More changes during Wednesday’s Argentina training session

By
Roy Nemer
-
48
Players of the Argentina National Team training.

Argentina coach Jorge SAMPAOLI made more changes to Argentina’s training session on Wednesday.

With Saturday’s friendly match versus Israel now cancelled, the team took to FC Barcelona’s training ground to continue working. This time around, a change in the goalkeeper department as Nahuel GUZMAN got a run out with the main team. Up against a sparring U20 team, here’s what SAMPAOLI put out:

GUZMAN; MERCADO, OTAMENDI, ROJO, TAGLIAFICO; BIGLIA, MEZA; DI MARIA, MESSI, LANZINI; AGUERO

Lucas BIGLIA appears to be back in and up front it is Sergio AGUERO ahead of Gonzalo HIGUAIN.

Argentina training
Jorge Sampaoli’s seven different Argentina line-ups in training. Via Mauricio Coccolo.

Per Mauricio COCCOLO (of Cadena 3), SAMPAOLI has now tested seven different line-ups in seven different training sessions. Only Lionel MESSI and Nicolas TAGLIAFICO have appeared in all of them.

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48 Comments

  3. Mercado, Banega, Di Maria and Higuain

    These four guys have one thing in common – inconsistency. Play any one of them will be very risky because they will contaminate our team chemistry.

    For the Mascherano/Biglia choice, I believe Sampaoli will listen to Messi/Lo Celso/Lanzini since they are the super “triangle”.

  4. world cup 1994
    ARGENTINA-Nigeria 2-1

    world cup 2002
    ARGENTINA-Nigeria 1-0

    world cup 2010
    ARGENTINA-Nigeria 1-0

    world cup 2014
    ARGENTINA-Nigeria 3-2

    who cares for the friendly games.
    history is peaking.

  5. Willy

    RB ____ Otamendi_____Fazio_____Tagliafico

    ___________Masche_______Lo Celso________

    Lanzini ___________goat_____________Maria

    ———————-Kun Aguero—————————–

    So friends, This setup is almost certain for the opening match, no??
    Only doubt is the RB position.. with Mercado has an edge..

    or is there still a doubt over 14/5 who starts at 5.
    Or Fazio/Rojo ??

  6. Modric and Lovren from Croatia are facing 5 years in jail as the verdict for Mamic was announced today. Ten days for WC game they have other things on their mind.

  7. Man, Sampaoli really is letting the youth have a shot. I have high hopes for this new guy Messi… seems promising for the future.
    It appears the only guaranteed spots are that of Messi, Tagliafico, Di Maria, Otamendi and Lo Celso, since Messi’s and Tagliafico have played every formation (hopefully meaning both will be ready) and the rest have played 6/7 formations tried. That leaves the GK, RB, CB, DM, RW, CF positions up for grabs. Hopefully Aguero is that CF, along with Meza, Mascherano (better and has more understanding with Messi since they played in Barca together), Ansaldi and Fazio step up. We’ll see… as long as Mascherano, Biglia and Rojo don’t play together, it should be ok. Oh, and that Higuain doesn’t play either.

      • I prefer Meza/salvio to lanzini & pavon to maria..
        But u correct.. it seems Lanzini is almost sure starter.. he can also step up for sure..

  8. Meanwhile, Nigeria lost the second match in a row.
    England 2 – 1 Nigeria
    Czech 1 – 0 Nigeria

    Now in the last 6 matches…Nigeria won just one match against Poland 1-0.

    • …but scored 4 goals against us…

      I know we played without Messi but then again. Not many contenders swallow 4 or 6 goals in a friendly.

      • last time argentina took nigeria very cheaply.argentina was dominating before Nigeria’s first goal.after that goal suddenly argentina’s mid and defence collapsed.
        this time we are serious and that will never happen.

      • we never lost from Nigeria in world cup. who cares for friendly. it was testing game. the important games we win them all.

  9. Superstition runs rampant on this site… who gives a damn what color kit they wear in what game, All that matters is your skillset, preparation, teamwork and a solid plan.

  10. Argentina is listed as the ‘home’ team in the match against Iceland. Don’t we then get to pick the kit to wear? It should have been albiceleste for us vs blue of Iceland (their home kit)

    • what I could understand is that since both home colors are shades of blue, the only option permitted by FIFA was to use away colors

  12. Anyone want to know the WINNER of the WC… follow my order, boost your morale a bit. Go to Google Images and search: WORLD CUP 2018 LOGO. OK LET’S START:

    1. Red represents Russia.
    2. Can you see 2 males in the logo in a goldish tint? One at the bottom has a star above his head… that’s MARADONA and the star means ONE WORLD CUP ONLY (NO COPA AMERICAS). The other guy is from the same country and he’ll win his first WORLD CUP ONLY (NO COPA AMERICAS), That’s Messi hugging the WC in the logo.
    3. The amount of circles are 15, one is so faded at the bottom you can barely see it, 14 circles the country has won 14 COPA AMERICA WINS, the one faded means ONE CONFEDERATION WIN = ARGENTINA.
    4, Can you see 3 cirlces in blue and black? That means a country who’s national colour in the WC is blue will win the 3RD WC, Argentina (or Uruguay). It can’t be Uruguay because THE CAPTAIN Godín has already won a major trophy the Copa America in 2011.
    5, The black in the 3 circles means the country will have a black kit as their second kit, Argentina has their first black kit ever in history.
    5. Can you see 3 small red dots near the triangle at the top, the small dots is a country that has been in 3 WC and lost, the 3 big dots means the country will go in the 3 WC and win their 3rd. Argentina has lose 3, one 2…
    6. See RUSSIA 201*8* the code of 2018 is 8, slice 8 into half it forms a 3. You can see a slit in the 8 on the logo. 3 is the code for 2018, Man City wins their 3rd PL win, Real Madrid win their 3rd CL in a row, Atletico M. win their 3rd Europa since they changed it to Europe in 2010, ARGENTINA WINS THEIR 3RD WC…

    MARADONA Wins the WC in against GERMANY 3-2
    MARADONA retires from NT then returns
    MARADONA loses the WC against GERMANY 1-0
    MARADONA NEVER WINS A COPA AMERICA. This seems to be a theme with great players Buffon wins everything apart from CL, Pele never wins a Copa America, Ronaldo wins Euros, never will win a WC.

