Sergio AGUERO of Argentina: “Let SAMPAOLI say what he wants”

By
Roy Nemer
-
191
Sergio Aguero Argentina
Sergio Aguero playing for Argentina.

Following Argentina’s humiliating 3-0 loss to Croatia, coach Jorge SAMPAOLI spoke at a press conference stating that the loss was his fault but Sergio AGUERO stole the headlines taking a stab at SAMPAOLI.

When asked about coach Jorge SAMPAOLI’s comments about the players, Sergio AGUERO’s reply was less than friendly.

Jorge SAMPAOLI faced the press himself in a press conference. Here’s what he had to say:

“The responsibility is mine. I’m responsible for the loss. I did not read the game well. We have not found the best team to accompany MESSI. Because of the reality of the Argentina squad, it sort of clouds Leo’s brilliance. Leo is limited because the team doesn’t gel with him as ideally as it should.

“I’m very sorry to all the Argentina fans who made the effort to come to Russia. I was excited just as much as the fans. I tried my best to form a team.

In regards to Croatia’s first goal:

“We were emotionally broken and we didn’t have any football arguments to change the course of events.”

When asked about Cristiano Ronaldo:

“Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player and he’s playing well with his team. He’s having some great moments. However, you can’t compare. Ronaldo has the team to help him. Lionel MESSI doesn’t. I take full responsibility for this.”

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191 Comments

  1. i told all of you from the start that we dont have a chance at the WC. i got belittled and laughed at. i will say it again. i am glad its over. i put down our future squad. a new argentina. i got belittled and laughed at for this Formation. i will show you again.

    werner
    bustos foyth mammana tagliafico
    paredes locelso ascacibar
    dybala icardi martinez

    this is our future. a solid team we can build on. a team with system. we can become argentina again. sampa should stay. he is a good Coach with an idea. let him build it. its not the coach. it was the team. di maria, aguero, biglia, higuain, willy,…fuck off! Leo…i am sorry for you! masche, thx for everything u gave us. u deserved this shirt.

    • i couldnt have said it better myself. been dying to see, specifically, what ascacibar can do. i think hes the next masche. he should have been playing for argentina for the past 2 years alrdy in my opinon, along with all the other guys u mentioned. only thing that concerns me going forward if sampaoli stays is those subs he made are mind blowing. acuna and meza son muertos, and instead u take out salvio who played better than both of them? then u take out aguero for higuain? what in the hell.

  2. Seriously couldn’t AfA decide to use our most talented attacking wingers plus forward. Di Maria, messi, aguero, higuain and dybala. That’s like 140 something accumulated goals from last season in all competitions. Technically we have the best attacks in this world cup yet we are not using them all in one starting line up game. So now we have to pray Nigeria beats Iceland or tie up ? This is quite embarrassing I m on a vacation right now and I have to stress about this game tonight. Good luck Nigeria we need you this time around go turn our fortunes.

  3. My final comment is this. Argentina has made the exact same mistakes the US team made

    1) Never committed to a formation (constantly changing it)
    2) Never committing to a solid set of starters
    3) Coaches grinding axes with players and not putting the best ones on the field.

    At least Argentina shows some fight and grit. The Americans were also lazy and complacent

    Argentina on the other hand has a huge locker room problem. These guys don’t like each other is what I suspect and in a way you can see it on the field. There are guys that just won’t pass to other guys. Which is why you must commit to a starting 11

    • They do pass to each other, the possession was 80 percents but were they crucial hell no they weren’t. No body decided to cut in and receive nice passes on both flanks. This is where di Maria is used for, Meza is slow I m not too sure if he knows what to do when he has the ball on the left side.

  4. I have a very simple idea. Play a 4-2-1-3. Four backs so they can play proper defense and create options when possessing the ball. Three midfielders with Messy being the one in the attacking mid spot and the other two being defensive mids. And then play with three forwards.

    I think the problem is that all the attackers that Argentina have all want to play the same position right in the middle. They need someone willing to play out on the wings. Perhaps even an occasional overlapping fullback run to give more width in the attack.

  5. I thought that Messi, Higuain, and mascherano played fine. Whoever is jersey #8 held the ball way too long too often. #3 in defense is responsible for the second goal as he had all day to step forward double down on Modric. The goalkeeper also messed up on the third goal when he left his goal.

