Argentina lose their opening match at the Olympics 2-0 against Portugal.
Argentina’s record of 12 consecutive wins at the Olympic games have come to an end. Prior to this 2-0 defeat to Portugal, Argentina’s last loss at the Olympics came in the 1996 gold medal game against Nigeria where they lost 3-2. After that, the team won all 6 of their matches in 2004 and their 6 matches in 2008.
Julio OLARTICOECHEA’s players had several opportunities (including Jonathan CALLERI hitting the crossbar) but were just un-able to find the back of the net. Geronimo RULLI, who pulled off some fantastic saves, was responsible for Portugal’s second goal as it was an absolute blunder.
Giovanni SIMEONE had a chance to pull one back for Argentina in the 90th minute but his close range bicycle kick effort was saved on the line.
Argentina are last place in the group and will play Algeria on Sunday.
Here are the match highlights:
Mala preparación, mal debut: @Argentina perdió ante Portugal en #Rio2016 https://t.co/iLxoRoWyUy pic.twitter.com/POiwsdYMaG
— ElDoce (@ElDoce) August 4, 2016
Some fans in here are satisfied reaching the final, setting the bar low. People forget who the Argentinian football team is. We were in the first final, have 2 stars, until recently most Copa wins, Olympics games, under 20 champions, Confed cup champions.
Have produced Maradona, Di stefano, Messi players who are in the top 5 all time.
Not to forget the clubs who are the most decorated in the world.
We have achieved all this despite of many roadblocks especially from people with ties.
Players like Orsi, Monti, Sivori, Di stefano were stolen from us to name just a few, it helped losing titles.
The Afa decided to boycott 1950, 2001.
they decided also to hire incompetent people who had their personal agendas which lead into great players being banished from the team.
people who don’t have a clue got their hands on the team for years which lead us to underachieve.
It’s like they deliberately try to hire these people so that we lose.
They hire only “Crazy or Yes man”.
They don’t want an competent man, he would not let them intefere in his business.
Next time before you set the bar so low being happy with reaching a final, just say to yourself “Am I really happy for not winning a title in almost 30 years despite being one of the most decorated teams, with a rich tradition and culture of football and continuously producing the best players and having the best player right now who is at least top 5 all time?”
I am surely not!
We should have 3-4 stars at least!
I really hope Bauza finds a way to fight the enemy within so we have to beat the enemy on the pitch.
he will have it hard.
What are you talking about ? Maurizio Martinezs position is DM (beforehand he was a CV). Then ? You and your tactical sense LOL.
Sorry not for you.
the most awful thing about the game vs Portugal was this English-style
stupid long balls and strictly vertical passing.
i have no idea why Olarticoechea decided to play like that but
lets say it proves me his low level as a coach.
so he is Batista-like manager. his approach is “put players you have to
to the pitch and see what happens”.
in this aspect it does not matter whether this team wins the tournament or no.
it is not a team, it is not a football.
we played very stupid “just kick the ball forward” game.
among with that Argentina could win even in these circumstances.
created lots of chances, were a bit unlucky i would say.
what i want to say is that with good coarch yesterday
we would easily (EASILY!!!) win. Portugal played nice only
first 20 mins, then played just good.
PS. i would not pay so much attention to Rulli’s mistake. shit happens.
well, at least it was anyway 0-1 at that moment so let him do this mistake in
the game that we lost anyway than in some other game.
Right, only individuals on the pitch.
m.bleacherreport.com/articles/2655979-lionel-messi-reportedly-set-to-rejoin-argentinian-national-team-after-retirement
Im sure the uruguayans will be shittin in their pants now…the king will be making his return!
king???
i was not expecting anything from this team because of all of the recent surrounding circumstances but i think they played good game with some decent moments especially in the first half but lost speed in the second half sharply. they got several clear scoring chances but they missed them all. Correa was the worst player on the field in my opinion. why the hell he keeps running with ball all the time. i do not know.
Csabalala
you and your tactical sense. You want Lucas Romero as No.5? Actually what do you know about him? He never was lone No.5 because of his unpredictable and erratic play in defence. He was not No.5 on Sudamericano 2013 (Kranevitter was No.5), he was not in Velez, and he is not in Cruzeiro. He is only partner for typical No.5
He is rather type of No.8. Yes, with some good offensive moments but also sometimes with stupid brutal behavoiur in defence. He may do something in attack but it’s possible he will do more wrong things in defence. Arzura is a lot of more mature than Romero and we need more responsibility.
