Official: Federico FAZIO called up to replace MASCHERANO

By
Juli2014
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40

It is now official: Federico FAZIO will be replacing the injured Javier MASCHERANO.  The Roma defender will be with the Argentina national team for the friendly matches vs: Brazil and Singapore.  Fazio, 30 years old, hasn’t played for the national team since 2014 when he was called up by Gerardo MARTINO for a friendly against Croatia.  Here is an updated list of the players that have been called up by coach Jorge SAMPAOLI:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Nahuel Guzmán (Tigres) & Gerónimo Rulli (Real Sociedad).

Defenders: Federico Fazio (Roma), Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City), Emanuel Mammana (Lyon), Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Jonatan Maidana (River), Nicolás Tagliafico (Independiente), Javier Pinola (Rosario Central) & José Luis Gómez (Lanús).

Midfielders: Ángel Di María (PSG), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Guido Rodríguez (Tijuana), Leandro Paredes (Roma), Éver Banega (Inter), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham), Marcos Acuña (Racing) & Nacho Fernández (River).

Forwards: Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Mauro Icardi (Inter), Gonzalo Higuaín (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Alejandro Gómez (Atalanta), Joaquín Correa (Sevilla) & Lucas Alario (River).

What do you guys think of this call up? I am personally content.  In my opinion, FAZIO has grown over the years as a player and deserves another chance.

VAMOS ARGENTINA!!

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40 Comments

  1. Why did Manchester City sign Ederson instead of Rulli?

    As some of may know Manchester City had a complicated deal with Real Sociedad whereby they bought Rulli and then immediately loaned him back to Sociedad who then used a buy-out clause to purchase him. Long story short, Real Sociedad owns Rulli as of January 2017.

    Fast forward to May 2017 and as it turns out Manchester City wanted to buy him again to replace outbound Caballero (and most likely Hart). However, it appears that Rulli refused to leave Spain and is apparently “‘obsessed’ with playing for La Albiceleste at the 2018 World Cup, so the idea of rotating with Claudio Bravo didn’t appeal to him and he said ‘no’ to City…Like some many Argentines he has a love affair with the national team and making Jorge Sampaoli’s World Cup squad is now his priority. At Real Sociedad, he knows he will be the weekly starter, while at City he would have faced competition in the form of veteran Claudio Bravo”.

    That’s why City signed a promising Brazilian goalie Ederson Moraes instead.

    • Rightly said. I feel Rulli staying back in Real Sociedad is not bad for one more year, where he will get 100% playing time and can develop himslef. This yr Real Sociedad is in Europa league and he will also get playing time against other teams from other leagues.

    • I saw many Argentine players making stupudass careers choices, but this is such am aberration for a change!

      Kudos to Rulli for knowing where his future is and sticking with it.

  2. Why did Manchester City sign Ederson instead of Rulli?

    As some of may know Manchester City had a complicated deal with Real Sociedad whereby they bought Rulli and then immediately loaned him back to Sociedad who then used a buy-out clause to purchase him. Long story short, Real Sociedad owns Rulli as of January 2017.

    Fast forward to May 2017 and as it turns out Manchester City wanted to buy him again to replace outbound Caballero (and most likely Hart). However, it appears that Rulli refused to leave Spain and is apparently “‘obsessed’ with playing for La Albiceleste at the 2018 World Cup, so the idea of rotating with Claudio Bravo didn’t appeal to him and he said ‘no’ to City…Like some many Argentines he has a love affair with the national team and making Jorge Sampaoli’s World Cup squad is now his priority. At Real Sociedad, he knows he will be the weekly starter, while at City he would have faced competition in the form of veteran Claudio Bravo”.

    That’s why City signed a promising Brazilian goalie Ederson Moraes instead.

    http://www.mcfcwatch.com/2017/05/31/manchester-city-made-approach-to-re-sign-geronimo-rulli-from-real-sociedad-report/

    • Few really good moments last night against River indeed.

      Also Gaston Gimenez of Godoy Cruz is one of the best players recently in Primera IMO.

  5. I absolutely concur with Gonzalo. This team was by far the best performing argentinian team ( senior and junior ) in terms of their pressing play and fluid passing demonstration since god knows when. They in fact had a large tinge of similarity with Bielsa’s great 2002 team which unfortunately crashed out as favourites in that year’s WC despite being able to maintain a consistently immaculate(almost) gameplay and being able to bully any giants then.

    Even Sabella’s team had rode their luck and struggled in many of their games before qualifying and achieving 2nd in 2014. For the ones who watched all of the three games of this U20 team would understand what i meant when i consider them brutally unlucky. Anyway lets not cry over spilt milk. Im sure these kids( some of them especially) would go on to achieve great things in future if they work their asses off and do well for their clubs.

