Argentina to face Russia in November

By
Roy Nemer
-
67
Argentina Celebration Uruguay
Argentina Celebration Uruguay

Argentina will face Russia in November, according to reports.

To celebrate the inauguration of the Luzhniki stadium in Russia, Argentina will play the hosts of the 2018 World Cup. The match, which is expected to take place on November 11, will take place at the same stadium which will host the 2018 World Cup final.

Lisandro Lopez scoring against Russia
Lisandro Lopez scoring against Russia

Argentina vs. Russia

Nikolai Guliaev, the head of the department of sport in Moscow had this to say:

“The Luzhniki will be ready for use in June. The official inauguration will be a match between Russia and Argentina and the preliminary date is November 11th.”

The stadium has been revamped and was the host of the 2008 Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

67 Comments

  3. If Gago, Demechellis, Biglia, Banega, Higuain, Aguero, Tevez return to the NT… that means we are still at the same spot as 2014… never moved an inch from there… what a state to be in? Backward by 4 years… already we are years behind in football philosophy in total… only few talents are saving Argentina face… bauza at present thinks he can select his and AFA’s favorite players and then ‘messi will do something’ … well messi is no 23 year old anymore… he is past his prime… and playing too on borrowed time… gone are the days messi carried the team… now he needs young legs to carry him around for one last glory…
    .
    bearded old messi needs shoulders to carry him and the team for the final hurrah… for that Argentina should have set a team of young talents right after 2014… but all we did was stagnant… stagnant water smells… well thats whatsz happening now… smelly old team…
    .
    No growth means backslide… yes after 2014 we moved reverse to 2002 instead 2022…
    .
    Nobody can help Argentina and Messi now. No not one!
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    God may choose to honour Lionel at his final chance in 2018 like He did for Sachin Tendulkar in cricket… but we have to wait and see.
    .
    If Lionel lifts The World Cup in 2018… then surely and purely its of God not of man. 100%

  5. Should bauza consider recalling pastore for the nxt qualifiers? Seems to me that he has been in sublime form in the last 2 matches. He’s a magician when he’s in form

    • He deserves obbiously. The problem is Bauza doesn’t ve plan to use talented players at all.

        • Well, i w’d like to see pastore as LCM than CAM. His glorious days at palermo as CAM was because three midfield players were acompanying him. With Maschie ‘n Biglia around he will only put Messi in extra duty than assisting him. Banega can effectively play as a third midfield player and usually relieves messi from his extra duty.

          I w’d take pastore as a substitue for Maria or Dybala in 70 n late minutes.

  6. Aguero is a proven failure in NT. He doesn’t care much ‘n is z laziest player of his generation to wear the jersy. I still blame him for WC 14 loss even more than Hig ‘n Palacio. He came on replacing the hardworking wing player-Lavezzi who was not only causing havoc to Germany in right wing but also assisting Zaba well in defense. Eventually the goal was made through that flank-poor zaba exposed ‘n Lazy Aguero was nothing but wathing the torment.

    Now am convinced that Biglia ‘n Maschie will partner for sure even if the team qualified to 2018. Dybala,Leo,’n Maria, if they could all replicate their club performance and be given a faire square of chances to develop chemistry;the team can count on their trilateral partnership,either as forward three or CAMs behind any good /hard working striker.

    • I agree with you that aguero should never even have a whiff of the national team since he is one of the laziest if not the laziest strikers in our squad. Even guordiola notices this hence dropped him for a young prodigy. No doubt though that when he’s on song, he’s one of the sharpest strikers in the world when fed well which is not the case in our national team where our midfield is severely lacking. Messi just cant do everything by his own already. A fit higuain or pratto supported by messi and dybala would be a more prudent choice by our coach

  7. Top striker at present
    1 Suarez
    2 Aguero
    3 lewyedoski
    4 higuain/D.Costa
    5 auba/icardi
    just imagine Argentina has 3 world class striker but they not performed in NT like club due to poor mid feild

  8. I like aguero more than higuain/icardi/pratto because inside box and 1v/s1 aguero unstoppable

  9. Aguero has better goal ratio/min than any other player if he didn’t perform in NT like EPL that means coach didn’t use him properly for your kind information aguero currently 3rd top scoorer after messi n batigol and when ever aguero scored Argentina won example U20 final Olympic final

  11. Next coach of Argentina NT? bcoz if we loose the next 2 matches…. messi would demand a change…. any fan would rather.
    .
    Bauza knows nothing and neither is he taking us anywhere.

  13. Aguero is the best striker in the world conversion rate wise way better than Suarez but work rate wise Suarez ahead. For 2018 striker my pick aguero, lcardi, higuain

    • Aguero is the only striker of this generation who has yet to score a World Cup goal for Argentina! And he is already 29-30 years old.