And you want to drop Ascacibar? Oh great. My intuition was right – he was best player along Gomez. Here is something what you like most – stats, numbers:
http://www.tycsports.com/futbol/juegos-olimpicos-argentina-perdio-2-0-con-portugal-en-el-debut
Ascacibar had a lot of recoveries, inteceptions (yes, he was also jointly responsible for first goal). He is always engaged in defence and I saw him atleast 2 times attacking like forward. I don’t think Romero could be more active player. His only thing to improve is to learn how do not run unnecessary and just stand in right place. But this is thing that will come with experience.
But you Csabalala want drop the player who apperas as base of midfield…. No comment.
What are you talking about ? Maurizio Martinezs position is DM (beforehand he was a CV). Then ? You and your tactical sense LOL.
Ascacibar was a waste of a player forward (in every 4 matches), no support, no fluid passing, cannot dictate the tempo, hid in the ring of the enemies midfielders instead of help the defenders to build up an attack, so the central defs always had to kick forward the ball(usually no man’s land) after a little pressure. We played like a North Ireland for God’s sake. (apologize to the irish) How many times he passed the fckin ball vs Portugal ? 10 times ? At his position the minimum would be 50-60 passes. The most important pos to make possession game, not just this fuck up the ball idiotic so called “football”.
He’s a warrior, but not a clever player, and was bad on the ball so far.
Hahaha. SO Mauricio Martinez will play as No.5? Where you have eyes. Martinez plays only nominally DM. In fact he is offensive one and not much interested to defend. So you want pair Martinez with Romero? Great. And actually which of them will be enough dutifull to play No.5?
About Ascacibar. It’s just idiotic man. You may to kicks against the pricks but it’s bare truth what I said. Additionally supported by statistics. Gomez and Ascacibar were best in our team. Don’t try distort reality. After your description he should has a note 0,0. But he still has best 6,9. How is that? Leave the bias.
Dutifull like Kroos or Busquets ? The world bests DM’s. Paredes maybe will be like them, no need little brained DM’s anymore. Pass and move, pass and move,(always search the free spaces) the motto of a modern midfielder, Ascacibar is out of the modern style.
Lucas Romero is full of support btw. His strongest weapon and a good passer too.
Pass and move? Unfortunately Paredes is lazy player who doesn’t like move he just want to stay and pass and I don’t see in this nothing modern. If both your DMs (for example Kranevitter and Paredes) are standing deep because one of them is pure No.5 without offensive inclinations (Kranevitter) and the second just want to pass without run ahead (Paredes) then your defence may be dead.
While Ascacibar has fantastic stamina is far better than Paredes in defence, active, aggresive and has some raids and runs as it was in last games. He still grow as a passer and you will see this.
BTW He is the only player of the generation ’97 about which you said it will be the our best generation. Hhahahaha. What a vision. But where is your Franco Lopez for example? So if you don’t see how he is far ahead to the rest of ’97 you are just ignorant. Men, he is in senior football since february (and already on Olimpics) and was already one of the best players last season.
“the motto of a modern midfielder” – You was asking them about motto? There’s no one type of modern DM. But you always need someone who working hardly.
Still think that Simeone knows more about modern football (yeah that’s irony) than you and he wants Ascacibar. Even over Kranevitter.
And no one said that Paredes can’t be important and usefull player for NT in future. I just want to say he need type of runner along because midfield can’t beae 2 more or less standing players
Problem is that Ascacibar is alone on DM because Martinez is only nominally DM while he plays very offensive. Ascacibar has Damonte in Estudiantes along who is good passer but also working in defence and it’s balanced midfield.
“BTW He is the only player of the generation ’97 about which you said it will be the our best generation. Hhahahaha. What a vision. But where is your Franco Lopez for example? So if you don’t see how he is far ahead to the rest of ’97 you are just ignorant. Men, he is in senior football since february (and already on Olimpics) and was already one of the best players last season.”
