Paulo DYBALA on Argentina and Lionel MESSI: “Obviously we can play together”

By
Roy Nemer
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243
Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala speaking at a press conference while with the Argentina National Team.

Paulo DYBALA and Cristian ANSALDI were the two Argentine players who spoke at a press conference on Tuesday.

Two players who didn’t play a single second in Argentina’s opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup spoke to the press about the team, the players and the World Cup. Here’s what DYBALA had to say about him not being in the starting eleven.

“I’ve played in many positions since I started playing football and I always felt comfortable. I’m optimistic. I still haven’t gotten in the starting eleven but I play every training session as if I were in it. I’m always thinking about possibly going on. One has to be prepared.

“I try to leave everything at every training session. If I get asked to come in, I want to be in the best possible shape. I always believed I was doing the right things to be at the World Cup. I think I have the same chances of coming in as my team mates.

“Giving up is impossible. I’m 24 years old and I am living one of the most beautiful moments of my career. One always dreams of scoring in a World Cup. Six years ago I was playing in the second division with Instituto, I am living a different life. Playing or not, I am enjoying it a lot just being here.”

Paulo DYBALA also stated that he and Lionel MESSI can play together.

“MESSI is the first one who wants to change the situation. We’re all here to support here. I believe we are all protagonists in the role that each one has. We have the best player in the owrld and we have to take advantage of that attack in a better way. MESSI has no substitute. Not here, not in any team in the world. Obviously we can play together.”

Criistian Ansaldi also spoke about what we are seeing at the World Cup.

“We are seeing a very even World Cup. All the big teams are having trouble winning. Croatia won’t sit back. It might be a back and forth match. We are calm.

“The World Cup is showing that you can’t underestimate any team. We are always looking to win, that is our objective. Our goal is to always play football, attack and play. Everyone is adapting to the team they play. There doesn’t exist the idea of always playing the same style of football.”

The defender also commented on Lionel MESSI.

“We all know what MESSI represents for our team. He’s not only the best on the pitch but also the best off it. He knows how to deal with all of this.”

ANSALDI also stated that the team is working hard to get a win.

“We are working hard to come back with a win. We are not watching what happens in the other matches. If we want to win the World Cup, we have to beat everyone. In modern football, the defender has to adapt quickly. All coaches have different ways of playing.”

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243 Comments

  1. Of course he can! Both Messi and Dybala are capable of playing on the right or at the center.

    They will multiply the creativity at the front with smart through balls and one-twos. They will draw defenders away from each other. And to boot, Dybala can finish from long range and from impossible situations. He is the kind of fast creative scoring attacking player Argentina, and Messi, need at this moment.

    Anyone with a working footballing brain would put Messi and Dybala in the starting line up together. Only Sampaoli and other morons would forcibly keep their best players on the bench in a make or break game. MORONS!

    • Nothing much to say.
      We will go MAD tonight that’s for sure.
      Whether its pissed off MAD, or seeing MAD actually on the pitch MAD, or we actually win the match MAD, or group stage eliminated MAD
      Depending on your optimism, you take your pick my man.

  3. Three straight finals and Argentina still can’t play as a team and still haven’t build a system that suit all the players and not just Messi. The whole ”this is Messi team” talk going into the world cup wasn’t necessary from Sampaoli. For years now, the system as always been Messi; if he fails to show up Argentina likely struggle during the game and if Messi is absent from a game Argentina struggle to cope without him. This is all because of failing to build a team and a system that accommodate both Messi and his team mates (present and future) not just a system where every single player has to play for Messi while ignoring their own God given talent.

    The players on the Argentina team are afraid to shoot because they don’t want to disrupt the Messi system; afraid to dribble in advance area of the pitch because the plan is always for Messi to initiate all the attacks. Moreover, the players are reluctant to pass the ball to other teams mates because everything has to go through Messi, this is what they’re coached to do, pass to Messi even if he has four players marking him. Add all this up with the weak and scary mentality of the players and you’re often time left with uninspiring performance from the team. Now none of this is Messi fault because at the end of the day, the coach/es are the ones responsible for creating a system and selecting the best starting XI. I blame the coaches and AFA for this debacle not the players..

    As of now we’re lacking a team only individuals. Argentina need to win against Croatia so one of Higuain or Dybala need to start from the beginning alongside Messi and Aguero in attack. Argentina strength is their attack, so what’s the point of having the bulk of the team attack on the bench instead of on the actually field?

    • Messi is better player than Ronaldo but I’m sure if Argetnina had Ronaldo (only in forward line) instead of Messi (all over the pitch) they would be better team. Then our midfielders could give best.

      • i know your intention from after 2015 copa final…. you hate messi you dont want messi in argentina… but here many of them dont know who you are………..

        • There are Messi fans and Messi’s fanboys. I will not talk to people from the second category because they are infantile and takes Messi glory over Argentina glory. I know I’m not Messi hater hence you may call me “Messi hater” a thousanfold. It doesn’t bother me at all. Thank you.

      • And what about choker Lewa? You stil suck his dick? I said months before what will happen with Poland. Drop Lewa, Pratto in and Poland would be a much better team right? Without a good centre forward Poland has zero chance to win even against Japan.

        • Csabalala

          Your comments are babble as your name.
          I never ever mentioned Levandowski here here as ‘big’ player or even player I like. I don’t like players in mould of Lewandowski and Alario. Where from your complex? Wait?! I know – if only Hungary have Lewandowski… No player of Hungary is known in the World while you are talking about Lewandowski again and again without case. Big envy. Even people from such godforsaken place as Hungary are talking still about him.

          Poland is on WC. Hungary? An.other envy

        • “I said months before what will happen with Poland” – and who care about that. Who care about what you’ve said months ago about Poland. Neither me nor anyone other noticed your words because people -including me- are here to write about Argentina.

      • Gonzalo has a point here. Ronaldo would play the role of aguero & wouldn’t interfere the build up (because he can’t let us be honest). The old ronaldo was disruptive shooting like crazy, endless useless step-overs but since last few years he only focuses the box(aged) & he is having his best years.
        Now messi who is twice the player ronaldo is had his best years under pep when he was moved close to goal & others were responsible the creativity he was still coming to midfield but in limited fashion.
        This is the responsibility of the coach, he has to tell messi to be patient the ball will reach & he will make the diffrence.

        • “Ronaldo would play the role of aguero & wouldn’t interfere the build up (because he can’t let us be honest). The old ronaldo was disruptive shooting like crazy, endless useless step-overs but since last few years he only focuses the box(aged) & he is having his best years”.

          My thoughts in accurate words.

      • I have no idea why people fail to understand that Messi had to drop back not because he loves to but because he doesn’t get the service. So he thinks like this: Any way I’m not getting the service, so let me provide service for others or start an attacking move which me or others can score.

        There are many matches in which Ronaldo disappeared even in this season because he didn’t get the service or he was not in form. Ronaldo could be the worst player in the team in such situations. But Messi is unique. His talent and footballing brain is other worldly.

        I’m pretty sure at the end of this world cup, people like you would say “Thank god, we have Messi.”

    • There’s no single interview with our player, no matter which, not to talk about Messi. For me it’s one of signals the team is distorted long time. No player in the world is able to bear such media mess and following resposibility. No wonder he really feels it’s just his team and burden.

  4. Guys, did u see mor vs por match? what a fantastic play by Morocco. they given a lesson how to play attacking football. I think sampaoli can go to Morocco. what a energy… wow.

    • Like I said below..morocco treat portugal like kids. Too bad, the finishings were awful, if not Morocco should’ve win by at least 1-2. And 1 or 2 penalty was not called.

      They attacked like lions, without fear and really strong, like that right wing bald guy from Morocco, made his defenders fall down all the time.

      And they almost won the rebound/ loose ball all the time.