    Anyway do you guys know when would AFA present Sampaoli officially to the press today ? Cant wait for him to assume duty 🙂

  8. When Paredes stops for one second with the ball, atleast one Roma player makes a run, they all know there will be a long ball that will reach them and will be easy to control.The following video contains 13 min long highlights of Paredes’s 2016-17 season with Roma. You can see for countless times his passes had found a running Salah in dangerous position evading the last defenders. You can also see lots of vertical passes with a body posture for diagonal passes confusing the opponent players.He takes all of the corners and most of the free kicks for Roma. He is a perfect one touch player, if you see him playing it’s as if he has plan who to pass back before even receiving the ball.

    It has been a difficult season for him, with a lack of playing time when they went for 3 man defense and drop in performance when Spaletti used him as an out and out DM and for few games as an AM.But in the end, he has turned the season around and has become an important player for Roma. He will be an important player for Sampaoli.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA0lp1eWOHQ&feature=youtu.be

    • Yeah saw that video other day. It is amazing. I know alot of us saying he is not involved in too much on attack OR he is slow (!) but for me it is not a matter,because that’s how Roma wants him to play. If Sampa can use him right (i am sure he is capable of doin it) than he will be a crack for NT. Sampa made all those Chilean midfield players look like something special. Diaz,Aranguiz,Valdiba they played superb under Sampa. They all had clear instructions and all played a part in the plan. This is what we need. Our midfield players never had any plans except recovering the ball( on Sabella era only they had plan for something ). In Bozo era all players was kinda clueless. Since the disaster of 2010 World Cup our defence improved alot and we improved in many ways too but i was never excited before as i am now only because i feel our midfield will play more part on our plan now. Plus our fullbacks too. This list is best selection of players in long time as per my concern. Player called upon based on merit,skills,in form players. Even the Mascherano replacement was a part of plan. I Really want our midfield to change. Not same old boring,over depending on Messi for final ball. Even if Sampaoli has to sacrifice our most expensive and experience players to bring out something good in midfield than WHY not. BRING IT ON

    • Thanks for the video… I haven’t been able to catch this kid play.. looks like a player argentina need.. we have difficulty with creativity unless it comes from messi… I am excited about lanzini and nacho

  9. Musscciho is the best for me,,,,,

    Team will be fine if it is something like Barcelona…
    Tiki taka……

    ————————-[ RULLI ]———————–

    -Gomez—-Otamendi—-Fazio—-Taglifico—

    — Salvio——– Peredes——– lanzini —

    ———–Messi—————–papu————
    ———————–Heguin———————–

    • FC Porto to bid for Lautaro Martinez. Would be a good move for him. The last Racing forward to move to FC Porto was Lisandro Lopez. Won 4 straight league titles before moving to Lyon and subsequently become French League Player of the season 2009/10.

  11. Dear moderators, what about Aimar and Gabi Milito, are they still in contention to be a part of Sampaoli coaching staff? I haven’t heard anything about this rumor for the longest while. All I know is that Aimar on the coaching staff would be a good idea.

  12. Off topic, I was intensively following the under 20 world cup. Not only the games of Argentina, all other teams too, even only highlights. So that is my honest opinion after watching the tournament so far- Only Portugal seem to be a better team than us. Maybe England and France did not send their main players, but in this tournament certainly, we were better than all others. we must not deserve to lose against England and Korea. We have a compact midfield, decent back lines and lethal forward in the center. the only thing I missed in this team is a decent goalkeeper and an actual number 10.

    And this is for Gonzalo. recently there is a hype of this kid from Brazil vinicus junior, real bought him around 38 million. I saw his skills on youtube, that kid is good, but is he actually worth it, time will say. My question is are there no players in Argentina with such potential. Please mention some, I will follow them.

    Lastly, I feel good for Fazio although to me Barboza or Mussachio would be better call. Even I was thinking of two young center backs against Singapore with Mammana and Barboza

    • Let’s be realistic and accept the truth. Argentina was not good team enough in this U20. Technically Argentina players superior to many teams in the tournament but the benchmark set by the 95-01 ‘Pekerboys’ was team of U20s playing with the fluidity, maturity and the competitiveness of a senior team. Although Pep remastered tiki taka. Remember the Pekerboys were playing tiki taka football before Guardiola started coaching. Therefore by Argentina standards, this team was easily the worst Arg U20 team in the last 2 decades.

      • Sabellista,

        I just disagree. THis team not only was not the worst U-20 in the last 2 decades (did you forgot WC 2015? or Sudamericano 2013 or 2009) but was best in last decade.

        “Technically Argentina players superior to many teams in the tournament”. I may say this about teams 2015 or 2013 (on Sudamericano). But not the team. They have shown more than just technical skills. They have shown very good team football indeed. So many opportunities and so many flowing play moments. Ubeda did good work. Luck, goalkeeper and maybe absence of Martinez in first 2 games – these are main reasons of result.

