of these guys are on their 3 or 4 World Cup. They have forgotten to leave gracefully.
      And as I am sure you are aware, if you are thinking of quitting, you have already quit because your heart is not in it.
      Now it is just a competition between who will embarrass us more, the players or the coaching stadf

    • Tite Brazil without Neymar and few other players of first team.

      I just wonder what do you want to defend. It seems as you still want to defend the old generation!!! WHile it’s even Messi is indefensible now.

      What you have said is total absurd: you want to say that Messi was poor yesterday because he had not around enough his buddies!!!

      Yeah all we need is back to Marias and Higuainas once again.

  70. The fact is everyone in the brazil lineup is better than their argentina counterparts, except Messi.

  72. Look when Lanzini got injured, I thought he would pick Perotti or bring Icardi as another striker, or perhaps Correa or Parades or another well rounded young midfielder. He in fact satisfied the Friends club by brining their old buddy an old guy passed his prime called Enzo Perez who did shit last night by wasting a golden opportunity that no average footballer would miss. Just look how pathetic this Club is gone.

  73. Some people still choosing their own fucking line up here. Stop this fucking line up, and play after world cup with your family member. So annoying.

  74. Friends Club:
    Ok so messi is the captain and the leader of the team. He booked a room to share with his buddy Aguero, Mascherano shares a room with another friend Biglia. Where is the team cohesion and chemistry, Messi should’ve shared the room with a newbie to the team and same with Mascherano so they can feel welcome to the team and learn from their experience.

    Not just that, wherever messi or his friends take photos, we see Messi next to Aguero and Di Maria, Mascherano next to Caballero and Biglia, and the rest are left out. You can sense the team is divided into two groups: Friends Club: Messi, Masch, Aguero, Diva, Higuain, Banega, Biglia, Rojo, Otamendi, Caballero, and Enzo Perez.
    The other group: All left out young players.

    That was not a team, it was a circus. Bye Bye Friends Club !

    • So now Willy is a friends clubber too. I suppose Mesza is now too. Just admit you’re talking nonsense and making up things as you go along. Kind of like Sampa. Fitting.

  75. Insider, it seems we have like quite a lot of shit falling from all kind of direction’s upon us !
    But i must say that what a motherfucking coach we have right now, because like u said and like he said it straigh from the beginning that it’s Messi team so no matter what happpens to our team he will just cash up big time ! This personally sounds to me that motherfucking coach didnt even care from the beginning because all he care’s about is obviously just money, right ? Our player’s are loaded with money so i do belive that they truly want to win this cup and do i understand this friend’s team story too ! But it is not like all of them have been dropped only the one’s who didnt so called deliver in the first game like biglia, rojo, di maria and ok then our motherfcking coach dropped them but who he should have really dropped is our goalie nicknamed by shaky willie or what ever, but still i belive he was’nt the only who fucked up, ok i had to stop watching the game because of my migren did not ease up and i could clearly see the out come that will follow when second half begins and yes i’m really dissapointed that we didn’t win offcourse but in way i’m happy that i didnt see the second half because propably my head would have exploded ! But also i would like to see did we create anything at all in the seconf half or was it just pure misery ? If enzo would have scored i think that would have given boost to our team obviously, though not sure if that would have given us the very needed victory, but like they say if u don’t take your chances and score then your opponent will take them at some point of the game and kill u by scoring, but 3 goal margin sounds quite huge loss to me, but like i said i had that feeling after first half and our defense and middfield did not look that great to me at all ! And Messi dissapeared quite quickly too like everyone else so there must have been very big issue with our players and our motherfucking coach allready who know’s for how long maybe even from that point that motherfucker went puplicly saying that this is Messi’s team and personally i think he’s been pissed since that and with everything that has happened after that, hard to tell what has been raelly going on, but something more than we all know for sure ! But it reminds me very much of what happenned with the french team and their astronomical coach in southafrica !

    But how to figure out this situation that we are all in it now should all be all of our thinking now because even it is clearly a so called friend’s team or everyone is entitled to call it what ever they prefer i still don’t want all our so called old guard to finnish their career’s with our national team now in such a horrible way all though they are the one’s playing on the pitch, but if there are serious issues between with coaching team and players like this then no wonder what the outcome of that will be ! So why on earth if our motherfucker coach knows all this why he is so fucking stupid and read the situation and act in the best way to avoid more confrontation with our players ?

    I purely think that he is on not only stupid motherfucker but also a greedy bastard too, who knew by stating that this Messi’s team that he will escape all the shit either with bag full of money or continuying as our coach for who knows how long because of his contract release clause and that’s is why he never even fucking cared what will happen to our national team because either way he will become more richer than he is now, and all theese things that has been said before and who he is going to pick and who is going to start and there much be so much more that we cant simply know all of it and in the end all this confusion and chaos leads to this situation which we are facing fight now and if this is the case for real, then some should cut his head of, that is for sure !

    Insider : That’s why Sampaoli says. This is Messi’s team from the beginning. He won’t step down.
    AFA agreed 5 years, that’s why he signed a contract. They must pay him 20 million dollars if they want to kick him out. AFA already without money. They cant pay that.

  76. And some fricking yellow team just get the luck… while we self-destruct…. thanks to AFA, coaches, players, friends’ club, choose whatever you all want.

  77. I can t believe what i saw yesterday first at all i would like to talk about some names that could helped argentina those ten last fucking years
    Ansaldi should be argentina left back since 2010, rulli should be romero subs and then the first gk since sergio s injury
    Garay should have been as otamendi a fix defender for many years. Paredes is a thousand time better than biglia.
    In 2014 tevez should have been on the team whatever lio accept it or no all those ten fucking years for nada shame on you Lionel Messi and co especially the best player of the world who still walking on the pitch 😁 hey man to win a cup you have to move your ass on the field if you do like walking then just stay in camp nou i really enjoyed all what you had offered for football but come on man are you fucking serious to make the game you made yesterday come on man you shouldn’t have to get back to the team even if argentina was eliminated in November whatever losing against croatia??? 3-0 and he hasn t done anything …..
    The next one who will compare him to maradona should be shot and is a traitor go see diego s game even the 1990 or 1994 even being old he was too focused

  78. The biggest mistakes of Sampaoli:

    1) Dropping Lo Celso who have done well for us since Sampa took over our team. I still can’t believe why he was left out when he connected really well with Messi.

    2) Choosing the formation which our players are not compatible or don’t wanna play. 3-5-2 needs extremely mobile 5 midfielders who could cover the entire area (watch Chile’s match in the last world cup and copas). The idea was let Messi not to drop back and stay on advanced position so he can terrorize the defense. But he & Aguero did get zero service. Our players didn’t have any idea what to do. They played like school kids. Our defenders passed between them. No midfielders came down to receive the ball and move forward (In this context, Enzo, Meza, Acuna & Salvio were the biggest failures of yesterday’s match along with Caballero who made a crucial individual error).

    If he didn’t have the players to play what he wanted or can’t get players play how he wanted, he should have played with a system where they are

    3) Playing Caballero at goal. He didn’t play enough in the last season. He looked shaky against Spain. Armani who played the entire season and was the best Argentinian goalie of the past season should have got the nod in the first match.