      In fact, yes this is the most jaw jarring attacking display I have yet seen in a world cup, but I don’t rate their attack higher than Argentina. If it were Iceland and not Portugal, Morocco should’ve faced a dead wall too. But, indeed, many moments were moments that I wish happened to us, the way their wingers closing on Portugal goal line, the penetration, only Pavon that could do things like that in our side, salvio, did once but compared to Morocco they probably have at least 4 or 5 times against a team such as Portugal which is insane.

      And Portugal midfield was non existent. They’re like kids chasing the ball.

  5. Instead of 343 why don’t we go for 352. England played that against Tunisia I think. But why all these number games? For a long long time Uruguay played with Forlan Suarez and Cavani together. All naturally forwards but Forlan and Cavani falling back to help Suarez. Why don’t Messi or Dybala make that compromise and seems Dybala is ready to play anywhere. But biggest sadness is Sampaoli wasted such a time and chances to sync Messi and Dybala. Yesterday Senegal run the whole match with such an ease. How come a casual smoker and bench warming Rojo or Cabellaro going to deal with them? But biggest confidence is this is the first time in a world cup we are under tremendous pressure. It slowly build our concentration and confidence for later stages. And finally Messi.. don’t see Maradona or Ronaldo.. just think about Gary Speed. After four five years when you hang your boots.. you will be only blessed and cursed with time.. endless time.. merciless time.. meaningless time.. you will come one on one with time which am not sure how you are going to deal..at that time you feel how I missed to enjoy the greatest pressure of life as you will realise depression without reason is the greatest challenge in life.. time fools everyone..so please forget the results.. enjoy the pressure.. enjoy your time in the pitch.. those happiness is beyond winning the cup.. just play.. enjoy every moment.. the pressure you are blessed now..it’s never going to happen for anyone in Football history.. here success is not about winning but how much you are enjoying.. just run.. just play.. just love our.. your..ever.. the beautiful game..

  6. Paplo D, thank u very much too, sir !
    It makes me very happy to hear about your first trip whitehartlane and wow ! what a game that must have been ! if u have time to write more i would like to hear more about Mauriccio Tarricco and did he also played together with villa and ardiles ? If my old man was still here watching spurs and argentina with me he would surely remember Mauriccio Tarricco and maybe even that game u were talking about against leeds ? but unfortunatly he past away just before pochettino brought spurs back to business again and i’m so exited now because i’m so eager to see foyth getting more playing time and also how lamela’s situation will end up ? i truly hope that his injury story is past him now and towards end of the season he looked deffinetly more sharper and like he was getting close back to his best form and i wished that sampa would have picked him but i think because lanzini at westham played such a good season again it was allways hard for lamela to get in to the 23 man squad, but i would have personally picked him and dropped di maria or biglia forvexample even they are not playing similar position but still now lamela might have something extra to offer us, well it is allways easy to say all theese things after everything has allready happened, but i never really liked sampa’s 23 man squad with rojo, biglia, di maria, higuain etc… i wished that he could had give more playing time for so called our youngsters who in fact are not that young anymore, but it is what is now and we cant do nothing about it just only wish for a miracle to happen and hopefully somehow the players themselfs will also realise and really fight until the very end ! and i will deffinetly look for that ” the impossible champion ” and btw do u have any news of spurs maybe scouting more for future argentinian talents ? because i would really love to see 1 or 2 more argentinians with pochettino at charge and it’s real pitty that AFA dont have money to hire him or simeone but i do understand it after all that economic shit what happenned with imf and argentina !
    Best Regards
    ricky villa( i chose that login name because my old man used to call me ricky even it doent have nreally nothing to do with my true name but he thought me everything about football since i was 3 years old and in my country he played together with players from his generation who made it all the way to national team of finland that time and one of those guys just passed away recently and actually he was our country’s uefa representative. )

    ricky villa: thank you sir,
    im not sure if you read in another post but we also are both Tottenham supporter’s and what brought me to the mighty spurs…Osvaldo and Ricky of course…in 1979, both great players and of course legend’s for Tottenham and the n/t.

    pocc is an amazing manager and its very interesting how so many ex players that have played for him speak of him in such high regard, he would be great given time with the n/t job but in saying that his wage is a cool 3 million g.b.p per year and that means it will not happen with our bankrupt Afa.

    my 1st Tottenham game at W.h.l was vs leeds in a 2-1 win and the irony was it was scored by an Argentine named Mauricio Taricco, it was a 30 yard stunner and well worthy of a winner in any game.

    If you want to see an very interesting film on the n.t i thoroughly recommend “the impossible champion” the 86 win against all the odds, its a masterpiece and well worth your time viewing it.
    http://www1.produ.com/hispanictv/noticias/5561
    if you search you may be able to find it, maybe Netflix or it was on bein sports.
    all the best…

    • This would be our last serious match in WC …just prepare yourself for an early exit from group stage …. So frustrated from this duo … Sampaoli/Messi ….. anyway Vamos Argentina…

  7. If we look at the proposed 11 for tomorrow Acuna(was used as a LB) Salvio(was used as a RB) and both did reasonably well. Enzo(Is defensive minded midfielder) so its Mascherano, Mercado, Otamendi, Tagliafico, Acuna, Enzo, Salvio. These all r responsible for defending. Add to that Pavon too who can carry on around running from one end to other for a good 70 minutes, Messi and Aguero can focus on attack only. Pavona and Acuna has pace which will be vital for us. Young legs will make our passing faster. Hope Caballero does well.

    • This would be our last serious match in WC …just prepare yourself for an early exit from group stage …. So frustrated from this duo … Sampaoli/Messi ….. anyway Vamos Argentina…Meza instead of Dybala ???? Acuna and Salvio instead of LoCelso and Banega ???? What is happening with this mad 😡 Sampaoli???? This formation has not been tested before … we are testing now in this vital and crucial game ??? This is a 3-1-6 formation oh my god we are done in counters … I think 4-1 for Croatia … with mercy of course !!!!! Last time we played like this was in QF 2010 WC against Germany and were humiliated 4-0 now the history will be repeated ….!!!! Unfortunately … 😭

  8. This is one of the most frustrating situations, for me as a fan, ever. Extremely frustrating. A smart Coach will definitely start both Messi and Dybala. You design a way, or ways, where they can play together. And then let them practice and practice and practice. I watched them play against Brazil, A WIN FOR ARGENTINA, and I saw no problem. If anything, again AGAINST FREAKING BRAZIL, they looked unstoppable, breaking them down over and over. Why not build on that?? Why shoot yourself in the foot?? You have so much talents at your disposable, something nobody else in this World Cup does(who can boast of combined quality of Messi, Dybala, Aguero and Higuain???), and yet, for some reason, stupid reasons, refuse to use it. So frustrating.

  9. @arjunanmessi, watch your words. Have etiquettes. Is this how you speak to your family?
    .
    What if your kid repeats what you just wrote against splendor? Will you accept?
    .
    You seem to be in a gall of bitterness. Repent or you will sink in hell fire.

    • How on the earth Argentina fan says Ronaldo 5 times better than messi ? He ( splender) never be a Argentina fan.He comes here to provoke as Argentina draw against Iceland but for a true fan its hurts. I understand feelings of Arjuna ( messi) who loves Argentina & messi that’s why he reacted angrily but he can given his reply better way.

      • i tried… but at that time… that cmt is good for him…. mr sanisdrooooooooooo this one for you messi scored four goals in group stage last world cup… and won the player of the tournment…… he chasing something different… not induvidual trophy…. the only one he wants world cup… i dont care messi scored or not… if he makes assists and create chance for others,,,.. and that will give argentina trophy… i will take happily…

    • mr chalz…. he is not an argentina fan… and destroying your captain…. i love messi… he deserves respect… who the hell he was …. i watched his all cmts.. he not a argentina fan or messi fan… some of them you and ganzalo… target messi when he is not performed… but i understand your frustration… but this guy.. he irritate me more than you chalz,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

  10. I’m really surprised people are comparing Ronaldo and Messi. Ronaldo is an excellent goal scorer but nothing compared to Messis overall play. Remember Messi scored in all group matches and what happened after that match ?