      • Aguero has better goal ratio/min than any other player if he didn’t perform in NT like EPL that means coach didn’t use him properly for your kind information aguero currently 3rd top scoorer after messi n batigol and when ever aguero scored Argentina won example U20 final Olympic final

    • Honestly for me Higuain and lewandowski are the superiors one currently.
      If given good service and tactical adjustment i still think Higuain is the man to lead our line.
      About aguero , i think hes the player who should be dropped for the next selection to make him feel ..Nt is not for granted. Still higuain messi dybala pratto and icardi shoulf be the strikers for next game.

      • Aguero needs either to be dropped altogether or at the very least benched. Being overlooked by Pep did him wonders, the same tactic against him should be applied at the NT. No one should feel like they are indispensable, not even Messi.

        Despite all the heartache that Higuian has caused I ‘m curious to see how his partnership with Dybala can be used for Argentina. That’s the only reason he should get the nod over Pratto.

        The question is who is going to be the source of creativity for us? Most likely Messi of course, second possibility Dybala, Di Maria distant third if we are lucky. I liked how Dybala and Messi interacted and interchanged positions against Uruguay, I hope we see more of that against Chile.

      • I don’t really think Argentina will have any problem beating Chile at home for the World Cup qualifiers, and with Vidal out I don’t think Chile have a player who can replace him. Argentina seems to forget how to score when they’re playing in a final unlike WCQ where they will beat Chile 9 out of 10 times. I watch some of the Roma game and if you compare both Biglia and Perades; Biglia was far superior, runs more, pass better and made crucial interceptions unlike Perades who was average at best just like he did against Villarreal.

        • —————-Biglia Paredes

          Ratings: ———7.35 6.60
          Total Shots: ——–0 2
          Pass Success %: —80 93
          Tackles:————–6 1

          I haven’t seen the game but judging by some of the stats from whoscored Biglia is a much better defender whereas Paredes is a slightly better passer and can shoot from the distance. Not much new here.

          I hope we see some running and passing from Biglia otherwise Dybala and Messi will have to drop deep which, needless to say, is bad for our scoring chances cause those two need to be as close to the opposition goal as possible.

          • Most of Perades passes were sideways and backwards to his defenders.He barely had any impact for Roma going forward.

        • Biglia will most likely start. Paredes is not even close to being on Bauza’s radar. The question still stands though, is Biglia going to be able to connect defence and attack, I sure hope so. We haven’t seen that from him very often. Usually Masche & Biglia pairing seems redundant. To be perfectly honest I would prefer either Biglia or Mascherano as a DMF, not both and either Enzo or Pizarro in a box-to-box role. Biglia seems too conservative with his decision making with the NT, maybe he is different at Lazio. We need 3 points so attacking should be a priority. At least with Masche you can expect an occasional diagonal pass a la Pirlo like today.

      • Even i dont get whats so special about paredes
        maybe he may fluorish into a good player. But for now not even close to Nt.
        Yup any one of biglia or masche as DM will be good. Di maria needs to be dropped to midfield and let dybala, higuain , messi take the attacking charge. To support a Dm the player who comes to my mind is augusto fernandez but hes injured. Enzo would be a good option too

  15. 3 at the back is really in vogue right now, so many teams are using it from Roma to Chelsea to even Barcelona who have used 3-4-3 for two games in a row.

    Something for us to consider given the bad options we have for fullback positions. The only problem is that it’s harder to implement 3 at the back at the national team level. You need a bold and world class coach, a la Bielsa, Sampaoli or Pochettino.

    • I don’t get it, we still have Enzo Perez and Pizarro, both of whom are more than capable playing in that position and more importantly Bauza already called them up before so why Gago.

        • It’s also weird. I mean, Bauza is not averse to calling some players from Argentine Primera but he tends to like players that are about 30 or older such as Maidana, Carizzo, Belluschi, Gago, etc especially if they used to play for San Lorenzo or are still there. He calls the wrong kind of players from Primera IMO.

      • Basically that Mascherano, Biglia and Banega are one yellow away from suspension. So, Gago who has lately been in good shape for Boca, could be called by Bauza in case some of the players mentioned above do get suspended.

        • Thanks mate. 😉
          well gago was a decent passer and a player overall
          but now his game looks unidimensional to me
          He cant be used properly in the national setup.
          And what does Bozo think is out of my mind
          is he thinking of taking Gago to wc2018?
          He needs to think about future keeping the present in reference.

  22. a big sigh but I guess no real surprise from bozo…anyway sigh….

    “Fernando Gago is in Bauza’s plans for upcoming WCQs given Mascherano, Biglia & Banega are 1 yellow from suspension”

      • I don’t even follow ratings but I went and check whoscored ratings and Rojo had one of the highest ratings at 7.5, making your ridiculous ESPN/English propaganda look ridiculous. Nobody can take guys like Shaka seriously or any of the other ESPN panelist with regards to ratings.