    I would like to see our best players in a formation they are comfortable with against Nigeria: (although the match result could not be of any use any way)

    Aguero
    Pavon | Messi | Dybala
    Lo Celso | Mascherano
    Tagliafico | Otamendi | Fazio | Ansaldi
    Armani

    • That’s insanely soft in the middle.
      Remove Dybala. Messi on the right-center wing and add Enzo to midfield besides Mascherano.
      1-0 probably gets us out of the group (well we should wait for the next match). No need to get desperate.

      • Lo Celso as double pivot. He had played as #5 for PSG in many games, even against Real Madrid.

        The coach must also get Pavon & Dybala to drop back. These two players will have to put in a lot of shift.

    • instead of mascherano we can put banega. banega and celso can act as DM/CM. since then we don’t another defencive/CM.
      4-3-3 is the best suited formation for all this below said players they are all playing at club level
      system should be

      armani
      mer ota faz rojo
      ban
      di mar cel
      mess dyba aguero

      • Mascherano as a destroyer while Lo Celso as box to box DM/CM. Banega is not good at destroying opposition attacks. We have no alternative for Mascherano there.

        Lo Celso can start attacking moves and occassionally arrive at the box to score goals.

        4-3-3 needs great midfield & defense which we dont have as the 3 upfront won’t defend much.

        Also Aguero would not play well at LW. Pavon is better there.

    • “Enzo, Meza, Acuna & Salvio were the biggest failures of yesterday’s match along with Caballero who made a crucial individual error”

      If they were the biggest failures then who was Messi? Catastrophe.

      • I guess you missed Willy dropping yet another goal on a platter. Only a blind man would say Messi was worse than Willy but you are lacking in neurons so no surprise.

      • @Gonalzo, do you have any idea in which position Messi played? As a second striker in 3-5-2? You can only blame him if he missed goals or misplaced the passes. Not when he didn’t make any impact because he didn’t get any service.

        There was no way he could have made an impact in this game unless he doesnt respect the system. If he played deep, the same critics incl you would attack for playing where he should not be in this system.

        • To seek excuse for Messi because of his ‘wrong position’ it’s so much funny. He is playing wherever he want all his NT career and suddenly you want to say he was deterined to any position.You kidding me.

  79. Higuain and Banega are in good form we should use them 4-3-1-2
    Mercado otamedi Fazio Ansaldi
    Banega Lo celso Acuna
    Messi
    Higuain Aguero
    This team will score many goals.

  80. Interestingly enough though its all really set up now for Messi to possibly close the debate on the GOAT of all time.
    If he can inspire a team from this current position to World Champions this will go down as one of the greatest comebacks ever.

    We’ll see.

  81. It’s really going to leave an extremely sour aftertaste… when we are finally able to play well, click, score beautiful worked goals and win in the last match against NIG but don’t qualify for the next round because of our poor performances in the first two matches.

  82. Mistakes of Sampaoli:

    1. Never decides his 11 starting players. Keep changing players even in friendlies.

    2. Underestimate the importance of the team. Always said team to make Messi best. I believe it should make team play best

    3. Choose Cabalerro though have Armani. Arrogant…. Cabalerro never play cause he always bench… Armani plays competitive games.

    4. Blessed by Great creative players, lo celso, dybala. But never used them in friendlies

    • Someone here rightly pointed out – he had been training with Mascherano and Lo Celso only to then swap out and totally not play Lo Celso at all. Then during the all important match against CRO he played Perez instead – whom he didn’t select in the originallist of 23 but was later called up to replace Lazanni (and not Lo Celso!). Does he even know what he is doing?

  83. Man this forum is sad. I have never seen a group of so-called “fans” happy to see Argentina struggle. Newsflash: Argentina has not won since 86 which was 32 years ago. Batistuta (one of my fav), Crespo, Riquelme, Ortega and whoever else you wanna name, never even made it to the semi-final let alone final but yet we bash “Messi and Friends”…. Also, for those of you conveniently and continuously bring up this Messi and Friends BS, clearly lack any common sense. Aguero, who Messi is the closest to, has never been considered a starter until now. Rojo who was apparently part of the friend’s club, got dropped; Biglia got dropped. Banega got dropped? I am guessing now that Meza is starting, he must be a new member of the friends club? Salvio too? Tag? Willy?

    Anyhow, as a true fan and a supporter of Argentina for decades, I still want them to make it out the group stage and continue their run. And no, I am not making any excuses for Samp but he’s the head coach as of now and the players have already been selected so enough of the bitching.

    • i don t have argue with all you said.

      exept 1 thing.

      this mentally colapse of team from yesterday and what happened after the game finished in dressing room
      is not something that can be fixed anymore.
      there is not possible to recover.

      so i should be realistic and accept that
      i want my national team make it to the next round but it can t be realistically.

      other thing what i want
      other thing what is the reality.

    • Good points. However, I think answers are lying in there. Few questions for you

      Why do you think there is a players vs. coaching team problem now? Is the conflict on playing method or player selection? If I ask you that we are having issues now because of people being dropped, would you agree? Are we having problems because Meza, Salvio, Willy are playing instead of other ones?

      It is ABSOLUTELY OK for the coach to demand performance or get dropped. Why is that a bad thing? Leaders figure out ways to work together. Messi and Sampaoli are leaders. What you are all saying is players sabotaged and they are right in doing that.

      • Well, technically that shouldn’t be a problem at this point since all of the training leading up to the WC always featured the new guys. It’s not like Meza and Salvio are taking the place of a veteran on the team.

        I personally don’t think Messi cares who starts as long as they can play and they suit him. He clearly likes Pavon but yet, he’s stuck playing with selfish DiMaria. He def doesn’t care about Biglia who makes his job harder as a forward. Enzo who is a veteran missed a great opportunity which could have shifted the momentum of the game.. To be honest, I am not even a fan of Samp nor am I familiar with him but we need to be realistic, he took over the team a year or 2 too late and when he did take over, the team was already in shambles.

        I think he should have trusted his guts and play the guys he’s had minimal success with. He should have kept Masch and Lo Celso together in the mid, Fazio over Rojo then play Salvio or Mercado as RB then put Pavon on the left over DiMaria. We at least would have been in better shape at the movement. I am not saying those guys are best fit but those were the guys he’s been featuring in the starting 11 prior to WC

  84. A simple theory for you to think:
    1. Messi was unmotivated BEFORE the game started.
    2. During the match, Messi did not even want to touch the ball.
    3. When he touched the ball, he did not play like Messi
    4. After the loss, the players wanted Sampaoli to step down.

    Make your own guess now what’s going on.

    A simple answer: They do not like the decision of Sampaoli.

    And go ahead think yourself, how to fix this in 4 days IF sacking Sampaoli is not possible.

  85. Iceland is defensive team they will not get past Nigeria.It will either be a draw or Nigeria win.Even Croatia could not score against them except for penalty and an own goal.
    Some replacement are much needed to beat Nigeria by big margin.These match are very thin if Enzo could have scored result would be much different.Tagalafico should be dropped he delievers nothing special and add Ansaldi he is the best left back with very much goal threat and his acute crosses.Mercado at right back.Otamendi Fazio at center back.Enzo and Locelso in center midfield Acuna on left midfield and Pavon at right midfield.Messi Aguero up front.Banega sub Enzo Di maria sub Acuna Dybla sub Pavon Higuain sub Aguero

  87. If Sampaoli were the coach of Brazil, after Brazil “only” got a 1-1 draw, he would use this starting line up against Costa Rica: Alisson, Fagner, Pedro Geromel, Miranda, Filile Luis; Taison, Fred, Renato Augusto, Fernandinho; Neymar, Firmino.