    • Agree. And in my opinion, their psychological states are different – the Portugese do not expect Ronaldo and team to win the World Cup; on the other hand, everyone’s expecting Messi to drag his team to win the World Cup – the hopes of the entire nation rest on his shoulders and the moment he misses a match defining penalty, he is hung out to dry. True, it’s tough and it’s something a Messiah has to bear. But it’s definitely not helping.

  11. Rune, yes so so true and very, very sad too, once again !

    So 3-4-3 against a Croatia team who will now not attack us….they only need a draw….this is crazy. The best we can get is a draw in this game. Realistically we are out of this World Cup. Iceland will beat Nigeria and then Iceland and Croatia will draw their game scoring as many goals as nessessary to get the mighty Argentina eliminated.
    It is really quite easy….choose the best starting 11 and play 4-4-2 and we will be difficult to beat and we could go far in this World Cup, but Sampa has other ideas. So sad.

  12. tomorrow bullshit players of ARG is going to play. they will dominte ball but nothing will happen
    there is set of players who are all destroyed Argentina football with their ego’s and headweight. that ego’s and headweights are killing them. what he is thinking that he is the only person can play good food all than other players.

    • yes they are bullshit… but they will win tommorow,,, then you will hide from this… site… is am correcct… one thing i want to say pure lovers for this argentina national team… see this kind of guy dominating argentina site… he is penaldo fan… if you are real argentina fans… destroy him….. with you cmts… this is my request….

  13. if Argentina failed to cross group stage maradona will fuck sampaoli and messi

    how physically Portugal and Morocco playing.

    at the age of 33, what a fantastic play by Cristiano, you are enjoying on the pitch. that is the motivation to your team members.

      • if Portugal won the match today because of ronaldo.

        ronaldo should get the ballon d or award 2017-2018 row..

        can anybody bet Ronaldo will win FIFA’18 golden boot award.

        all of the Argentina players are turtles. even Morocco or Russia can beat them

        • Just get out from here, I get it you Ronaldo fan.
          And btw Portugal is leading,but Morocco treat them like a kind of hunting game. Portugal hold breath every time Morocco attack.

    • You do remember me troy movie when achilus meet hector and say You won’t have eyes tonight. You won’t have ears or a tongue, you’ll wander the underworld blind, deaf and dumb. And all the dead shall know; this is Hector, the fool who thought he killed Achilles!

    • Ronaldo is not better than Own Goal. And Messi himself said that he is just an ordinary player. He doesn’t give a shit if people calling him the best anymore OK?
      Anyways own goal is called, wants his GOAT status back.

      • Ronaldo is having an amazing run but quality wise Messi is just lil bit better. Messi is Already all time greatest. Ronaldo in never compared to Pele or Diego. Ronaldo is an amazing goal scorer like a machine. But Messi is on another level. He single handedly brought this dissorted Argentina to WC. Messi make the whole team play but Ronaldo only plays himself. Ronaldo can take Portugal to the QF atmost. Messi took us to Final. For a kid Ronaldo would look better but when grows up and learn more football he ll see the difference. Ronaldo fans are usually Messi Haters Thatswhy they think Ronaldo is better. Infact they know Messi is better.

      • @Manuel, @Insider; I didn’t mean that POR is going to win the World Cup;
        Just like James in 2014, 2018 can be Ronaldo’s as no one expects POR to win it all;
        Already scored 4, he will have atleast two more matches to play; may score 1 or 2; In prev WC’s 5 or 6 is avg no. of goals for the Golden boot winner;

        It looks like portugal will scrape through their opponents just like EUROS;

    • No, Own Goal is the GOAT. And I still dropped Own Goal from the Argentina team in selection, because he didn’t have a good chemistry with Messi. He complained about how Messi never gives the ball to him. Helped us in the qualifiers tho. Seeing his performance, I’m regretting why I dropped him. Own Goal’s omission is a worser blunder than Icardi and Dybala

  17. So 3-4-3 against a Croatia team who will now not attack us….they only need a draw….this is crazy. The best we can get is a draw in this game. Realistically we are out of this World Cup. Iceland will beat Nigeria and then Iceland and Croatia will draw their game scoring as many goals as nessessary to get the mighty Argentina eliminated.
    It is really quite easy….choose the best starting 11 and play 4-4-2 and we will be difficult to beat and we could go far in this World Cup, but Sampa has other ideas. So sad.

    • If i remember well Samp never lost with this formation: 1:0 vs Brazil, 6:0 vs Singapure, 0:0 vs Uruguay 1:1 vs Venezuela, 0:0 vs Peru, 3:1 vs Ecuador, against Russia and Nigeria it was 3-3-1-3 and seems really hard to beat. Cmon this overrated Croatia will never ever beat us, but i expect Iceland can defeat them easily.

      • Man guys jeez, stop dissing my formation. Croatia are not Germany and I’ll teach those Son Of A Bics a lesson. Free hair salon treatments for the team if we win

  18. If a 3-4-3 is the rumoured lineup despite never being practiced leading up to the WC (and failing miserably during qualifications), then I have equal hopes of believing Sampaoli will field both Messi-Dybala despite never being practiced leading up to the WC (and failing miserably during qualifications).

    I just don’t understand why Sampaoli can’t field the same lineup against Haiti (and swap Meza for Lanzini) since this has been the practiced formation for the past month

    • There will be so many complications. It is easier to say this formation & that without much deeper knowledge of condition, form of players. Difference between the opponents.
      Who told you Sampoli never practiced 3_4_3 Before?
      We are getting a little informations regarding the practice of the team, any team. It’s not good to conclude like that because we have zero clue.
      It was decided before the Iceland match, that the approach n line up will be different against Croatia. Don’t paint this as a panic decision & all.

  19. After the afternoon practice, Sampaoli decided not to start with MAD. Now he will stick to 3-4-3 as reported before. Still, Sampaoli confused about Enzo or Meza with Mascherano. Probably he will have to use MAD when there is a necessity. That’s why he tested this.

    I wonder what happened to Lo Celso. He was there in starting x1 in every training from start to just before the WC only to be kicked out for Biglia. Now he’s nowhere in the lineup..!

    • So that itself prove the theory of Him being kicked out for Messi’s friends.
      There must be something wrong about his style, according to sampoli.
      Said that, i would like to see him play.

  21. mamoun el pipita, i share your thoughts about mad sounds great on paper, yes it does indeed sound great, but i think u are right about their defenssive side of they can offer us, so like u said i don’t belive them will help us to defend, but if they will truly pressure in the right way to help our middfield and defense then i’m fine with mad, but i got my doubts too about it like u said in your comment below :

    Not sure how I feel about this, using MAD sounds great on paper but non of ’em defend or even press so the team is left short on the defensive side. Another issue is putting pavon on RM when -to my knowledge- he never played at such position and I really don’t know anything about his defensive prowess.
    If baldie is going with MAD (highly doubt it) then I’d drop Pavon, shift Enzo to RM, and put either celso or meza next to Masch and Acuna remains on the left.

  22. If it is true then the squad will be most probably
    ……………….caballero
    ……Mercado otamendi tagliafico
    ……….enzo Masche. acuna
    Pavon ………..messi………meza
    ………………….Aguero
    With pavon a little bit up than acuna and meza running from central to left wide areas and enzo with the additional duty of protecting the rightside counters.
    Infact it looks good for me because it can include both meza and enzo and one can sit back a little bit to protect the absense of salvio while meza can connect to messi and run through the left wing which will allow acuna to keep his positions for the counters…

    • But why switch the sides of Meza and Pavon? The same could work with Meza on the right and Pavon on the left.

      • I don’t think so. As per the tyc, the reported attempt to put Pavon on RM was to add another striker. I don’t think that was to play Meza & Enzo both.
        I think it will be Dybala or Higuain.