My Franco Lopez ? That generation is good, but not because of this limited “player”. And hes fucking lazy in attack, a ghost, maybe the worst midfielder that ive ever seen in argentinas jersey so far. but i see you are the biggest fanboy of him. Lanzini, Ascacibar….
Warrior, but hardly a footballer.
You know you are ridiculous. The only player of this generatio who exist in senior football. And you said: this generation is good but not because of him? So because of whom?
“And hes fucking lazy in attack, a ghost, maybe the worst midfielder that ive ever seen in argentinas jersey so far”.
And where is Mascherano in attack? It’s the same position. He is no.5. It’s not his work.
Hey man, leave the hate. He was second best player of last season Primera, and he was best along Gomez in last game. And it’s not my opinion but pure stats. You may cry this absurds here when it’s behind mainstream discussions already and no one will jeer at that. But if you will so absurdal in comments on top news I’m afraid there will be more peoples who will laugh at you.
By the way, as I said a lot of times, I have not favourite player. None. So I’m keeping minimal level of obiectivism. Unlike you.
You has started with Ascacibar in your proposed line up for next game. And now you said: he is the worst midfielder you saw in this shirt. Man, look how absurdal you are. It’s what hate can do
Are all Hungarians so little spirit? Man you do harm your own nation.
“Are all Hungarians so little spirit? Man you do harm your own nation.”
Now at least i know why everybody hate Poland in Europe(except Hungary, are everybody so frustrated than you there ?
Get a life…
“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, is of a different opinion, it is only because they only know their own side of the question”.
John Stuart Mill
I’m sure you didn’t know
Besides I’m wonder who would be appears more frustrated of us if some other could read our posts above.
Im really dissatisfied with this Santiago kid man, its a joke that players from Guimaraes B, Benfica B, Porto B make our midfield looks like amateurs. (With the second best player from the whole PD LOL).
Where you have eyes. Martinez plays only nominally DM. In fact he is offensive one and not much interested to defend.
He’s more a DM (he played there in the whole season club level, by the way he’s a pure CB), just now this is his task (why ? ask the clown coach), but we see he neither good neither creative neither fast enough for a ZM/box to box pos.
Magallan is not RB, but he played there, Martinez is not a ZM,but he played there, Angel Correa is not a playmaker, but he played there, and Gomez is not an RW right winger, but he played there vs Portugal. Disaster.
It doesn’t matter who is Martinez in club. Here he play almost like AM so he can’t doesn’t play as DM. So do no fudge.
They had some good moments in the game. Atleast good moments were more than I expected after first 30 min.
But all the team is not regulated good. None player was without a mistake. Even the best players did that. Cuesta too. He is not the Cuesta from his club. I would like to see this:
…………..Rulli
…….Gianetti…Cuesta
Gomez………………….Vega
……..Ascacibar..Arzura
………….Lo Celso
….Pavon……………Correa
………….Simeone
Gonzalo,
Since you are more attuned to the players playing there, you might have a good idea about my question.
Do you feel anyone in that team exudes leadership skills (especially in defense?). Cuesta is a good player for sure, can he take leadership, responsibility and be a commander on the field? Who do you think in that team has that sense?
With such a short preparation time for this team, I wonder if they feel confident about their fellow team mates, have the trust in them and play like a team, which is crucial.
Just wanted to know what you think.
Vicky,
I think we all see what’s doing.
Cuesta could be the leader but he needs a time as the rest. He still made mistakes but it’s obviously by lack of chemistry with the rest.
Gianetti was IMO better than Cuesta. Despite he is too agressive sometimes and headless chicken when some quarrel on the pitch he is our future IMO. Look as he wants always to be a step forward to attacking player to intercept a pass. I like his aggresive style and he is good header. But now He needs a looooot of experience to use his talent and don’t do some stupid things on pitch in Pepe style.
Soto has technical skills but he is apathic in defense.
Ouch, massive burn for me. I curse Romero in my previous post, and Rulli makes such a schoolboy error that makes Romero look like Sergio Goycachea instead.
I poke fun of Nani’s Portugal, and they beat us 2-0 in the lower level. I should try reverse psychology instead.
But nevertheless, we’ll soldier on. Not much was expected from this olympics like other posters have said. AFA was (rather is) in shambles. Nobody wanted to take responsibility. Almost felt like they picked Olartio-wtf-am-i-doing-here-chea when he was having a peaceful afternoon potty session and asked him to lead the team to olympics.