    And he would think that is better than the first line up as long as Neymar is there.

    But check out Brazil line up now. He makes only ONE change in right back. He gives his starters vote of confidence even though they had a kinda disappointing game against Switzerland.

    That is the difference between Tite and Sampaoli.

    • Brazil already had a set team. They have been playing with the same team for the past 2 years. In the first, Tite used to change the team.

      So he doesn’t have to change the team now. Sampaoli changed because players such as Biglia, Rojo & DiMaria deserved to be dropped.

      • @malabari
        What is impressive is how little time Tite took to stamp his authority and transform a team from Dunga’s mess. He just did it overnight. It seems he exactly knew what to do. This is what is missing with Sampaoli. My point is, yes he has a team for 2 years now, but he did not take 2 years to create a team. He did it very quickly. Brazil was in 5th position with Dunga. Tite came in and since then they have not lost (other than the silly game in Australia)

        • The advantage Tite has is Brazil has world class players at every position and they have world class alternatives too.

          Look at the list of our GKs, Defenders & Midfielders.

          Many small teams have better players.

          • Well when we became the first team that beat Tite’s Brazil (without Neymar only) in a 1-0 victory, we had as many as 6 of our senior players starting: Romero, Biglia, Banega, Di Maria, Messi, and Higuain. And NONE of the senior players on the bench. The likes of Masche, Rojo, or Aguero were injured at the time.

            https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2017/06/09/world/friendlies/brazil/argentina/2415141/

            That is how you treat the senior players.

            Yesterday, he kept 5 senior players on the bench: Rojo, Biglia, Di Maria, Banega, and Higuain an had only 3 starting in Masche, Messi and Aguero.

            Make an argument with me if this was not the reason why Messi was upset.

            I got it we need to rebuild, but rebuilding process is AFTER the world cup, not DURING! Period.

  88. Oh no, this is awful news. Guys that have never won anything are threatening us with leaving….
    Please take that moron coach of yours, tuck him in your back pocket and take him with you!

    And lets please not talk about anything being the GOAT. Maybe the GOAT of Barcelona. Certainly not Argentina.
    If Sampa has a 20 mill buyout we better start raising up a collection to fire this clown.

  89. Me from kerala.do you guys know.we love Argentina in football more than anything.yesterday was sleep less night for all our fans.what is happening with Argentina team.no idea .our school team coach is far better than sampaoli for this job .how bad he is in his team selection.is he stupid.where is the fu..cng midfield on his game plan.bench is more strength than his starting 11. Sorry to say .I can’t sleep til l now.

  90. Sampaoli has basically 3 options now against Nigeria:
    1. Play with his usual shitty tactic that combined any players he wants with Messi.
    2. Play without any of the 8 seniors (sorry I respect them, I won’t say anything bad like Messi n friends to them) against Nigeria. They are: Messi, Aguero, Higuain, Di Maria, Masche, Biglia, Banega, and Rojo. So only your favorite players will play against Nigeria only, none of the seniors.
    3. Play ALL of the 8 seniors (except maybe Higuain/Aguero who plays for one position) and start all of them combined with 3 other players maybe like Armani or Fazio or Otamendi.

    If I were Sampaoli, I would do the option number 3. Why? Because first of all, we have a very slim chance anyway. You think Nigeria is as weak as Saudi Arabia or Panama? So take the game against Nigeria as a farewell game for the 8 seniors. If they win, that’s good, maybe there is a little hope. If they lose, at least they deserve a farewell game.

    Why do I say this? A lot of us would probably like option number 1. But I tell you. There is almost no chance that our favorite players will win against Nigeria when Messi is unmotivated. BE REALISTIC PLEASE! Messi is unmotivated? YES. I mean BIG YES. He did not even want to touch the ball against Croatia.

    When their leader, best player, captain is unmotivated, the whole team will pay the price.

    I choose option number 3 because it has a higher chance to motivate Messi when having to play with players he knows inside out.

    I’d like to compare our team with Germany. Germany’s core is treated as heroes and KEY PLAYERS in the Germany team. Neuer, Hummels, Boateng, Khedira, Kroos, Ozil, and Muller will always play in the World Cup. Even after the loss against Mexico, Low said he does not plan to change his team. That’s how much he trusts his heroes. And remember guys, Germany has more talents than us in the last 10 years.

    If we were their fans, we would make an argument that their second team won Confed cup! They are better than the oldies. But Low would rather ditch their most talented player like Sane than breaking up the team chemistry of the team he has. That is a good coaching. When you think about it, the likes of Muller or Ozil or Neuer are not in their best form. But they still start. They start because they have VERY HIGH KNOWLEDGE OF THE TEAM. That is also the reason why Klose always played like world class striker when he was actually a mediocre player for his club. Knowledge of the team does matter.

    Germany opponent in the final, Argentina also brought 8-9 players from the last World Cup, but guess what? Our senior players got treated as if “you have to win your place if you want to start”. The Argentina senior players get offended. They don’t deserve that treatment. Of course they have pride. I do not blame them at all. I blame the coach for not knowing how to treat them.

    With that being said, I choose option number 3. For me option number 1 and 2 will give us almost no chance to win.

    • We could go far with a simple 4-2-3-1 with Lo Celso and Mascherano in the middle and Mercado, Fazio in defence. But the mad guy Sampaoli chose to go insane instead.

    • Nice to read. Good points.
      What a tragedy. Let all of them play. A farewell game. If we win and progress, happy. I don’t want another loss and them leaving like that. It will be a sad moment. We love them. But we love Argentina NT most.

    • @el_principe
      Probably the one rare time I am struggling to agree with what you are saying. I read all your comments 🙂
      Firstly, I do not mind the option 3. Its fine. But as an organization, it is super risky to give so much power to a few people. Its like a union. If the coach and captain do not agree on the playing method, they have to sit down and figure it out. No one else should intervene. You can bring in a higher authority like AFA president to break the tiebreaker, but the coach and captain have to work together. The reputation of the nation and people are at stake.

      I don’t like the players forming cartel. I do not like the idea that Di Maria or Higuain cannot be replaced with the performance they are giving for last 2 years. You should have a guaranteed place. Period.

  93. When sampaoli said “this is messi team” , thats described if he is not a good coach, i know he would destroy the team and that actually proven. A good coach will never said like that. Coach is one who should control the player, team integrity, and ego of players not just about tactic. But sampaoli has failed. The worst he is a bad tactician and can not write strategy as well and can not choose players according to the needs of the team.. damn sampaoli you are so damn!!!

  94. As per the new reports, Sampaoli does not plan to step aside and the players would not push for this to happen.
    As Sampaoli has a contract for five years and in case of throwing him out they must pay him 20 million dollars.
    It is almost clear. It is not the coach, the players will retire after this WC. It was already planned before the WC.

    • this is bull do you think the Argentinian ppl will let him off the hook
      they are in for the kill >>>and the moron is already accused of sexual harrasment on top of it

  95. After Croatia performance I’m speechless now only lady Luck save messi and Argentina

  96. It’s time to integrate the youth. Guys like Bruno Conti,foyth,Mammana,parades,Reynoso,ascasibar, barco and more expensed ones like lo celso, Ricardo ,dybala are you future.May be along with Messi & Otamendi.For all that,we need a visionary coach

  97. It’s time to integrate the youth. Guys like Bruno Conti,foyth,Mammana,parades,Reynoso,ascasibar, barco and more expensed ones like lo celso, Ricardo ,dybala are you future.May be along with Messi & Otamendi.For all that,we need a visio

  98. If Argentina exists early Sampaoli forced to regine and hope simeone or Luis Enrique took job and bulid a new team, only messi and otamendi to continue to further where Aguero can be short term rest all player from 2018 are donkeys

    • Unless Sampaoli resigns, there is no chance. AFA will have to pay huge if they kick him out. Don’t expect any good coach than Sampaoli takes the NT spot. Simeone and Pochittino not interested currently.