        • Some sites are reporting this too….
          Lets see…..
          Adding dybala or higuain may make this squad ultra attacking….personally i dont think higuain and aguero will start together.. And the case of dybala…huff….
          Messi dybala aguero pavon starting together in a back 3 formation with two old guard pivots…
          I cant imagine it…!!!!

  23. @Roy Nemer / Moderaters, please pull this comment box to the top… its really hard to navigate to the bottom to comment. Thanks.
    .
    Hats off to you guys for putting in overtime to entertain us and also making the blog more interesting.
    .
    Also if bloggers can to be screened if they are pure fans of Argentina or they are here due to certain player or group of players (which can also be called ‘friends of Messi’) 😜

  25. After Croatian players say, We are better than Argentina. Now Nigerian players telling Iceland is difficult than Argentina. We have no respect now?
    Spain 6-1 and Nigeria 4-1 made us this tag. Nobody cares we lost to them without Messi..!

  27. Another news from Argentine camp:
    Sampaoli planning to shift Pavon to right instead of Salvio. Thus he can add one more forward. Probably it will be Dybala?

    —–Mercado-Otamendi-Tagliafico—-
    Pavon-Mascherano-Enzo/Meza-Acuna
    ———-Messi———–Dybala——-
    ——————-Aguero

    • If sampoli is trying that, it will be great. The News of Dybala in Will give surely head ache to Croatia. They are also planning 3 CBs backline. Corulka might cone in as CB for Their LB.
      Dybala Messi Aguero Pavaon Acuna will be great against their slow defence…

      I hope if Pavon plays instead of Salvio, then Enzo Perez is a must as RCM along with CDM Masche. ..

      • Which forward, Sampaoli didn’t decide. We don’t know Sampaoli whether he will go for,
        ——Messi
        Aguero-Higuain

        or MAD line up as I mentioned…!
        ———-Messi———–Dybala——-
        ——————-Aguero

        MAD is the best trio in the word if it works…!

        • Both lineup will work.with both aguero and messi there higuain can also be helpful with his pressing and he is sharper but I still want to see dybala with messi and aguero.dybala brings long distance shooting that can break Croatian bus

    • Not sure how I feel about this, using MAD sounds great on paper but non of ’em defend or even press so the team is left short on the defensive side. Another issue is putting pavon on RM when -to my knowledge- he never played at such position and I really don’t know anything about his defensive prowess.
      If baldie is going with MAD (highly doubt it) then I’d drop Pavon, shift Enzo to RM, and put either celso or meza next to Masch and Acuna remains on the left.

    • If it is true then the squad will be most probably
      ……………….caballero
      ……Mercado otamendi tagliafico
      ……….enzo Masche. acuna
      Pavon ………..messi………meza
      ………………….Aguero
      With pavon a little bit up than acuna and meza running from central to left wide areas and enzo with the additional duty of protecting the rightside counters.
      Infact it looks good for me because it can include both meza and enzo and one can sit back a little bit to protect the absense of salvio while meza can connect to messi and run through the left wing which will allow acuna to keep his positions for the counters…

    • @insider u have any links of that news?it is obvious that dybala and Messi played together then Croatian definitely pip on Thier pant…and I want Messi dybala lo celso pavon meza all the players should start.. because we have strength in foreward line and we all focus on it..

  28. Jobless Idiots spamming this group with 3rd class jokes. Please leave. Many of like are here to discuss football & read updates.
    Please leave.

    • I think it is the typical World Cup surge. They will leave as soon as its over. They are little divas and attention whores.

    • Fact is I was so frustrated by the negativity surrounding the team recently that I posted these jokes so to lighten the mood of the group a little.
      Sad it looks like it’s all in bad taste.
      Apologies guys, thought a Sampaoli troll account would do this page more good than harm..
      I’m trying to channel the pessimism into jokes while at the same time I’m not gonna spoil the serious tactical discussions as far as possible.
      I’m an avid fan and want to the team lift this cup in Russia as much as everyone does.
      8 years of heartbreak is too much to bear man.

      • jorge Sampbaldy@ i find you hilarious ….the god damn user name itself had me in splits … but looks like u have offended some sensitives .. have fun keep it light

      • i happen to like your posts baldie, it has lightened up the mood alittle here and you haven’t insulted anyone so don’t stop on my account and if others don’t like your posts then they don’t have to read ’em.

      • No offence taken man 🙂 I understand what you are trying to say @seema1972 .
        It probably would not have mattered if it was a parody of someone ‘irrelevant” to the current team(former coach/players etc). For some of us it makes us even more disappointed 🙁
        Also , more importantly once these things start it becomes a trend and before you know the message threads will be spammed(not by you but other people attempting parody accounts).

    • Chill…just like the players out there people here also need to relax. It’s not a matter of life and death. If we win excellent. If we lose we try again. players and managers may change but the passion will remain coz for good or for bad we all fell in love with the albiceleste. Have fun.

  29. I phoned my old pal Doctor Strange yesterday. Put him on speakerphone and Messi was there too.
    Excerpt from the conversation:-
    Dr. Stephen Strange: I went forward in time… to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming World Cup.

    Jorge: How many did you see?

    Dr. Stephen Strange: Fourteen million six hundred and five.

    Messi: How many did we win?

    Dr. Stephen Strange: …One.

  30. mamoun el pipita, yes it’s a funny story with that contamined water according to brazilians, i have heard many storie’s of that too ! also about some stories when the argentinian team landed in italy 1990 with diego and his personal bodyguard’s luggage ? i even saw a documentarry of that from italian broadcaster rai uno i belive it was, maybe, but it is so many years ago and all was offcourse spoken in italian language and my half italian hardcore napoli fan translated it to me so i can ‘t be totally sure of his translation if it was correctly translated or not but anyway i do remember the picture’s shown in that documentary about diego and his bodyguard+the 2 italian brother’s from naples who were running camorra during that time and posting pictures of themself’s with diego in a middle of all them 3 and something about several phonecalls made by diego’s bodyguard to them and then it all end it up obviously very saddly for the bodyguard himself getting arrested by cops listening to the all of those phone calls made by him to theese 2 camorra brothers and then the bodyguard was brought in to the local jail waiting for trial to happen but unfortunatly for him he didn’t last that long in there if u understand what i mean by all of this ? Even it has nothing to do with argentinian national team it is just a rather another crazy story from that same era with cintamined water story, and i just remembered now again when i read your post about thar contamined water story.

    The game you’re talking about happened in the 2nd round and I’ve watched that game in retrospect 3 times and boy do I feel sorry for any Argentine (or argentine fan) who had to sit through that whole thing because it is essentially 80 minutes of nail biting, blood pressure inducing, heart attack causing horror show.
    It’s funny how some of my brazilian supporting friends say that the game was rigged because apparently argentina gave brazil contaminated water, yet if you watch that game Brazil totally and I mean TOTALLY dominated Argentina until Diego channeled his 86 self and the rest was history.
    I have no love for that 1990 team but I must admit that what they lacked in skill more than made up for it in grit, 11 pairs of brass balls on that field. That team had Goygocchia this team has a shaky Caballero, that team had a clinical speed demon like Canni and this team has a mentally retarded (in footballing terms) Dimaria. That team had warriors throughout the field and this team has a frightened little boy in a man’s body called Biglia.
    This team of ours needs athleticism and self belief and while the former can be accomplished by adding the likes of Acuna, pavon and Enzo to the starting line up the latter has to come from the players themselves and right now I see a Messi who is just happy to get to the semis and I see myself hoping for a draw against Croatia even though Argentina should be able to beat them soundly, this is how little I rate this team, it’s coach and their overall mentality and I haven’t felt like that since the Diego coaching days and I f***ing hate it.