        And I think you forgot past and idealized that winning U-20 teams. Things were not so simple and fluent. I remember very well how irritating was sometimes Di Maria, Zarate, Piatti and other players in 2007 tournament. They were not like seniorr team. I saw a lot of inmaturity. It’s normall. I was watching each game on the road to gold and that costed a lot of nerves. YOu forgot they have draw first group game and then beat North Correa only 1:0. Of course Panama 6:0. But that was horrible defending Panama team. You forgot only 1:0 against Mexico and referee who was very harsh on CHileans in semifinal. Forgot that final where we were striving as Czech Republic scored first goal.
        You may watch the matches on YT one more time. And I think you should.

        Argentina deserves for that win but you forgot that sometimes big loss is not far from big win. Decisive is often one moment.

        • ” I remember very well how irritating was sometimes Di Maria, Zarate, Piatti and other players in 2007 tournament. They were not like seniorr team. I saw a lot of inmaturity. It’s normall. I was watching each game on the road to gold and that costed a lot of nerves. YOu forgot they have draw first group game and then beat North Correa only 1:0. Of course Panama 6:0. But that was horrible defending Panama team. You forgot only 1:0 against Mexico and referee who was very harsh on CHileans in semifinal. Forgot that final where we were striving as Czech Republic scored first goal.
          You may watch the matches on YT one more time. And I think you should.”

          If you look at my post it says 95-01 Pekerboys, meaning coached by Jose Pekerman. 05 team was coached by Francisco Ferrara and the 07 team you’re talking about was coached by Hugo Tocalli.
          Idk if you were too young to remember those teams, but they stood heads and shoulders above the competition even before the ball was kicked, especially the 2001 team with D’Allesandro,Saviola, Maxi Rodriguez and Alejandro Dominguez. Not talking about 05 and 07 teams that won off individual brilliance and dominance of individual players.

          • Yup, you are talking about Pekerman’s team so I was not strict. I remeber that team from 2001. That was my first full U-20 World Cup. Especially because that was in Argentina. I was then so impressed by especially by d’Alessandro.

            I didn’t watched that tournaments a lot of years in fact.

    • Our U-20 team was better than England or Corea and one of the best on WC no doubt. But they abuse benevolence of fate yet on Sudamericano…

      Few days ago I was about to metion that Vinicus Junior. I have watched many videos with the young man and I must to say he is great talent indeed. HOWEVER: I see in him something typical for many wasted in future Brazilian youngsters. He is (at least at this age) very self-concentrated. Often too much dribling, technical fireworks and and all the things we may describe as l’art pour l’art. I don’t think he is worth of the money. IMO no player at this age is worth because not shaped and growed. THey are enigma to a large extent.

      Argentina talents never were so showy and glitzy. Argentina players generally are more hands-on and direct without aboundance of tricks. Unsophisticated in means. And that was often turn out better for team. Best example is Messi. His style is so ‘raw’.

      THere’s no currently in Argentina young player who looks so showy no doubt. But I see youngsters that may give us in future the crucial elements that you need to make winning team even if they are playing on less exposed positions. RB Jose Luis Gomez more talented than any other of our current RBs. Di Placido from Atletico TUcuman on the same position. Bunch of hugely talented CBs: Barboza, Foyth, Mammana, Martinez Quarta, Conti. Ascacibar, Palacios, Colombatto – all of the 3 are worth following midfielders. Ezequiel Barco from Independiente, Maxi Lovera of Rosario Central, Hernan Toledo (Lanus), Maxi Romero (Velez), Guido Vadala (Union Santa Fe). And maybe 2 most talented IMO (but the short height…) Leo SUarez (Villarreal B) and Cristian Barrios (San Lorenzo). You should follow them and decide yourself wheter they are worth attention.

      • I remember even second best player of that tournament, Maxi Moralez, bugged me at times in last matches.

  13. I personally dont think Fazio is good enough to be in the NT. He’s slow, not a great passer and will have a hard time adapting in Sampaoli high line defense.
    The combination of being in a slow league, and in a somewhat defensive system is what explained his good form this season. As a result, he was poor in the Europa league and particularly against Lyon. The turned him inside out in those 2 legs.

  15. now these are the players I have hoped for, I am so happy
    My starting XI:-
    ———–romero

    Mrcado–fazio–otamend–n.tagli

    ——-Paredes—nacho fern

    Messi—–dybala—-gomez

    ———-icardi

    • Not a fan of mercado but dont know anything about the other RB j.gomez. from his youtube clips it seems he got pace and dribbling skills but is he good at defending?

      • He is decent, especially with sliding tackle, but he is primarily an attacking right-back, in the mold of Dani Alves. Not a world beater yet but certainly has a potential.

        Jose Luis Gomez characteristics as per whoscored.com

        Passing – Very Strong
        Holding on to the ball – Strong
        Dribbling – Strong
        Ball interception – Strong
        Concentration – Strong

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