      • Argentine critics forced Sampaoli to step down rumors that players don’t want Sampaoli as coach next match imagine what happened after Nigeria qualify beating us

        • That’s why Sampaoli says. This is Messi’s team from the beginning. He won’t step down.
          AFA agreed 5 years, that’s why he signed a contract. They must pay him 20 million dollars if they want to kick him out. AFA already without money. They cant pay that.

  99. In this site some people were saying how good Meza is,he is so versatile,can play anywhere sometime they were referencing to Spain match in that match I did noe see anything in him.poor finishing lack of dribbling and other flaws.He is just good on running.Lanzini was our answer.but so sad he got injured he should have taken good care of himself.but I am still hopeful.This shit Caballero should go to Chelsea right now.Sampoli is such an idiot he chooses him over Armani orRomero.When Sampoli started for Argentina he was good but withtime he declined.Fire him

  100. I believe in miracles. I hope Nigeria wins today and we have a chance in our next match and we play our best 11:

    Armani
    Ansaldi | Otamendi | Fazio | Tagliafico
    Lo Celso | Mascherano
    Dybala | Messi | Pavon
    Aguero

  101. To the people who continually moan and whine about Messi dropping deep and dribbling too much, holding on to the ball for too long and not allowing our creative players and runners to create chance after chance with their hard work and intelligent run, Guess what! Messi didn’t drop deep and demand the ball in the first half. He stayed higher up the pitch. How many opportunities did we create? How many times did we provide him inside the box? For the new fanboy’s of Ronaldo, Portugal put Ronaldo one on one with the gk. The rest is his duty. How many times did we create one vs one for MessI? We are utterly crap unless Messi drops deep and send some passes forward.

    • It is coach’s job to put the right player to do that job; The two players who can do that job r on bench(Banega & Lo CELSO); No one knows the reason for that; It is due to old players preference or coach’s; I can suspect that only on old players as if it’s coach’s choice they wouldn’t have been in 23;
      I don’t how a coach rely on playmaking capabilities of Mascherano; He is no Pirlo r Xavi r not even Busquets;
      I haven’t seen any other team who r making those many passes between the defenders & DM; Mascherano has most touches on the ball, how many useful passes he made? The only thing he tries a long ball; he doesn’t know how to bring the ball forward, he takes at least 2 r 3 touches to make another pass;
      He should never have been in final 23;
      I respect him for everything he has done in the past; but he is One of the mains to be pointed for everything to go wrong, discussions with Sampaoli, inputs and his play, etc; as he can’t cover the pitch another defensive player needs to be put, for that u need to compromise on attack & expect pirlo r Xavi from Mascherano; that is what coach has done;

      • Mascherano actually played better than expected. Indecisiveness from Sampaoli killed it all. The 3 man backline all of a sudden was a perfect recipe for disaster. Teams need months of practice to implement it perfectly. Why Lo Celso got dropped is a mystery.

  102. Messi is still in prime why he retired early from NT duty, Dimaria, biglia, higuain, willy, romero in short messi generation finished, except Aguero no Argentine player in form in 2018, only messi hater wants him to retire from NT duty when no player isn’t even 10% of messi level at moment, messi will continue till 2022 and in a worst case scenario win two ballon dor these period

  103. I was always nervous Willi was going to make mistake and he did. Messi missed penalty and Willi gave away goal like that at the WC.
    Simply you got no chance to correct, too late.

  104. I am an uber pessimist. I voted for a group stage exit. My worst fears are coming true. But i now hope for a miracle. Though I know how silly it is. I know we won’t make it past good teams. But the desire to see the albiceleste play is insatiable.

  105. this generation is the worst thing to ever happen to Argentinian football every time I look at the team i get sick , its not just betrayal and arrogance and that they dont give a damn….they conspired to stay on the team over and over again
    its a gang and I have never seen anything like it anywhere else
    they should be punished… they should pay for every devastated fan
    we lost before them… but never with such unbelievable disgusting attitude
    about sampoli >>>he belongs in a mental ward …. he is def on drugs

    • Lol. This generate took us to three finals. Argentina fans suffer from nostalgia. This generation is far better than the generation of Crespo, Batigol, Riquelme who gave us absolutely nothing.

        • Made this team. Who exactly did this ‘team’ consist? The same generation that you are dissatisfied with. He did not score the goals, he did not make the tackle.

          Messi’s goal against Iran had nothing to do with Sabella, it was pure genius.
          Mascherano’s tackle against Netherlands had nothing to do with Sabella.
          Romero’s heroics..I could go on but it doesn’t matter.

          One of the best generations in Argentina’s history.

          • He made a tough team to beat. Players have to play, score goals, and make tackles. Whoever the coach, players have to play their part. Give new players to Sabella, he will make another team, tough to beat. With Dybala, Icardi, Pavon, Lo Celso, Ascacibar, Tagliafico, Mammana..etc, he can make another team for sure.

            I don’t discredit this generation. For me, they overachieved last time by reaching the WC FINAL.

        • @insider…. We should thank Sabella?? You talking nonsese now. Sabella was a good coach, dont get me wrong but lets not forget Argentina struggled in 2014 to make it out the group stage. Dont you remember this “mediocre” unappreciated player named Messi scoring 2 games winner in injury time to give us 6 points in the first 2 game and scoring 2 goals vs Nigeria? Anyhow, without those clutch goals, we would be in the same predicament as we are now. You guys would be bashing Sabella the way we are bashing Samp right now.

  106. The real problem is the youth generation isn’t evident ,after Maradona the Batistuta generation came and went and now the Messi generation came and went who will lead the next generation? We don’t know yet only time will tell

    • I think a break from Messi would be a good thing. Let a competent coach develop a cohesive TEAM of new talent and then see where Messi is four years from now. Look how great CR7 is playing at 33 years of age. If Messi can be slotted in somewhere, great. If not, at least we will have developed a TEAM. I really miss the days of win/lose/draw Argentina always won on the field. I miss the character and fighting spirit of old. Now it’s just a group of tattooed millionaires. Argentina has way too many talented players and coaches to be in the position they are in, but then again this situation is so very Argentine.

        • if messi retired new coach will convince him to play again and i repeat messi play 2022 even win in Russia or early exit

  107. Everyone saying things will be better with the new generation is just deluding themselves. Argentina have failed at every youth level in recent time.

    • it is just hope.
      the old generation failed.

      the hope exist in new generation.
      even if the youth team doesn t have success right now
      if work hard they can be successful.

      we have talent. we have pleanty of talent.
      the point is the hard work.
      the correct way work.

      this is the key.

      next summer exist copa america and U20 world cup.
      we should give the effort and work hard with the new generation.