  31. Pablo D, thnx a lot for your kindness towards me, even i’m so called “newbie” by posting on this site, though i have followed this site for i think at least when the south-american qualification round started for brazil 2014, maybe even before that(when the copa america was last time played in argentina 2011 when i think Tevez was one of the players who missed one of the penalties against “charro’s” ? Anyway i have been quite lucky most of the time here in finlad actually to be able to watch in live( directly) most of argentina’s games neither qualification or copa america game’s, though some years i had to go on using streams which was allways not so easy because internet policies and so on etc…, but i wanted actually say that i remember u been allways posting good analysis and writings on this web site from since when i founded this web site for the very first time and like san isidro as well and sula v and offcourse obviously the list goes on because lot of members participating and posting on this web site, but some times it get’s bit out of hands because people start to argue about things which offcourse they entitled to do according to their own oppions but, personally i’m not intrested in that so much rather more reading and trying to find out good information for to learn more about argentinian football and what is going on with it and with country itself too, because all that bloody economic shit with imf and so on…etc. and like i told to san isidro before that my uncle’s wife is from the area of buenos aires and she works here on the uruguayn embassy and sometimes she told me about corrupted people who stole a lot of so called goverment’s money and hide it in the some couffin of a priest of some church etc. and sometimes she talks about her memories from 1978 and so on, so basicly i’m just trying learn more by reading your and other’s comment’s which make sense to me like for example san isidro’s ! just to make my own knowledge of argentina’s football a bit better ! So hope u guys keep on posting no matter how difficult situation we will end up, and now i’m praying for a miracle to happen so we could get back to winning ways again !

    ricky villa: another great write up from you and its Bear Bryant who is credited with the quote: “Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.”

    • ricky villa: thank you sir,
      im not sure if you read in another post but we also are both Tottenham supporter’s and what brought me to the mighty spurs…Osvaldo and Ricky of course…in 1979, both great players and of course legend’s for Tottenham and the n/t.

      pocc is an amazing manager and its very interesting how so many ex players that have played for him speak of him in such high regard, he would be great given time with the n/t job but in saying that his wage is a cool 3 million g.b.p per year and that means it will not happen with our bankrupt Afa.

      my 1st Tottenham game at W.h.l was vs leeds in a 2-1 win and the irony was it was scored by an Argentine named Mauricio Taricco, it was a 30 yard stunner and well worthy of a winner in any game.

      If you want to see an very interesting film on the n.t i thoroughly recommend “the impossible champion” the 86 win against all the odds, its a masterpiece and well worth your time viewing it.
      http://www1.produ.com/hispanictv/noticias/5561
      if you search you may be able to find it, maybe Netflix or it was on bein sports.
      all the best…

  32. To be honest, I am not stressed at all. Why stress? Argentina has been repeatedly getting knocked out from the knock outs for the last 2 decades. Aleast Messi took us to the Final and I am grateful to him. And I know he will do it again so I am not gonna worry but Enjoy the game. If he fails, life goes on and i ll wait for 2022. But why stress and not enjoy and live the moment. If we dont its our loss. We are going to win. Lets believe. If you dont want to and stress about it. Your loss.
    Vamos Albiceleste.
    2018 is ours.

  33. Di Maria gives Messi a visit at his room Tuesday night as a last attempt hoping that reminding him of their alliance will influence Messi to ask Sampaoli to return back the headless chicken to starting line up.

  34. Hey, hope guys I’m not stupid enough not to play Dybala!
    On a serious note, drop Meza, shift Messi to deeper in midfield and put Dybala in the central role. I’ll do that to take the pressure of my boy Leo if he’s burdened down again if some team parks a Boeing 747 against him. Hope my bald head thinks about this idea, and I do have a brain underneath it.
    As of now, the attacking plan would be the same, but Pavon, Lo Celso(either it his him or my trusted man Enzo) Salvio should be enough to support my chocolate boy and Kun baby up front.
    Don’t worry, looks like I ate too much of those extra food they sent from home with my boy Gonazalo that I put Biglia and that headless chicken on the team sheet last time vs Iceland. It won’t repeat now lads!
    I was brought to manage this team for a reason!
    La Copa del Mundo viene!

    • Is it true that you are bias towards Caballero just because you both are labeled “bald” or because you found him calm and holds his composure under pressure more than any goalie like what we witnessed in Iceland match? Or because of his generosity in gifting the opponents goals?

      • Hey, the hairstylist said we both look alike, and I think I and Caballero may be long lost brothers. Diego once met me one day and said, Caballero is like family, you better treat him well, he can do wonders.
        Well, I still keep faith in my boi.
        I have dared the team’s hairstylist to give us both Neymar’s noodle hairstyle if we lose to Croatia
        So gear up guys, Caballero is going on beast mode next game haha

  35. Dybala – Messi combo should have been tested in the friendlies, I don’t think now we can afford any experimentation. Had we win the first 2 matches then in the last group match we could have experimented. Now all the matches which ever left should be played with MAXIMUM EFFORT. There is no breathing space now. Either float or die by drowning.

    • I can challenge your theory by saying if Argentina fails in this game while Dybala sitting on the bench, not just Argentina is out but the entire world will be hot ready to blame Sampaoli for leaving the best young attacker in the world on the bench and keeping top serie A scorer at home. It’s double whammy for the coach.

      • If Argentina fails to make to the second round Sampa will be burned alive back in Argentina. There is no doubt that he already has committed so many controversial mistakes.

        Caballero instead of Armani(Argentine public wanted to have Armani so badly)
        Higuain inclusion & Icardi omission
        Didn’t test the Dybala – Messi combo in more matches (apart from 1 or 2 Qualifying tensed match) etc etc.

        But we cant satisfy all at the same time. In my opinion Sampa has compromised his ideas due to pressure and demand. His preference was 3-4-3(Which is bad in our heads)but he used that formation with success before with Chile i guess, then he had to compromise it. He tried 4-2-3-1 that too failed. Now he is getting back to his original idea of 3-4-3 which he is confident in. Lets see how it will work. I think there is a chance with 3-4-3 because Acuna, Pavon, Mercado, & Enzo all are hard working players which may bring some luck back to us.

      • Calm down guys, I will play Dybala. I don’t think I dropped Icardi just so that Dybala can have an extended holiday seeing the sights of Russia and watching Gonzalo eat his food up again all the time. He is a football player c’mon, I have other staff to do the dirty work.
        He may come on as a sub, there is a reason I sent him to the press conference. He is not a dummy lol.
        BTW, the Bronnitsy staff are really pissed. The official team barber yesterday was disappointed that usually Argentine coaches have great hair, he’s complaining why I haven’t got one? I said, I’ll grow some again if I win. He told to take inspiration from the Icelanders and their wonderful hairstyles. I told him you will get a bonus sum from me when you see my boys doing well against Croatia.
        He will get the bonus if we win, and I promised him to give some extra food from that huge supply flown from the homeland if we win this world cup.
        WE WILL PLAY TO OUR HEARTS, THE TEAM BARBER SHALL GET HIS BONUS!

        • Why give him the food that Higuain needs desperately for his tummy?Instead give him your classy trademark tight jeans. Or better idea the photo you have in your head about the midfield partnership of Mascherano and your boy biglia.

          • Good point lad.
            I have directed the team’s fashion director to get me a new set of pants for the Croatia game.
            I was playing so much of FIFA yesterday that I mindlessly put the same jeans again by mistake. Yuck it smelt so bad after the Iceland match, eww! People in the press conference should have been disgusted by the foul smell and not our performace on the pitch!
            Just deleted my Tinder account so I don’t have to swipe Biglia and Masceranho right all over again. It’s getting irritating, I think Tite the Titty or Fernando Santos had sent some hackers so I was bound to keep on getting matched up with them again and again.

          • Kutz73: those tight jeans are the legacy of the best tactician in modern football today because of the double pivot style they replicate. Some assume they have that magic wisdom of cutting the midfield supply to messi and isolate Aguero in the box alone.

  37. I don’t know what formation Argentina plays just win the match that’s it.why sampaoli starting caballero is beyond my intelligence.

  38. My main fear is Caballero, I don’t have confidence in him, and he scares me everytime they attack him. He’s probably the weakest link in the starting 11 after the headless chicken of course.

