As you know, I’m on the road these days so I don’t have much time online, but the interaction I’ve seen in our blog after my previous postings, really motivated me to stop by and start another discussion.
Another glory-less World Cup has come and go and Argentina are now 13 years without a major trophy in football (Copa America 93 in Ecuador).
We’ve enjoyed a few promising campaigns such as the USA 94 World Cup (before the Diego-gate) and the qualifying tournament for Korea/Japan 2002 with BIELSA when we were arguably one of the 2 or 3 best teams in the World.
But for one reason or another, we seem to be missing the killer instinct any team need to go all the way.
PEKERMAN is gone. BASILE is back at the helm and his fresh start couldn’t have started worse.
The truth is he virtually had no time to work with the team (only 4 training sessions combined before losing to Brazil and Spain).
But is also true that most of the players he selected worked together in the build up for the World Cup and they know each other very well.
In several occassions BASILE said that he wants to form a group of players still competing in Argentina and train with them on a regular basis during the Apertura or Clausura tournaments. He said that we have to wait for him to be able to pick the local league’s stars for us to see his real Argentina.
Now there is a public debate in Argentina because historically, our best players are bought by European teams and that kind of gives them a different status. Like if they belong to another category, while those who remain (for being too young to emigrate or for not being suitable for the European market) are looked with other eyes, like if they were not good enough to be picked for Argentina.
So the big question is: Are the Argentine playing in Europe better than those who still compete in our local league?
Wouldn’t the local stars eventually emigrate to Europe lured by millionaire contracts and the prospect of securing a better life for them and their families?
Which side of the debate are you?
Do you prefer to see the big guns from Europe getting together for a couple of days before a friendly or a WC Qualifier? Or would you like to see a less experienced group working weekly and very closely with BASILE?
The answer to these questions will surely represent our chances of success or failure in the next few years. I hope COCO gets it right this time.