    Messi is fine. The only problem is that he wants to roam the way he does at Barcelona and when he leaves his right wing position without a right full back who is willing to making overlapping runs down in the right hand corner then the team loses it’s width. My only other criticism is that as Team Captain he needs to start barking at players who are deviating from whatever the game plan is. Way too much hero ball out there.

    Dybala – I’m glad he finally got into the game but he really does exemplify the problem with the team. Did he lay the ball off to anyone? He has Messi wide open, ignores him and crosses into the box to no one.

    SOLUTIONS: They need to play Messi as either their center forward or as their attacking halfback. Stop playing players out of position, etc.. The seriously need some midfielders. I literally don’t know any of their names but it is a crap show. When Messi actually go onto the ball he picked out some great passes that none of the others either see or are willing to try.

    I guess I’m sort of rambling. But this rambling matches the way the team played. Honestly I couldn’t even tell what formation they were playing the entire second half. Everyone needs to stop the talk about diamond this or that, or 2-3-3-2, or 3-4-3, etc… They played with no formation and that is the coaches fault.

    I also wish everyone would stop this talk about failing to build the right team around messi, etc.. If they are trying to do that well then that is the problem. Messi can be a striker or a playmaker. How hard can it be? Players need to play their positions and they all seem to refuse to do that.

  8. what a complete disaster for our Argentina and this falls completely on the head of samp from his poor team starting selection (again), dreadful use of subs ( we are losing the mid battle and hes takes off a striker for a striker-why?, abysmal reading of the game and a serious lack of any direction, the players have no idea of what his game plan actually is nor do we the fans.

    Their were serious rumors, before today’s game of the team being in disarray, split camps and not a lot of good will towards samp at all and kuns words after the game seem to confirm this.

    We are not gone yet but we simply do not deserve to go through at all, infact we bearly deserve to be at this w/c-remember those quaifs anyone?? As they say its not over until the big one is singing but i can hear here warming up.

    Today i saw a team who has no idea what they were supposed to do, we have again 2 holding mids and no l.c instead-why? as we lack any creativity in the mids, the 3 at the back has been a disaster for us but once again he does it, a goalkeeper who the whole world knew was past it and guess what 2 games and 2 massive mistakes, a player in pavon who should start, is their really no way to play messi and dybala together-yes their is, we need to play 4.4.2 but sadly he failed to take players like icardi and gomez (just to name 2)-who was the 5th best assist player in Europe this season.

    For me samp needs to stand down (barring a miracle or miracles and we win it-cough cough) their has to be a massive purge of this team and we are going to have to accept just like the yellow team and spain their will be a few years of pain ahead. the youth system is still broke and that is also a long fix as without good youth coming through then nothing changes.
    I know some wont agree but i hope messi (who did little wrong today as he got so little ball) does stay around as he has a lot to offer us yet.

    To take over? i have heard previously sim would do the job part time and id take that any day of the week, we simple cant afford him full time but if he wants to do it part time-yes yes and yes please, for those saying pocc of Tottenham-who earns a cool 3 million g.b.p a year, that is not going to happen and as much as i rate pocc very very highly hes not ready for this mess yet (i mean job) but he is one to keep watching.

  10. Sorry but I can’t read the Argentine papers … can somebody explain to me:
    1) who are the ‘friends of Messi’ that he insists always play
    2) who are the enemies of Messi that he does not want on the field
    3) and did Messi and Tevez have a conflict also?
    Thanks.

  11. Croatian players were playing long balls to 3 man backline it will create lot of space if successful and it happened.Worst case for Argentina is that they could not control the ball in air,they could not direct the aerial pass or pass from head to their own teammate it always ended with opposition team player getting the ball it cost us possession counter attack and gap between attack midfield and defence. So it was obvious for us to lose the game.keep the ball on the ground.
    Our second problem is our players are taking too much time to adjust the ball(incoming ball) rather they should adjust themselves to adjust ball as it is easy and takes less time otherwise opposition player gets recovery till then.
    Throw the ball in path of your teammate not in front of him so he have to manage himself or ball.That takes time.I can not believe they are professional player and are playing for a powerhouse yes Maradona is right our legacy is in danger.

  13. Roy
    Please translate the Simeone audio and put it as a post here for everyone to read. I can translate it but it will get lost in the posts.
    Basically Simeone says the team is bad, disorganized, with no direction. He says we should have played 3-4-3 against Iceland and a 4-2-3-1 against Croatia.
    He said that players are important but it is only 60 percent not 90 percent like people think. That coaching is 40 percent.
    He also says Sampaoli has no ideas.
    He believes we may go to the second round because Iceland won’t win anything.