  40. San Isidro, your most welcome and ihave thank u in the same way u did ror me even i’m not argentianian ! So all thnx to u ! And That game 1990 in italy was deffinettly the highlight of the whole tournament for myself at least, the deffensive work of argentina was just unbeliweable i have never seen anything like that even from italians ! And what a pass that was from diego to cannigia and the run and the finishing was so incredible like he had allmost supernatural powers, the speed, the timing of the run and the finishing ! offcourse without of diego’s great vision and pass it would have never happened that’s is why is miss so much players like riquelme but unfortunatly there are not any more that many playmakers in the whole worlf left, for some reason argentina who used have so manynofvthem before like redondo, veron, riquelme and the list goes on… not to forgetting the people during the late 70’s and the whole 80’s era as well ! Unfortunatly people allways remember the ones who are mostly involded in scoring the goals which offcourse is a must if u eventually want to win, but no one can score that many goals if there is no proper middfield which i still belive decides in the end who will win, offcourse luck plays obviously big part to, but with luck u can at least to try creaate it by your own hardworking spirit and the defense is ultimate key to everything because if sabella were not able to transform our playing style in brasil 4 years ago we would never have entered the final that’s is why i consider him a wise men when he realized that fab 4 was not able to deliver in the same way like in the qualification games which got us to brasil.
    But i think he also suffered with the same decission making in the end by taking injured aquero and injuryprone di maria and also messi and choker higuain were not at their best form so all to credit once again to our defenssive workrate which use to be the trademarke+very good middfield in the past history of argentinian football, exactly like u said ii in your comment below !

    Ricky
    Thanks for your kind words. I am glad there are people on this site that know history of Argentina football. Many people forget what guys like batista tarantini and others did all the dirty work for the team to come together. In the past Argentina was about strong defense, disruptive midfield and one or two strikers that know how to finish. Guys like bertoni luque Kempes were incredible players with ice in their veins.
    But most classic example is the 1990 game against Brazil. I think it was the semifinal. Brazil destroyed us in every phase of the game. For 90 minutes Brazil attacked and we defended with 11 players. Everybody was on defense. Then there was one moment Maradona got break away and passed to caniggia between three players and caniggia put in the back of Brazilian net.
    It was the greatest defensive effort I have ever seen from any football team. But that day we were so organized and so committed that there was nothing Brazil could do.
    I miss those days. Those efforts and results were our history and tradition. Every player didn’t talk about the national team they showed their love for the country on the pitch.
    People forget Maradona would give 100 percent effort on defense. Every player understood importance of defense. Today we don’t understand that as a team, culture and it is not a part of our plan.
    Sabella understood this and last World Cup we gave up very few goals.
    If you don’t understand that defense is very important and cheap goals will kill you in the World Cup than you don’t understand the game

    • Don’t feel bad for the kid, he’s a talented footballer that managed to force himself into the starting line up of the most expensive team in europe and who is now at the world cup and he’s only 21!!! If he keeps improving I could see him in the team for the next 10 years.

  43. I really did not understand and got dumb. How can Lo Celso did not play as he is used frequently in the friendly and training, wait for the next round or just write off. How did Ansaldi and Dybala become the spoke person in press conference without getting a single minute playing. This is so weird.

    Maybe Sampaoli did focus on traning and drilling the other starting XI and he did not want his main players to get disturb and mental broken by media critics. Right person to greet the media is Di Maria.

  44. San Isidro, thnx again 4 reply ! I had that feeling long ago that u knew what u we’re and are still talking about and i now perfectly understand everything u have said during all theese years i have been reading mundo albiceleste forum every single day ! Just wished that i would have at least see one of players in live once in mynlifetime(exept garay when he was once playing here finland many years ago though i can’t remember anymore was it spanish or portugese club, but it must have been one of the poruguese clubs playing a training game our HJK from helsinki which have only once qualifed to the championsleague many many years ago, i think it was maybe mid 90’s or couple of years later ? They had Benfica, PSV and the third team i cant remember anymore because during that time i was living in Denmark which has allways been my so called European favourite after the euro’s 1984 when Platini ‘s France won the cup with pretty much same players who were at Mexico 1986. That final i will never forget because both my father and my grandfather were supporting germans and i remember to start crying when they levelled 2-2, but then came great burruchaga and after the game my grandfather and offcourse my father who had very mixed emotions during the game because he also liked argentina allways as well gonratuled me for argentina’s win and for supporting them until the end of the game. That semi against belgium was great game of too when diego scored both of goals against jean marie pfaff, and belgiums had a bloody good team during that time too specially enzo scifo who still has been so influential after he retired with belgiums football development ! And when butragueno hammered the danish after hey have dereated charro’s i also cryied, because the too had such a great team during that time too not like when theybwon finally the euro’s with younger laudrup but that won was more of because Peter Smeichell thevfather of kasper who is in russia now and atarting fill his fathers boots. But 1982 the bloody brazilians and italiana as well kicked the shit out of diego allmost everytime he received the ball and nowdays it’s impossible to just give the ball to one man and exept him do the rest because football has developod so much from the past until now. I dont mean that there were not great players during those times but nowdays every single player with everybody’s starting eleven must contribute so much more than before. 1978 unfortunattly i cant remember even though i watched with my sitting on my father’s laps and when austria defeated the mighty germans then i think my father switched to support argentina, maybe he did allready before that, but during the early 70’s he allways supported the germans vs dutch, i quessed because he had studiedcin german and in Strassburgh in France too which i belived once or more during european ugly war history switched sides constantly because of war’s between france and the german’s ? but enough of bloody war history and just wish that miraclecwillnhappennto us this time because we do rightfully deserve it after all those 3 ruined finals in a row ! But with sampa in charge…well i do not really to even want mention that man’s name no more or about his coaching, player selection etc….he just sucks big time and if ee win i won’t give still any credit for that because of his 23 man squad that he brought with him to russia !at meantime i wish u and your country all the best and actually i was planning to go russia this year finally watch my all time favourite team argentina but now im really glad thatbi chose to go thailand instead with my kids and wife because she’s from Thailand and her mother is unfortunatly at the moment in not that great condiotion at healthwise, but i quess age cathes us all at some point of life ? Best Regards
    Ricky Villa btw that login name i chose bonly because my old man allways called me ricky even it has nothing to do with my real name but because of ardiles and villa played in spurs my old man allways supported spurs and no one else from english side’s because duringvthose times they were only showing saturdays games fom enland here in finland and i truly wished that he would have beenthe rise of pochettino’s spurs but unfortunatly he passed away suddenly at age 63, way too much early but that is life and not allways unfortunatly in our hands like now with sampa’s team !

    • Ricky
      Thanks for your kind words. I am glad there are people on this site that know history of Argentina football. Many people forget what guys like batista tarantini and others did all the dirty work for the team to come together. In the past Argentina was about strong defense, disruptive midfield and one or two strikers that know how to finish. Guys like bertoni luque Kempes were incredible players with ice in their veins.
      But most classic example is the 1990 game against Brazil. I think it was the semifinal. Brazil destroyed us in every phase of the game. For 90 minutes Brazil attacked and we defended with 11 players. Everybody was on defense. Then there was one moment Maradona got break away and passed to caniggia between three players and caniggia put in the back of Brazilian net.
      It was the greatest defensive effort I have ever seen from any football team. But that day we were so organized and so committed that there was nothing Brazil could do.
      I miss those days. Those efforts and results were our history and tradition. Every player didn’t talk about the national team they showed their love for the country on the pitch.
      People forget Maradona would give 100 percent effort on defense. Every player understood importance of defense. Today we don’t understand that as a team, culture and it is not a part of our plan.
      Sabella understood this and last World Cup we gave up very few goals.
      If you don’t understand that defense is very important and cheap goals will kill you in the World Cup than you don’t understand the game

      • @san isidro

        The game you’re talking about happened in the 2nd round and I’ve watched that game in retrospect 3 times and boy do I feel sorry for any Argentine (or argentine fan) who had to sit through that whole thing because it is essentially 80 minutes of nail biting, blood pressure inducing, heart attack causing horror show.
        It’s funny how some of my brazilian supporting friends say that the game was rigged because apparently argentina gave brazil contaminated water, yet if you watch that game Brazil totally and I mean TOTALLY dominated Argentina until Diego channeled his 86 self and the rest was history.
        I have no love for that 1990 team but I must admit that what they lacked in skill more than made up for it in grit, 11 pairs of brass balls on that field. That team had Goygocchia this team has a shaky Caballero, that team had a clinical speed demon like Canni and this team has a mentally retarded (in footballing terms) Dimaria. That team had warriors throughout the field and this team has a frightened little boy in a man’s body called Biglia.
        This team of ours needs athleticism and self belief and while the former can be accomplished by adding the likes of Acuna, pavon and Enzo to the starting line up the latter has to come from the players themselves and right now I see a Messi who is just happy to get to the semis and I see myself hoping for a draw against Croatia even though Argentina should be able to beat them soundly, this is how little I rate this team, it’s coach and their overall mentality and I haven’t felt like that since the Diego coaching days and I f***ing hate it.