The aforementioned gentleman puts together a rag-tag team of youngsters , leaving out the key players whose respective clubs gave a massive middle finger to AFA . Olar , as I affectionately will refer to him from here on (since it’s probably tougher to type his name out than win the medal itself), has the team for 2 weeks , seems clueless about playing the best players in the right positions either. The team plays some uninspired friendlies , and if it can’t get any worse, also proceeds to get robbed in Mexico ( I didn’t even know the AFA had even that much money). Olar also makes some grandiose statements about spoiling Brazil’s party. Angel Correa seems hell bent on following the teachings of His Excellency Angel Di Maria who preaches “Thou Shalt Not Pass”.
Welcome to my nightmare . All over again.
wow….rulli…hahaha, what a blunder….you look very stupid already kid in your first olympic match. are you romero-alike in the making???? hope not.
this is why if we want to see all this young kids in the future nt and do great there, they have to be in the major tournament now. this olympic is good for rulli, correa, simeone, and calleri. too bad we don’t see icardi, dybala, krane, lanzini, and tagli this time around. they all need some big major exposure. they all have to be in wc qualifiers next. it’s not later, but now.
but some idiots in mundo keep saying; the youngsters is not ready yet blablabla nonsense and full of other crap which making me sick reading their comments.
we don’t rely on chokers, slow players, and injury prones anymore. we simply get rid off them all.
Hi Travis,
Agree with you on integrating youngsters, but there has to be a mission, a proper plan towards that mission, continuity in staff or a process in place. The closest we came to that was in the Pekerman reign of the youth teams which formed the identity.
After that, it’s been hell. We seem to be experts at effing shit up , and trying to get band-aid solutions for the last minute. Have you noticed how practically every coach we bring in says ,”there’s hardly any time?” What the frigging hell!
Just look at the shitstorm we made for ourselves. AFA made inspired hires such as Diego 2014, and then Sergio “slimy haired” Batista , who led shambolic campaigns.
Sabella quickly had to get the team on track to qualify for WC14 (no time). Martino succeeds him and has to prepare the team for Copa (no time). And now Bauza comes in, and there’s no time.
This is at the NT level. At the junior level, the $hit has hit the fan so bad that now it’s practically falling back on our heads. No continuity, no plan. This is DESPITE some quality managers around.
Why don’t they identify some young Argie managers who have a frigging pulse? Take Gallardo or someone similar for example. Make him the director of U17 to U23 teams. Make him form a staff he wants. Let there be a project -Say even Project 2024. Where argentina must win the gold in 2024 olympics and at other junior levels. The director and his team should be responsible for putting the damn process in place , so that even if he leaves, the next man in can do the job fairly seamlessly.
I feel physically sick that grown-a$$ men are toying around mindlessly with such a warehouse of talented generations and passionate fans , both groups of whom absolutely are well in their rights to deserve and demand success at a global stage.
very damn well said vicky.
i’m with you on some plans and some more ideas you had in mind about how to properly work for the future nt.
yes, you right, every managers we have to deal now seems to find the same excuses; “there’s only little time”, “we don’t have many times”, and that reason they used for an excuses to bring many incompetent big star players again and again and again, and then failed again big time, and some more.
i believe if we integrate the young players now, and with the help or guide from only a few older players such as messi, garay and mascherano. i believe this team will evolve into some bigger headliner ever in world cup history in russia 2018. believe me so, or not.
agree with both travis and Vicky.
it now way beyond unbelievable the way these thieves are being allowed to run the afa, we for years have been screaming “ice berg dead ahead” but the fools running the good ship afa simply scream faster fools faster and here we are today being run by (of all ironies) the impressively corrupt fifa who seem to know nothing of the last 20 plus years on corruption in the afa that would make you average politician or drug lord blush.
Gallardo is a very good plan for the youth teams and its not that hard to put in place but well as we know its the afa.
It’s mindnumbing , isn’t it?
You all are definitely more in the know about the levels of corruption that AFA operates on, but how frigging hard is it to commit to putting a good product out there? Something that you are ACTUALLY supposed to do as well?