    • It was a sleepless night for me after watching the horrible game.i had a strong belief that Argentina would win the match quite easily but in reality it reversed.
      Even few days back I saw dream that Messi was lifting the most precious world cup up above his head. I still don’t believe that It was a simple dream. Im in shoked right now and can’t imagine that 2nd round will be started without my Argentina. I’m a die-hard suppoter of Argentine football team and without them I can’t think anything. There is a 1% chance of Argentina to move in the 2nd round. If our creator wants that, only then Argentina can move ahead. Even 1% chance can save someone in dire situation so why not our favorite team Argentina? Pleas all of us keep our team in our prayers.

  108. Love for the albiceleste. I am destroyed seeing the poor performance and lack of efforts. Hope they will rise again with the sky blue shirt. Vamos Argentina, the team I love.

  109. I don’t know why we are blaming the coach???!? It was clear from all three goals that(I’m sad to point fingers) the goal keeper is to blame. He made a silly past in the first half which they nearly scored from. His performance against Iceland was also questionable!!

    Romero Romero Romero how we miss you!

    We have the best player in the world but last night we had the worst goal keep! That’s simple!

    No need to blame the coach
    No need to blame the tactics
    No need to blame Messi

    • despite the goalkeeper mistake
      this picture was not one TEAM picture.

      it was 11 players that was doing whatever they wanted to do without plan without strategy without anything.

      all this is Sampaoli s faults.
      this was not football team.
      it was school playground.

    • It’s not entirely Willy’s fault.
      But I could argue that if Willy didn’t do that stupid pass, the result could be 0-0 or 1-1 or at least a 0-1 lost.

      After the first goal which was silly and pretty much SHOCKING, croatia’s confidence rose and on the opposite our confidence fell. Which led to the second. So it was related.

      The third goal is just waiting for a good timing with how we focus on attack and replace two defensive men with two attacking minded men. It’s a risk.

  110. Independent of the outcome of the Nigeria Iceland game later today, I think the whole situation will explode and several players will refuse to play the third match. I hope not, but all the signs are there. In several media the word mutiny has already featured. What a mess.

    • It’s a good sign. Let all of those idiots who refuse go back home. Let Argentina play with the rest of the players and progress. Give captain arm band to Dybala.

      • this mess can t be fixed anymore.

        whatever happened with Nigeria can happened.

        we should see the next day and rebuild.

  111. i didn t sleep tonight.
    i don t have mood to go to work either.

    this humiliation yesterday was bigger than 2002.
    at least then the players fight till the last minute of game with Sweden to score.
    yesterday nothing.
    after this animal the gaolkeeper that i don t want say his name anymore give the goal to Croatia
    the team collapsed completely. mentally and physicaly collapsed.

    this was not Argentina. this was not my national team.
    this was 11 goasts that was wearing the honored albiceleste jersey.

    i don t expect anything anymore for tuesday.
    it is impossible to recover mentally the players after yesterday match.

    i demand as Argentinian from today the team to rebuild.

    but correct way rebuild. ENOUGH WITH ANARCHY !!!

    As Diego Simeone said about yesterday match ” this was the picture of Anarchy that was exist inside team 4 years now”.

    THE MAN SAID IT ALL !!!

    Something last for the goalkeeper.
    You try to show on tv that you respect and honor our country s flag in national anthem.

    How you feel now that you humiliate our flag and our colors in all around the world ?
    i don t expect any answer of course.
    SHAME ON YOU.

    As Argentinian i prefer you show your respect and your honor to our flag with your performance.
    not in camera for the media.

    • It’s clear the players knew Caballero was an accident waiting to happen. You can’t play a keeper like him in a knockout tournament. I wrote this week that it doesn’t matter if the team play well or not because 1 mistake by him would erase all work. So said so done.

  112. Studying far from home. In my country game finished 2 at night, my mom was still awake. She is a huge fan of argentina, i am continuing the legacy. She called me and asked if i was crying or not. Actually i cried, after 4 years. My mom said everything gonna be okay, i know its not, but i love to belive. I m feeling the void along with the the billions of fan, i do not support for one player, i love the whole sky blue.

    Football is not only about the talent, is more of a character, that is what is lacking, thats why ronaldo is shining, thats why player like ramos is needed. Whatever is happening in thedressing room, you never let your head down, you have to fight. This generation have lot of talents, may be the bests of the world, but did not have the hunger for glory with the national team, did not have the agony to burn the opponent down.

    Rebuild the team with the players with character, dont need the young players like mbappes talent, choose some medicore player with characters, with rovk solid mentality, with there limited talent they can do the impossible, findout the true leaders.

    Iccardi, ottamendi, mascherano, asciber, marcado is the players with strong mentality, lautero martinez, pavone, lanzini, mammana too, with a coach with srong and arrogant mentality, we can rebuild a team, not super talented, but utility team

    Vamos ARGENTINA

  113. @baluch10 respected sir, I can appreciate your anger and that you are sad on the teams loss.
    This site started off as a blog created by seba Garcia after 2006. It was to bind all albiceleste fans across the globe. What it has become is a site for all to vent their frustrations upon each other because certain opinions don’t sit well with them? That’s not what this site was set out to be.

    We need to appreciate the opinions of everyone because it’s about our beloved team. We all want the best for this team. Taking personal snipes at inviduals here does not bound this site and all that come together. It only infuriates and is disheartening.
    I believe your comment about some people want our team out should be ashamed and are so called supporters? I believe that was a remark against my comment earlier.
    Call me what you may but I stand behind my notion of an early exit. I can’t bare the pain that would follow…..I pray to God I am wrong but if we were to advance the inflicted damage would further open up against stronger opposition.

    Let’s vent and be sad together when it matters and in a positive way rather than insult each other. Use this time to mourn and voice your opinion and not to find someone to attack because it makes us feel better.

    We want a stronger and confident Argentina with an ethos and be proud of it. That means rebuilding and giving our manager time. Chopping and changing managers does not help the cause.

    • I wrote this earlier today….
      “what a complete disaster for our Argentina and this falls completely on the head of samp from his poor team starting selection (again), dreadful use of subs ( we are losing the mid battle and hes takes off a striker for a striker-why?, abysmal reading of the game and a serious lack of any direction, the players have no idea of what his game plan actually is nor do we the fans.

      Their were serious rumors, before today’s game of the team being in disarray, split camps and not a lot of good will towards samp at all and kuns words after the game seem to confirm this.

      We are not gone yet but we simply do not deserve to go through at all, infact we bearly deserve to be at this w/c-remember those quaifs anyone?? As they say its not over until the big one is singing but i can hear here warming up.

      Today i saw a team who has no idea what they were supposed to do, we have again 2 holding mids and no l.c instead-why? as we lack any creativity in the mids, the 3 at the back has been a disaster for us but once again he does it, a goalkeeper who the whole world knew was past it and guess what 2 games and 2 massive mistakes, a player in pavon who should start, is their really no way to play messi and dybala together-yes their is, we need to play 4.4.2 but sadly he failed to take players like icardi and gomez (just to name 2)-who was the 5th best assist player in Europe this season.

      For me samp needs to stand down (barring a miracle or miracles and we win it-cough cough) their has to be a massive purge of this team and we are going to have to accept just like the yellow team and spain their will be a few years of pain ahead. the youth system is still broke and that is also a long fix as without good youth coming through then nothing changes.
      I know some wont agree but i hope messi (who did little wrong today as he got so little ball) does stay around as he has a lot to offer us yet.