        • Rojo is a decent centre-back but as a left-back he is a stopgap solution at best. I think Zabaleta who is past his prime and even Mercado can do a far better job on the opposite flank. Rojo’s assist to Lingard’s goal was a really simple pass to an available player, hardly a world class cross to the area but whatever he and you can claim it as an assist cause it technically is. For the first Southhampton goal Rojo’s positioning was too narrow (which is an understandable tendency for a centre-back) and he failed to shut down a cross from a the flank he was responsible for.

          Here’s more English “propaganda” for you:

          “Roasted by Cedric in the build up to Southampton’s early disallowed goal and was at fault for Gabbiadini’s goal before half-time after he was dragged inside” (Manchester Evening News)

          “Rojo: Had a really tough time. Was rinsed for the opening (disallowed) goal and never really looked settled” (Team Talk)

          “Heavily involved in the intricate build-up to Lingard’s goal. Defensively awful. A weak link. (Daily Mail)

          “Marcos Rojo –: Had some good impact going forwards but was caught out defensively a couple of times.” (Outside 90)

          And the last one, probably my favourite:

          “Marcos Rojo – Another display that reminded everybody of the fact that, no, the Argentine is definitely not a left back.”

          Don’t worry though, Bauza is most certainly going to use Rojo as a left-back so you can sleep in peace.

          • Was at fault for Gabbiadini goal before the first half? Yea, what was Bailly doing? He was skipping backwards ( I thought that was Michael Jackson defending)letting Gabbi slide pass him to tuck in a goal, that’s what happen, Rojo was just one player, crosses go inside penalty box all the time. Rojo had nothing to do with Gabbi goal but of course you and the English media would like to blame him for any Man United mistake or goal. Argentina only conceded one goal in three finals with Rojo playing in all of them, and he played in Argentina last three wins over Chile. I guess it’s easy to talk blindly while avoiding the facts.

        • Kid, when a variety of source tend to agree on something, you have a pattern emerging, which you chose to ignore or attribute it to propaganda. I don’t understand why would English media target Rojo specifically. Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.

          Look, you have your own biases when it comes to certain players, I’m just giving you the taste of your own medicine.

          As for Rojo somehow preventing all the goals in three finals, that’s a huge stretch. That can be attributed as much to the pairing of very strong defensive midfielders in Masche and Biglia, plus Garay, Otamendi and other defenders who have done well. To suggest that Rojo is singlehandedly responsible for this is absurd and an insult to other players.

          • Own medicine? Lol

            Look, Rojo was name in the 2014 World Cup team of the tournament. When was the last time an Argentina LB was name in a World Cup team of the tournament? Now you’re a Biglia fan, so all of a sudden you’re praising and recognizing Biglia when it suits your narrative? Otamendi? lol with him in the back line Argentina won’t even make it to the quarterfinals.

            So tell me, Why is it that Rojo has been a more successful and durable LB or wingback for the Argentina NT than past and current so call natural wing backs like Orban, Clemente Rodriguez, Emiliano Papa etc.?

            As I said, you’re pushing English media propaganda about our players on an Argentina football forum. Enjoy your Brits media. They did the same thing with Veron at Manchester United.

          • Kid, very ironic how you accuse me of using some players if it suits my narrative when you do exactly the same. Rojo had a strong showing at the World Cup, 3 years ago but primarily in defensive capacity, he showed next to nothing in terms of attack in 2014. Somehow we still have to remember that in 2017 no matter what has happened since. OK, fair enough.

            But then you conveniently ignore that Otamendi has been largely good for Argentina in the past couple of years because that does NOT suit your narrative. This is called double standard kid. To be fair, I fully acknowledge that right now Otamendi is poor so if you want to say he should not be starting then by all means be my guest.

            As for Biglia, I never said he was terrible defensively, I just think using him as box-to-box is not working, he is not good at connecting defence and attack.

            And lastly, just because Argentina has not had a world class left-back since Sorin, does not mean that Rojo will be forever the only automatic candidate for that position. “Why is it that Rojo has been a more successful and durable LB or wingback for the Argentina NT’? The answer to that has a lot to do with the kind of “competent” coaching we have had in recent years.

            P.S. Like I said, you and Bauza are on the same page (something to be proud of), so don’t worry, Rojo will most likely start as a LB against Chile.

    • He is good, but he needs some serious work on his discipline. Every match that I watched him play its seemed like he could get a red card in all of them! Playing as a CM with that kinda discipline is a huge issue. Other than that, he is good. Good passer, presses well like the whole Eiber team and maintains the shape of the midfield well.

Comments are closed.