  45. The #1 problem with our beloved team is not player selection, not formation, lack of players in key positions, not that other super star players can’t play with Messi, not the miserable past history…………

    The number one problem with this team is that they turn into candy-asses as soon as they are met with adversity, they are mentally weak and lack grit. They never go into a game thinking we are ARGENTINA, a footballing SUPERPOWER with the best player in history, no they go into games wishing and hoping things with turn to be OK and favorable.

    A Lion in the wild doesn’t cut and run as soon as he sees a pack of hyenas, he goes to their leader and takes her out and the rest simply fleas.

  46. Where are the 2,273 voters who voted last week on this sites poll that we would win the world cup?
    Crickets. Just what I thought.
    No Lo Celso, no Dybala no Pavon and the BEST we can hope for is a draw.

    • Well I voted for Argentina to win the world cup too but little I knew that Biglia, Dimaria and Rojo were playing against us wearing our Jersey!!

    • Hello Guys, I also voted Argentina to win the WC 2018. I have no doubt that Argentina wins the WC. Let’s see the game until the end with passion and eventually, despite all odds, flaws, and sufferings, Argentina and Messi will lift the Trophy in Russia.

      • I phoned my old pal Doctor Strange yesterday. Put him on speakerphone and Messi was there too.
        Excerpt from the conversation:-
        Dr. Stephen Strange: I went forward in time… to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming World Cup.

        Jorge: How many did you see?

        Dr. Stephen Strange: Fourteen million six hundred and five.

        Messi: How many did we win?

        Dr. Stephen Strange: …One.

      • Football actually is math. You have to score more than the other team.
        And just one comment, a team that cannot defend and has shaky goalie will not win any competition ever.
        The sad part is we have the players to win easily. We just don’t have the coach to identify them. Tell me we couldn’t use Garay, Icardi, Lautaro.

        My goodness we don’t even use Dybala. Can you tell me one other team in this World Cup who would actually be dumb enough to not play Dybala in their starting 11?

      • I have just phoned the AFA to fly my highschool mathematics books to Russia. I guess some integration and diffrentiation can make the difference against Croatia.
        Picked up my old Casio calculator and also phoned my old pal Doctor Strange yesterday.
        Excerpt from the conversation:-
        Dr. Stephen Strange: I went forward in time… to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming World Cup.

        Jorge: How many did you see?

        Dr. Stephen Strange: Fourteen million six hundred and five.

        Messi: How many did we win?

        Dr. Stephen Strange: …One.

    • Lo Celso next to Mascherano are not enough to fight in the midfield. We need Enzo Perez there. I’d put Lo Celso in place of Meza and allow Salvio to go deep on the right flank

      ———— Aguero —————
      Pavon————-Messi———–
      ———Lo Celso————Salvio-
      Acuna——-Perez—————–
      ————-Mascherano———–
      Tagliafico/Rojo——Otamendi—-Mercado
      ———–Whoever——————

    • Yea… is this the same guy on YouTube that said Dembele is the future of Barcelona? That Griezman is going to Barca?😆

      I’m not going by what some guy on YouTube says, I’ll go by what is real. Messi needs world class teammates to help him, because by himself, he can’t. They don’t give credit to the rest of the Portugal players who pushed hard and allowed Ronaldo to have those opportunities at goal, which he took advantage of to the max!
      – Look at the NBA Finals for example! Lebron James is the BEST basketball player in the world no matter what anyone says (come at me Warriors Fans!) he Carrie d clear land to the finals singlehandedly, only to get steeped by the Warriors, a COMPLETE team! One man team vs a complete team, complete team ALWAYS WINs,
      Ike it or not!
      Messi has Iniesta (had), Coutinho, Busquets, Neymar (until last season), Rakitic, so on. He is surrounded by clas players, but in Argentina he’s got nothing.
      – The overlooked Dybala is the only one who can complement Messi like Neymar did at Barca. Pull Markers and give him space to operate and combine with each other.
      Messi and Dybala NEED to start! That’s the truth!
      We Have NO midfield, so we should do what Barca did, realizing their midfield was vanishing, have all the focus go on the attack. So Sampaoli should have a front three similar to MSN but composed of Messi, Aguero, and Dybala, and a midfield to feed them. Those three would send fear to any defense, while the midfield of Argentina can focus on feeding them and defending!
      Messi and Dybala MUST START!

  48. Dybala definitely can play with Messi. Barça even had sights on buying him but Juve weren’t selling for less than 120 million and gave him the number 10. That was before Neymar destroyed the market and made every good player cost over 100 million.

    If we had a proper midfield and the Goalkeeper wasn’t crap we wouldn’t have to be afraid of fitting good attacking players together. As long as Willy keeps starting it would not matter how the attack performs since one mistake would just erase all their work. The thought of Willy in the knockouts gives an ulcer.

  49. if sampaoli is going with 3 in the back, how tagliafico finds himself in the line up? A 3 man backline works with 3 solid CB, rojo or fazio should play instead of him because if sampaoli is playing acuna thn we dont need tagliafico for attacking through the wings, tag is not that good in defence too.

  50. Tyc reported that Pavon could be in for Salvio and an alternative can be selected in the left. It could be just a rumor. But I’m excited. Could it be what everybody wants?? Dybala???? MAD???

  51. In the team’s first training session since a disappointing 1-1 draw against Iceland, Sampaoli tried a different tactical approach on Monday, with an eye toward the clash against Croatia on Thursday.

    He tested a system with three central defenders: Gabriel Mercado, Nicolas Otamendi and Nicolas Tagliafico. Mercado was replacing Marcos Rojo, who put in a poor performance against Iceland in a line of four defenders.

    The other notable change in training was that the coach dropped midfielders Lucas Biglia and Angel Di Maria, who also failed to impress in the draw on Saturday. Sampaoli switched Biglia for Marcos Acuna, who was playing on the left wing.

    Javier Mascherano will remain as a defensive midfielder, while right back Eduardo Salvio was being pushed up as a wing-back.

    “Yes, we worked with different types of systems, on the wings or in the middle, in a hypothetical line of five,” Mercado said at a news conference. “Every match needs something, and if it’s line of five then we’ll do it — if it’s a line of four we’ll do it. We have a few days left to decide how we will play.”

    Di Maria, meanwhile, looks like he will be sacrificed for Cristian Pavon, who impressed Sampaoli in just 20 minutes as a substitute against Iceland.

  52. Dybala will be the perfect substitute for Pavon against Croatia …Dimaria would be a great sub as well due to his running against tired defenders would open space and counters … possibly for acuna …

  53. Horror scenario-upper 8: Uruguay 1, Spain 2, Brazil 1, Germany 2, Argentina (2nd place in the group), France 1, Belgium/England 1, Columbia 2. sadly a lot of things goes in this direction…

  54. Alfio Basile succesfully played Maradona, Caniggia, Batistuta and Balbo in 1994. They were great untill Maradona’s disqualification and Caniggia’s misterious injury. And this guy can’t play Messi, Aguero, Pavon and Dybala?