    Compare Messi
    MESSI loses ALL COPA AMERICAS
    MESSI loses to GERMANY in WC 1-0
    MESSI retires from NT and returns
    MESSI wins WC vs GERMANY? 3-2?

    Also 1982 final Argentina vs Germany 3-2 = 32 years, 32 years is when Argentina will their next WC that’s this year in 2018… the messages have always been in your face you just have to open your eyes.

    What are the chances GERMANY have the exact same 2ND KIT GREEN AND WHITE like they did in 1986… if they play in final I believe they’ll have their green kit.

    Still don’t believe me well:
    Spain 5 letters = 5+5=2010, 2012 Euros no country had 6 letters (top teams), Germany 7 letters 7+7=2014, Portugal 8 letters 8+8=2016, Argentina 9 letters 9+9=2018

    Argentina could lose/draw 1 and they’re win 2 or they’re win all 3 in group. Messi has no resemblances to Jesus? You can see Messi holding a baby lamb at the bottom of this page far left… LOL, he has Jesus tattoo on his right shoulder, and has a beard; exactly! he SAVES ARGENTINA like he did against Ecuador. Also I can’t bothered exampling but IF Icardi played, Argentina would NOT win so he was never meant to play this WC.

    Messi first CL win in Stade de France 2006
    Ronaldo wins first Portugal title in Stade de France 2016 (31 years old)
    –
    Ronaldo wins first CL in Luzhniki Stadium 2008
    Messi wins first Argentina title in Luzhniki Stadium 2018 (31 years old)

    The guys who think Argentina have no chance because they lost to 6-1 don’t know how to judge a football game, it’s called EXPERIMENTING and playing a B team, Sampaoli is a world class manager should be lucky you have such class like him.

    To early but Billardo’s full name adds up to 141, Sampaoli’s full name adds up to 141, Billardo got Argentina two WC finals, Sampaoli get’s Argentina to two WC finals… 2018 and 2022…?

    • Awesome man! But for Argentina and Germany to meet in the finals one of them have to finish 2nd. If we finish 2nd we will fall into comparatively easier bracket. France and Brasil are good but not good as Spain or Germany!!

      • SulaV France and Belgium are names. Most of there players play in a weak league like England who’s lost form of the last few years. They ain’t used to playing Real Madrid or Barcelona teams. That’s why the crumble against big nation teams.

        Mascherano is better then Pogba on current form, France remind me of Argentina back in 2010 when we had 5 strikers on the field with Maradona’s tactics. France should get far but they’re just names along with the most overrated football team on this earth Belgium.

        Current European champions: Portugal…
        Current African champions: Cameroon…

        France couldn’t beat Portugal at home without Ronaldo.

        Something isn’t right there.

      • According to me Germany is not as strong as many things here and Spain also has defeciencies.brazil strongest team in the competition

  13. Good job Roy! It’s a very interesting article, we can probably guess how the team will be during the WC. So it seems that no matter what, there are 6 players that Sampaoli will consistently use no matter what:
    – Messi, Otamendi
    – Di Maria(either as left midfielder or right winger, which is his favorite position)
    – Tagliafico(I personally prefer Acuna but I am happy with this choice too, I just don’t understand why he was dropped after his good game against Brazil last year, happy to see him back)
    – Lanzini-Lo Celso: both of them are mobile and creative, can attack and defend.

    I like the system tried on the 1st june, especially the attack with Pavon on the left and Di Maria on the right, Messi as false 9. Meza or Lanzini + Lo Celso will give the tempo. And with those 2 energetic fullbacks, really it will be the perfect compo. I like that.

    This argentina team is really similar to France team in terms of style and system. Maybe collectively not perfect yet but in attack, they can rely on those young players with 1 key player.

      • How dybala create his chemistry with the players if he not getting minutes even in training I don’t get it.he maybe training close door

    • Yes it’s tough to find a place for Dybala in this 2332(or 2323) because the playmaker(s) need to drop deeper to connect with the defense and got to have decent defensive contribution. Lo Celso, Meza, Lanzini or even Banega seem to be better fit. If Argentina play with 2 forwards, he may be used as right forward but this is already Messi’s position. So forget about it. If they play with 2 inverted wingers + 1 false 9 like on the 1st jun(my favorite one), yes then he may play at Di Maria’s place. I think it is indeed the only system that Messi can coexist with Dybala. But you got to sacrify Di Maria, I know lot of fans here will be delighted but not sure if Sampaoli will do so.

    • Because Banega is a joke. I don’t remember a single game where he has impressed wearing the national jersey. He is the reason our strikers are not getting opportunities to score. He is only good if we need to 🐌 slow down the tempo of a match.

  15. I think ansaldi should be our right back and he is much better than marcedo……
    Sampaoli prefer to play from wings ….mercado cannot drive ball forward better….

  16. I think ansaldi should be our right back and he is much better than marcedo……
    Sampaoli prefer to play from wings ….mercado cannot drive ball forward better

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