The clowns that run the AFA must be smoking something really good if they feel they can nab the likes Simeone, Poch etc. A european club management at that high level is what every prime coach probably wants these days. NT coaching is like the graveyard, which is why we often see washed up senior citizens or failures (very few exceptions) there. Especially with Argentina – look around, there are lots of good Arg Coaches , but we cannot get them because:
1. Reason stated above
2. AFA pays (if at all) a salary is good enough to buy peanuts
3. Report to the clowns that is the AFA
An established person like Simeone or Poch would never risk their career with such a dangerous step . Our best best is good Arg based coaches . We approached pitbull, I mean Sampaoli too late . The second I read some rumour that AFA were going to pay the 8 or 11 million release clause for him , I got into a fetal position and cried myself to sleep because no way in a million years was it going to be true. By the time Simeone or Poch get ready to take on the reigns, they’ll be washed up and we all will be clamoring for the next big things.
And what about the young players? Surely it’s not a world changing idea to give a youngster like a Dybala (hungry youngsters who have established themselves well at a high level already) a couple of shots? What’s the worst that can happen that hasn’t already?
Argentina football has gone way downhill, cant even recognize it anymore. Im convinced this national team will not win another title in at least 50 more years.
TheVickerman: as always sir lots of great words from you and plenty of good laughs, sadly the laugh is on us the loyal supporters who just like mushrooms are being kept in the dark by the afa/fifa and feed lots of stinky manure. it all stinks to high heaven as we all know.
any good scriptwriter would struggle to script all of the last 25 plus years no matter how fertile their imagination and the only good news is with out messi the story would be even worse, as impossible as it seems even more dire on the field if king leo was not around.
from gloazo
“Working for the AFA
Perhaps the biggest challenge of any Argentina coach and the reason why so many were not interested – the AFA.
An organisation in complete institutional chaos, that has required the goverment and FIFA to appoint a Comisión Regularizadora (Normalisation Commission) after a presidential election ludicrously produced a tie despite there being 75 delegates and to investigate the misappropriation of funds.
Gerardo Martino was reportedly not paid for months and eventually had enough when he found compiling an Olympic squad virtually impossible but Bauza remains enthusiastic.
“For many it might be an unnecessary risk, but I wouldn’t mind setting my feet on the mud with Argentina. I was born in the mud,” the 58-year-old declared when first linked to the role.
Bauza may well need all of that positivity when dealing with the AFA but at least for the time being he seems satisfied with his conversations with Armando Pérez.
“It’s the most important challenge of my career and I told Armando Pérez that I’m grabbing onto this and giving it my all.” How long this lasts, only time will tell.
yep rullis mistake was a extreme bad one but he also made 3 very good saves and his kicking was fantastic-to peoples feet.
things like this will either make or break him and i hope its the former not the latter, shite happens to all players but its what you do in your next few matches that will inform us where he really is.
Pablo
At last he had 2-3 good saves after the mistake, a good sign, just unfortunate.
ghost: agreed he made some great saves, as i said these things happen but its what he does in the next few games they will show us if he is a hig type of player ie when the going gets tough he freezes or a ayala type of player shite happens but you come back stronger and make up for it plus more.
I didn’t get to watch the game but all I could think about is what if all the players we wanted to watch in this tournament actually played.
Probably not much since it’s a sqaud created in urgency… and Olarticoachea sucks.
A team with Dybala, Icardi and Vietto plus the others who missed out due to injury or bullshit would have been a joy to watch.
At least I for one don’t have any high hopes.
South Korea just scored 3 goals in 40 secs
The issue is that even with the name you have just cited, it doesnt make a team. You need to work to build chemistry. You need to have of how to play and work tirelessly on it. Even more so with the current youth addicted to selfies and co…
there is a pattern in all our teams. We simply don’t look like a collective team and we look aimless. without a clear vision, too individualistic.
I saw a team only in these instances:
-Pekerman 2006.
– Semifinal of Olympics 2008.
– 2014 – 1/4 final – 1st half of the final defensively.
– Semifinal 2016 against Usa.
hopes Bauza works on this.
People will remember the end not the opening…. Hopefully they can get better result in next games
really sad to see such Arg team…so weak in final third..the shots at goal are so weak..
Yeah..now we know why this moron RULLI wasn’t called up for NT…..faking moron
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