      To take over? i have heard previously sim would do the job part time and id take that any day of the week, we simple cant afford him full time but if he wants to do it part time-yes yes and yes please, for those saying pocc of Tottenham-who earns a cool 3 million g.b.p a year, that is not going to happen and as much as i rate pocc very very highly hes not ready for this mess yet (i mean job) but he is one to keep watching”

  115. With all the talk by some players that they were prepared to suffer for the jersey, they did nothing. I was a big supporter of Cabellaro, I believed in him, I thought he would shine…I was wrong…they have all disgraced Argentina. SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  116. When we draw against Iceland people mocked us and we mocked people when Germany lost or Brazil draw..but while mocking we forgot that they have a system, they have eagerness to perform unlike us. Look at Germany or Brazil’s 2nd round matches…trust me you will see the hunger that we lack…

    Today’s Nigeria Vs Iceland match is very important…I hope Nigeria will somehow manage to beat Iceland and they will try their best as they know even they have chance to qualify…If by GOD’s grace we have 1% chance then I am sure our guys will give it all against Nigeria.
    Armani – Marcado, Otamendi, Fazio, Taglifico/Ansaldi – Masche, Lo celso – Messi, Dybala, Pavan – Kun

    I wish for once Sampoli had used this lineup…just to make me understand whether I am wrong…But I have the feelings we will tear apart any opponent with this lineup…Look at the team guys.. if these can get going trust me even France will scare us.

  118. Messi the Goat or not I DONT CARE AND IT DOESN’T MATTER,
    Sampaoli the stubborn or not I DONT CARE AND IT DOESN’T MATTER,,
    Friends circle fact or not I DONT CARE AND IT DOESN’T MATTER,,
    Mascherano, Huguain, Biglia, D’Maria are old, lazy, headless, slow or not I DONT CARE AND IT DOESN’T MATTER.

    None of them are bigger than ARGENTINA or not worth more than the BLUE/WHITE SHIRT.
    Shame on some of the fans here who wants Argentina to lose today for better tomorrow.
    – Nothing changed after group exit in 2002
    – Nothing changed after 0-4 humiliation in 2010
    – We are even worse after final defeat in 2014

    But things can change right now if they some how qualify for 2nd round.
    They can be reunited, motivated, refreshed hope, more determined and fight with heart in the 2nd round; be it France or anyone.

    If there is a chance to still progress to the next round, lets hope our beloved Argentina GRABS IT!!!

    Shame on the so called fans here for wanting an early Argentina exit.
    Disgusting!

  119. The last 2 years since the copa loss have been very difficult and hard to bare.
    Who are we fooling. We were masking over the cracks.
    We need to be honest with ourselves with the quality we have at our disposal.
    We have bloggers like Gonzalo who’s domestic knowledge of the primera league is invaluable. Thank you Gonzalo for informing on the talent that plays its football on what we consider the weaker or the less competitive leagues in the world. But I believe that’s an insult to those players and certain power house clubs in Argentina.
    Would grit, continuity, team ethics and development been weaker if our starting eleven had the base core of either boca or river?
    It’s clear we are individuals who as a collective cannot gel because who ever we select only see each other on call ups.
    Spanish and Germans have at least a core of either previous tournaments or centred around 1 to 2 clubs representing the hub of the team. You can tell that when they don’t need to search far to pass the ball when pushing forward.
    In the last 3 years we can have possession of the ball in our own half but time and time again We’ve seen them unsure whether they should bring the ball forward and have that confidence in their talent.
    There are folks on here who mention players that most would dismiss because either they play in the primera league or they are too young.
    What some fail to realise is that it’s those players who are hungry and would do anything to represent.
    The findings from these 2 games stem from the last copa. How can a team that conceded the least amount of goals and had a decent to very good defence get so shaky and shambolic?
    You would think that after 2014 we could’ve buried the notion that Argentina don’t do defending. Yet it’s come back to haunt us.

    I am sure the likes of Gonzalo and few others such as Pablo.d would correct me that there are players around who could cover the following weakness:
    Genuine keeper – who is getting playing time regardless of where he is playing.
    Fullbacks – ansaldi, tagliafico may return but we don’t have genuine pace or players who dare to commit going forward and are confident.
    No. 5’s – the DM position I still believe there are players coming through.
    Deep lying play makers – is Lo Celso the answer? I really hope so. because that’s where we lost the last 2 years. In fact we have never replaced Riquelme, Veron and going further back – a Redondo. I know these 3 didn’t win anything but they pleased us and set the tempo and controlled the midfield.
    Last night Croatia played like Argentina of the 90s and early noughties. Modric and Racktic dominated that part.
    There was a moment when Croatia were taking a corner, the damage was already done, but you spot Messi and Racktic have a brief chat at the edge of the box. I would think the conversation was either….
    Messi: “wish we had you in our team”
    Racktic: “you do have me – at barca”
    Or
    Messi: “I am done with this team for good”
    Racktic: “get rid of dead weight and start again”
    Or
    Messi: “unlucky hitting the bar with that free kick”
    Racktic :”does that mean I can take freekicks at barca?”
    Messi:”haha…let’s deal with this corner…”
    Or finally:
    Messi:”do me a favour and beat Iceland for God sake don’t lose.”
    Racktic:”yeah that’s fine but you’ve still got to beat Nigeria”
    Messi:”Good point”

    It seems the strikers coming out of Argentina are in abundance. There is quality in the wingers department.
    Our scouts and youth development team should emphasis on goalkeepers (making it an important role and give it status like some nations do)
    Since Sorin, Zanetti and Heinze we haven’t replaced them. Again give those positions it’s status and importance.
    Finally the no. 8. Whilst I know names have been mentioned we don’t have the confident playmaker who doesn’t have ghosts and mental issues like the Banega’s of this world.
    It looks as if the no.10 and the no.9 is the only thing that matters. There are other positions that are skilled enough to be called a gaucho.

    One last thing…..let’s go and get a win against Nigeria just to end our world cup in a bleak relative positive note.
    We shouldn’t pretend to think that if we do miraculously get through to the knock stages – it will be a new start
    It wont be, it will just increase the pain we will endure.
    The quicker we leave the quicker we can start to rebuild.
    Last to the very last point…..I’ve seen comment from people that people not born or have any background to Argentina don’t know anything about the footballing ethos of Argentina I say to them to keep those insults to themselves. I can’t speak for all but since October 1985 all I know is this team. I’ve been to Buenos Aires and the monumental. I respect what football must be like in the 50s in its heady days and can distinguish between menottismo and billardismo.
    I am British born punjabi who resides in London and have the hardest battle everyday to justify why I support Argentina….and it’s worth it.

    • vik: applause to you sir as always for your words and yes these are very very dark times that have descended upon us, like you I feel we are a wounded animal that needs to be put out of its misery sooner rather then later but as always I never stop believing in “we can do It” ummmmmm ok back to reality…… and reality is still most dark, even if we do somehow scam another round or 2 one of the bigger name teams will pull our pants right down even further then today and we could have a “yellow team like score” thrust upon us they way the team is playing, the way they are being coached and in the way the teams playing personal is actually playing.

      As for now im slinking back to my bar to counsel my self with some thing very very strong as I cry into my drink(s) ….sigh…..and what a “FUBR” w/c for us….sigh….

      • It’s morning here Pablo. I’ve got another 7 hours to go before I indulge into my sorry state. Tonight the glenmornagie will mask the pain but not relieve it.
        It’s good to hear from you guys. Now and again we drop in to see how this site has evolved from being a tight knit community to a slanging forum.
        But it’s all good. We all have the same cause just some portray it differently.
        Hope the bar doesn’t hurt the pocket too much! Roll on next game.