  55. do not worry dybala you will have your entire chance in 4 years even you do deserve by far your place on the starting lineup
    this 3-4-3 could be as well 4-4-2 as it tooks salvio at the same position and pavon will go right side maybe it could be a good rotation definsively why not we expect a good game and especially a brillant messi
    vamos argentina

  56. Samapa is the most coward and inferior coach in all aspects. He is going to ruin the dream of Argentina by vulnerable decisions and lack of preparation and lack of understanding different tactics. His egoism killing Argentina.

  57. and if we somehow will reach the quarterfinal and we’ll face russians for example who’s aggregate is now 8-1, ok 1 might argue that specially saudi’s ain’t that great, agreed yes, but egypt did not play that bad specially in the first half, but offcourse they mentally collapsed when the 2nd half started and the russians scored 3 quite quick goals and only the first one was so called little bit of lucky goal but like they used to say that every team creates their own luck in the end of the day so comparing iceland for example to egypt which been one of the big guns in african region allready for sometime and all credit for the rise of iceland, but still even they topped their own european group with turkey and croatia in it they still aren’t allways that great team beacause my country who hardly can never win anyone and really don’t have so much of talent even population and training facilities have been far better than in iceland for decades got maybe a lucky draw or was it a even win against them in the last qualification games here in finland so please do not underestimate russians specially on their home soil with putin in stands next to infantino etc…?

  59. I hope guys that we can mix something from our players. Croats are so optimistic and damn’t they have every right for that. I can see in eyes of supporters that they are especting nothing but victory. My white and blue shirt is ready for match. Even though i will be probably the only one with it in my local pub. And i really hoping that i will finally see messi and co playing with gutts and demonstrating what they are capable for…… for me lifting that pretty trophey.

  60. also another think that i really dont’t get it is that even we would top our group still the next game is do or die game will be against far better opponent than any of teams from our group ! never mind who it will be i still think that we will even struggle against soccerroos or no need to even mention france, denmark or peru ! so baldy should start to get his tactics and player selection sorted quite quickly because it is about time now and one more thing is that why does he not come to face media by himself instead of sending Dybala to make puplic apologize to Messi etc… he is just a fucking coward who is acting like one of the greatest coaches of all time, come on man u should come to ease some pressure from our confused players by your great decission making, instead of sending them in to front of the media to get some more added pressure to themselfs ! what a fucking idiot u are !

    • True. I am with you
      Sampa is nothing but a brainless coward inferior so called coach. He don’t understand different types of attacking tactics at all. He is going to do the same mistakes again against Croatia.

      • Don’t you say that about me. I’m a genius!
        I promised the team barber I will wear a girl’s wig if we lose to Croatia!
        I just ate too much food that day and forgot to take a close look at the team sheet vs Iceland.
        Won’t do that against the Croats.
        Will shut Kovacic, that SonOfABic up with my brilliance!
        ITS COMING HOME!

  61. Dybala and Messi SHOULD play together!!!!!
    MAD!!!!! That’s what everyone should be talking about. Messi, Aguero, and Dybala!!!
    Barcelona was known for MSN the past several seasons, with Messi, Suarez, and Neymar, and they absolutely tore through all of Europe! Messi needs that kind of support!
    MAD should be Argentina’s lineup! Messi, Aguero, and Dybala.
    – In Barca, Messi had a hungry predator up top in the form of suarez, with Neymar on the other flank to drag markers away.
    – In Argentina, we don’t have Suarez, but we have IMO someone better, Aguero! We might not have Neymar, but we have someone just below him, Dybala!
    Together, MAD would destroy all teams this World Cup and in the coming years as well, like Copa America’s and Confederations Cups!

    It would work in a 3-4-3
    Armani
    Mercado-Fazio-Otamendi
    Salvio-Mascherano-Lo Celso-Tagliafico
    Messi-Aguero-Dybala (aka. MAD)

    Sampaoli, MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!

  62. I have a feeling, with Hardwork, Determination & Self Confidence, can we reach Quarter final, God will gift us Russia there.
    Amen.

    • I would love that, I don’t see it . We ll play with a team that already have 3 point, there’s no need for them to play football; all they need to do is pack the bus and wait for you to attack than counter attack remember a draw is good for them.

    • I phoned my old pal Doctor Strange yesterday. Put him on speakerphone and Messi was there too.
      Excerpt from the conversation:-
      Dr. Stephen Strange: I went forward in time… to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming World Cup.

      Jorge: How many did you see?

      Dr. Stephen Strange: Fourteen million six hundred and five.

      Messi: How many did we win?

      Dr. Stephen Strange: …One.

  63. Scoring goals is important- period. A goal can change everything… it builds confidence, makes players try their skills, boosts creativity and overall team morale. All of this has the exact opposite effect on ouropponents. Capitalizing on it quickly even nets us another goal (and so on..).

    A 2 goal cushion can even make conservative coaches sub in untested players and try out new combinations.

    Now, not all teams in this WC need such a boost but Arg definitely do in their current situation.

    Important thing for us is score first and score soon.

    • Either Start hopefully or come on as a sub and make an immediate impact, to show Sambaldy that Dybala must start alongside Messi to even have the slightest chance of winning the World Cup! Messi and Dybala pulling the strings, with Aguero lurking upfront… mouthwatering!!!!

        • Hey did someone call me?
          Ya, I will start.
          Ma boi Dybala is doing well in the training sessions, yesterday he was teaching Messi to take Penalties, even Caballero was so cooperative in motivating the little genius.Thinking of bringing him in some point v Croatia now.
          Loving Bronnitsy tho, it’s a wonderful place
          I have sent Lucas Biglia and Di Maria on a long bus tour of Russia, they will have a wonderful time enjoying the sights and sounds of the beautiful country

  66. joe johnk : its about time.. it will be a shame if has to wait 4 years to play in wcup at 28.. argentina have to learn from messi error at 2006. get dybala in the team.

    Dfox1942 : He shouldn’t have said “i cant play with Messi” because obviously there is still a lingering effect.

    Batigol9 : Exactly that was a huge mistake he now regrets it

    all these 3 comment’s above reveals the whole truth of our coaching team’s real power, which is absolute zero !

  67. Bench warmer kovacic what ever his name is boasting that croatia are better & shoudn’t be afraid.
    Every one is having a go at us that is what we became. It is time to teach these arrogants a lesson.

    • because right now we are weak a team which conceded 6 against spain 4 against nigeria drew with iceland we dont have the right to say we are superior you prove your superiority in the field.we have to win both the games otherwise by by wc.

  68. • this press conference gives me the feeling that ansaldi and dybala are going to play against Croatia, and men oh men I’m I excited about this. I can’t wait. Vamos Argentina!!!

  70. If the coach wants to win someone suggested. Armani
    MERCADO-Otamendi-Fazio-Rojo
    Locelso Mascherano

    Messi. Dybala. Pavon

    Aguero
    What do you think? If you think this is a good one go on social media share it until it reaches the coach.

    • Take out Tagliafico???? He’s one of our best players!!!
      – Agree that Mercado should be RB and Fazio in for Rojo.
      – Messi should be in the middle and Dybala on the flank, not Messi.
      IMO a 3-4-3 would allow Messi and Dybala to drop deep and having the Wingbacks provide the width to stretch the defense.

      Armani
      Mercado-Fazio-Otamendi
      Salvio-Mascherano-Lo Celso-Tagliaico
      Messi-Aguero-Dybala

      You need the best to play in order to win, not on the bench. If anything goes wrong, you have Pavon, Meza, Banega to change things up!

  71. its about time.. it will be a shame if has to wait 4 years to play in wcup at 28.. argentina have to learn from messi error at 2006. get dybala in the team.

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