        • vik: good evening and I know exactly how you are feeling about here on mundo and the game we follow.
          the only consolation I have is I have a very well stocked bar at my home 🙂
          but as you said all it will do is mask this pain….game on then….

    • Yes a lot of good center forward material but none of them actually want to stay wide and play as a true left or right forward. No width in the final third and Argentina is paying for it.

  120. is it that difficult to put this formation: 4 3 1 2
    armani, 4- mercado, otamendi, fazio, ansaldi. 3- perez, biglia, lo celso. 1- banega. 2- messi, aguero.
    bdw, messi = 0 mescheranl = 0

  121. In the fans rating now conducting by Tyc, Messi is the second worst player on the pitch after Caballero…! No surprise. I will not be surprised if Sampaoli subs him in next match if he didn’t perform.

  122. 99% of people were super critical after Iceland game
    But not me 1-1 wasn’t good but we actually played well and dominated
    Suddenly he chNges the formation as a panic and players

    This when I knew it’s all failing as 3-5-2 would make us play deep

    Go back to Iceland tactics and just put in best players and we will beat Nigeria easily

    And let’s not forget those ppl on here who wanted bauza and Tata our for sampaoli, we know who u r

  123. It’s safe to say it’s over.
    It’s delusional now that we expect to go far with this mess of a team now with this shitshow of a performance in the group
    What would you prefer?
    Exiting the group stage or getting thumped by France by an even worser margin in the knockouts?
    I used to be an optimist, but after seeing this performance, there is no hope.
    Even my sense of humor is vaporizing into flat out rage and disappointment at the biggest waste of talent ever, this is just so wrong and shameful
    But it can’t be blamed just on my real life counterpart and Leo

  124. I will pray for Brazil loss,Germany loss

    I am mad
    What we see against Croatia is the worst with this mature messi..
    He involved less…

  125. A stern coach like Simeone with a long time vision should be installed with immediate effect to nuture younger talents like Meza , Pavon , Dybala, Icardi , lo celso, centurion, Paredes, Lamela, Iturbe, Rulli , corea, and gel them as a team with 2022 wc in mind.

  126. This is really terrible and crazy. Will it be another 4 years? Every time …

    It’s easy though to blame it all on Sampaoli. The guy had a very ambiguous choice of players for the starting 11 and had clearly not the formation that suits our team better. I think his ill mentality is clear from his statement that problem was that the team failed to take advantage of Messi. Yes, this was the problem!!!! The guy acts and speaks as if the objective is for Messi to play well not for the team to win the games. And I really don’t think that the 2 things are the same. But if your own coach worries about not being accused of not exploiting properly you start player and not about how the team will manage to win, how on earth are you going to win?

    But, reading that the players want Sampaoli out and that they are retiring and staff like that… are they without responsibility in this? Did they players did their best and only Sampaoli’s choices made it impossible for them to win? I don’t think so. Even if you do not have the very best 11 players that you can and you have 8-9 of them, is this a reason on its own not be able to get through the next round? To qualify from a Group including Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria, for crying out loud? I believe that we should have more passion and aggressiveness in both the games we played, that the players needed to be less static (especially in the Iceland game) and try to think and pass faster to overcome the numerous defense of the opponents. Do they really need someone to tell them the obvious?

    I will for the specific game that say that the choice of Caballero (again) for the goalpost and putting Messi on the right were the least stupid, but did Messi for example show that we wants to be involved in the game more? Did he move towards the ball, ask the ball, tell the coach that the formation is not working? Many say that you cannot expect Messi to take the team by the hand and walk them to the final and this is true because you will not achieve anything on modern football this way. But you do expect him to be the best performing player who will inspire the rest of the team on the pitch. Messi who is the best in the world did not do that, once again. Mondric, for example, who is far behind Messi, did it. Our star did not.

    Seeing our performance against Croatia and Iceland, I am not wishing to have a combination of results that allow us to qualify to the next stage, but to be able to play attractive, Argentina-worthy football if we do.

    • I see this news in ole

      Have a look what cholo said-
      @batigol9
      “Come on, what is happening right now is what happened to the National Team in these four years, unfortunately. Anarchy, not leadership either from the leadership or from those who lead. I see that the team is lost. I should have played the start of the game as it started today against Iceland, a weaker team. ”

      * “And the other way around, the Icelandic game played against Croatia, it’s wrong, but it’s Argentina, I believe and I hope not to miss it, it’s going to happen because Nigeria is going to beat Iceland and there you will have the the possibility of beating Nigeria, as long as Iceland does not win against Croatia, now depends on Iceland, not to win either of the two parties, as possibilities. ”

      * “But it is clear that today in the locker room they are holding on tight, in these moments.Someone has to fight. Stop inflating the balls. ”

      * “The goalkeeper, tell me the truth, he had done it, and Germán, he did against Spain, against Italy that went to the side of the wood. It’s a pity that they do not score it so they realize that if you mess it up in the World Cup, it’s a goal”…

  128. Guys, dont give up!
    Either we support Nigeria tonight or we wait for another 4 years.
    Lets support Nigeria tonight.

    If Nigeria win, it will be good for us.
    If Nigeria win with a big margin (> 3-0), it will be even better for us. The standing will look like this if Nigeria win tonight.

    1. Croatia 6 Pts.
    2. Nigeria 3 Pts.
    3. Argentina 1 Pts.
    4. Iceland 1 Pts.

    I hope that our players can fight again if Nigeria is able to help us tonight.

    Nigeria please help us, you are our best friends since 1994 after meeting so many times in World Cups, Olympic games, friendlies and other competitions.
    Please help us Nigeria!

    Vamos Nigeria!

    • Yah man !i will support nigeria to win..hope aone Icelandic player will get red card 🙂
      If we go to next round
      Will it be good for football?

      I want that we can go to next round anyhow but suddenly I thought how can we go with such ugly performance …..

      Want a last win…

    • It’s safe to say it’s over.
      It’s delusional now that we expect to far now with this shitshow of a performance in the group
      What would you prefer?
      Exiting the group stage or getting thumped by France by an even worser margin in the knockouts?
      I used to be an optimist, but after seeing this performance, there is no hope.
      Even my sense of humor is vaporizing into flat out rage and disappointment at the biggest waste of talent ever

      • Baldie your name sake took a dump between the posts last night ….
        I seriously thought baldie- tight pants was going to turn things around vs croatia …
        Everything looked against the flow of things the team selection the formation .. but this was sampoli the guy that played awesome football with Chile and Seville, even if willy did not fuck up the team was awful horrible last night.. from the first minute croatia were pressing our back line and taking pot shots at our Goal ..
        All said and done if it’s true the players are revolting against baldie I think it’s really childish and immature like they are shrugging off all responsibility, they had a month to sort out their differences they had accepted him.as their coach ..

        Btw what I think is that sampoli Must have forced Romero out of the team saying he was injured as he wanted a ball playing GK…which also has contributed to the pressure cooker situation ..

  129. Now everyone know there is a frds circle inside this team. And they decide what they want. How did Rojo, Higuain and Biglia get into the 23. They didn’t deserve. It was for Garay, Icardi and one of Battaglia/ Ascacibar. But as coach said…this is Messi’s team.
    I want Sampaoli to stay not players. Sampaoli will build a new team. I am sure he will take it as challenge. He can do it.

    • Just because the coach is psychotic doesn’t mean its Messi’s fault. he is not the one that decided to use Caballero against all common sense. He didn’t drop Lo Celso and he didn’t not give Fazio a chance. He didn’t switch to an unpracticed formation with unsuitable players either.

  130. As I have said before the Croatia match, it just wont work by changing to a new formation in a few days, our players just cannot adapt to the new system and new teammates in such a short time, we are not playing football video games where players coordination do not play a part.

    The formation vs Iceland was working well, why we changed it?

    The substitutions were all wrong.
    Aguero played ok, putting Higuain in is not going to change anything.
    Salvio was playing well, why he was replaced? Acuna was playing badly, making so many wrong passes, why he was not replaced?
    Meza and Enzo also played badly.

    How many times the fans asked for Armani instead of Caballero?
    Caballero has european experience that is why he was chosen? Why dont you consider the form of the keepers?

    • Why suddenly back 3 needed is not justified?

      When such bad things happens everything looks bad to worse & to worst

      Still want to win last game…
      Come on one last time

    • Now cabellero is more enhanced with european experiance hope it’ll work in next match.😂😂😂😂

  131. To everyone in the Albiceleste Family keep your heads high we’re still and will ever support out NT
    I didn’t sleep at all, was one of the worst thing alongside the losses in the final.

    But i still belive. There is a really little chance we still make it through groupstage…
    Let’s hope for Nigeria and then win against them with 2 or 3 goals.

    I have to say I’m a little disappointed in Messi’s game but he’ll step up against Nigeria
    Vamooos

    • Still supporting my friend…

      All possibilities are ruined now…
      Now it’s a bad time..as there is a big quarrelsome situation inside the camp & outside the camp…

      Heart Broken..

      But wait for the last game…..Nigeria

  132. Messi should not retire.
    Let them build a new team with Otamendi from old team. A team which allows messi to step in any time.. we have copa America coming. Messi should play.

  133. Yes they should retire. As Sampaoli said this is Messi’s team not Sampaoli’s. Messi generation had great influence in the team. I am sure generation wanted their own team. Sampaoli fielded his own and lost. Now players against him…? What did players do…? They didn’t deserve to win. Some of those players damaged Messi’s name for their own good. Messi should not have favoured his frds.

    • Messi want to play with Caballero and no attacking midfielder and only one one strike partner? Just because Sampaoli talks shite doesnt mean he is actually building a team to favor Messi. Actions speak louder than words and none of the lineups used at the tournament so far would help Messi play well.

  134. I am so disappointed with this group of Arg players.
    The Nigeria v Iceland match and the final match have yet to be played, but all these Arg players are already planning for their retirements.

    Zero fighting spirit – just like how we lost to Croatia. After conceding the first goal, all the players gave up.

    The change of formation was wrong, the substiutions were wrong, but the fighting spirit should always be there! This is not the Argentina team that I used to like.

    • This is what happens when you leave home best forward icardi best defence midfield paredes correa romero. Plus your trainer dont have a clue 3 defences that never played this system 5 midfield that are all not good. I hope this is lesson for all.

  136. Once Steve Jobs said “Everyday think this is your last day..one day it will become true”.. like that everyday before going to sleep in the night and look at the mirror I am saying “Argentina are World Champions “..I will say this till it becomes true or till I die.. but Argentina and Football.. the greatest pair made in heaven.. our day will come..we are alive or not.. that doesn’t matter.. but that day of glory will come..

  137. Messi is The Goat but also not mentally tough. He doesn’t have the killer instinct. That is the problem, he is not a born leader, if he was he would have looked Sampaoli in the eyes, after the Iceland game, and telling him you are not screwing this shit, and just take over. He’s withdrawn.

  138. One of the worst feelings ever . This generation could have done something , its too late now.
    We dont have much young promising players also . Honeslty i dont see the point of goin to the next round .
    They lost confidence . They were stressed even before the match begun for some reason .

  139. A new coach (Almeyda, Simeone parttime) should build a new team with Icardi, Dybala, LoCelso and Pavon. The rest of them can/should retire.

    Read the article in the Guardian about the match. The team is completely split. Total anarchy.

    • Don’t kid yourself. Simeone isn’t coming to save us. We had a great base to work with right after the 2014 wc. Simeone didn’t come. We almost lost out on a wc spot after Tata & Bauza mess. Sampaoli was the only guy that showed up. What he has done in this wc is unexplainable. So now it’s virtually impossible for him to stay. But I think Simeone should stay at his beloved club. NT is a lot more risky business for him.

      • How he could have save us
        Players cannot afford to run 90 minutes
        They looked to save their energy for next club season….but they have lost chance for bought by big clubs..no one performed well….
        Don’t know who is not responsible for this ugly performance…All are responsible…sampaoli
        Messi
        Enzo
        Cabellero Higuain etc etc

        More dangerous situation now against Nigeria like we had with Ecuador
        We need Iceland must not win both games…nothing in our hand…
        Just win the last game atleast to give somthing to cheer for those supporters who are in Russia …
        We lost the honour pride
        Series of Hurt is going on…
        Croatia game destroyed us. the squad,coach,technical staffs, AFA all are responsible….

        Whatever …now move on…I don’t think we can move in next round….
        Though I hope we can but can’t say it to any one ..bcoz it is unbelievable now…

      • Imtiaz: the sad for us and harsh reality is sim is on 4.5 million a year at ath.m and pocc at Tottenham only 3 million g.b.p a year and why would any coach work for the less then 300,000 the afa pays (if one gets paid at all as we know they are bankrupt),
        I know I would not take such a drastic pay cut.
        sim had offered to do it part time but the afa simply do not like him as he is his own man and will not bow down to their demands (under the old afa as things may be different these days) as always we the fans and the n/t lose.

  140. Couldn’t sleep yesterday night. i went through the similar heartbreak after that Penalty shoot out loss to Germany 12 years ago. by the time i got some sleep it was time to go to office. looking at my sad face wifey said “There is a time for everything”. It hit me hard. Argentina has a great footballing future, no doubt. When this Generation retires we can hopefully bring the cup home. No matter what i will support my beloved Argentina till my last breath. If there is another life, i want to take birth in Argentina as a Best footballer of all time and Win multiple WCs, and Copa’s for us.
    Vamos Argentina

  143. all of them should not retire….still they have a lot to give us….just 2 bad games(actually one) doesn’t neutralise the success of being in 3 major tournament finals….hope in future we build a team around some fresh blood and some of this oldies will be there to enrich the experience…..learn to stay alive with these failures and keep fighting
    #vamos_argentina

  144. Bunch of Snowflakes…coming out of the closet for all the world to see.

    Sack up and just go, no need for a public comment. A lot of yousssss should have hung it up a few yrs ago! Good riddance swine!

  145. Honestly, let them retire. I think it’s time. After the South Africa Disaster and the three final heart breaks of 2014-2016, we need some new blood in the team. Whether that is with or without Sampaoli, I don’t really care. I am not against having Sampaoli stay but he would be on a short leash

  146. Now we all realized how favoritism destroys everything. These guys have to retire, and when they retire I’m sure we’ll watch some real football.

    • this favouritism which is created by sabella now it is destroyed Argentina football
      that is why simeone did not take this job.

      • Higuain will stay immortal in no 9 position of Argentine team…
        Every coach likes him…
        Sampaoli choosed Icardi ,L.martinez at first but was unable to keep them after pressure from Messi & Frndz Zone

Comments are closed.