    But clearly rips Sampaoli and the team a new ass saying they are taking their lumps and fighting amongst each other not only amongst players but also amongst coaches and coaches and players

    • Yes that is accurate. Multiple outlets are reporting that there are major fights happening between the coaching staff and the players.
      What a circus.
      The friends are fighting to Reunite lol

    • I also believe that there is a medical problem here. Sampaoli’s skinny jeans have cut off blood flow to his testicles and they have dried up, shriveled up and fallen off.
      Hence he decided to play with 9 defensive players and let Messi and Aguero hang out to dry.

  15. I am sitting here racking my brain. Maybe some senior members can help me.
    I have been following Argentina football since 1974 when Hugo Gatti was goalkeeper for Boca.
    Can anyone tell me if they have ever seen a worst performance by a goalkeeper or a manager than Caballero and Sampaoli?

    Please let me know what you think. The only logical explanation for this performance are the following.
    1) these guys have been paid off by somebody. Remember, corruption is RAMPANT in Argentina, and everything is for sale, from the President to the World Cup.
    2) Severe head injury to Sampaoli that is not being reported. How hard is it to sit Msssi down and say we have to play with our best players, so get over your differences with anybody, and we are playing Icardi Dybala Garay, Lo Celso.

    Somebody tell me

    Also, please listen to the viral Simeone interview.
    Bottom line, his exact words were “this is a bad team”

    • So disorganize and speechless. Everything goes wrong under clueless Samp in this WC. need to overhaul and rebuild from scratch again. Mental, physic and emotional broken down… the end of Messi era

    • When Messi is not in mood or frustrated we play with 10 men since our team is not capable to take advantage of the space which shows up when the opponents team push messi with 4 men. You need to run and play with heart. The only player who played well was Otamendi.

      Caballero killed the match period. I’m really sorry for him because he WAS a great keeper years ago. I mean shit happens but our team wasn’t mentally strong enough to deliver a comeback. Messi was frustrated and Sampaoli couldn’t calm down the team, he couldn’t fix the situation. Was Dybala in team during any training behind closed doors?

      Sampaoli failed to find a way for using messi and dybala together. He failed to find a solid formation. Maybe he didn’t realise that there is no time left for experiments. Failed to force the team to accept Icardi but even with Icardi I’m not sure about any different outcome. Our midfielders are not good enough we can’t create enough chances.

      At the end of the day he was honest. He said this is not my Team its Messi’s team.

      My opinion is that our team refused to play the “system” after the first goal. The team failed to perform collectively. We had our chances in both matches but we couldn’t deliver.

  16. Hi FIFA,

    I do apologize for shitting in my pants during the game against Iceland although it is not a power house football team, and I also appreciate your acknowledgment to my apology in regards to my severe diarrhea during Croatia game since I couldn’t built a decent midfield after I benched Lo Celso whom Messi is not a friend of. Also, what made my diarrhea visible is benching Dybala and Pavon for whom Messi has no alliance.

    I would like to stress that the team chemistry was non existent after an argument on who should be a starter and I think I did upset Messi be benching four of his best buddies: Biglia, Di Maria, Higuaín, and Rojo. The mood felt agonizing and I also made the situation even worse by insisting to give the goalkeeping mission to my favorite goalie in the world Caballero even after he was hammered by Spanish team, showed poor skills during training camp, and gifted a goal to Iceland. I’m coming out today and I would like to announce my life partnership with Caballero. I feel the world accepts diversity and that’s why I have changed formations and players every game I coached for Friends Club.

    Final confession is that I do coaching for fun and experimenting to kill time. Initially, I don’t have a proper coaching training and tactic skills. I have never had the required attributes to be a real coach. Please accept my sincere apology and I would like to continue to be a coach for the team and I will listen to all your suggestions and recommendations so next time I make sure the team won’t qualify to world cup in Qatar by all means.

    Jubilantly,
    Your Professional Coach
    Stubborn Sampbaldy

  17. Sampoli you still can achieve the world cup.Goalkeeper is the most important position on the pitch leaving Romero was greatest mistake,even if he is injured he said he can manage but Sampoli did not believe him now look at the result.Against Spain Romero was awesome till he got injured.Now Armani should come.We are 3 goal behind so we have to beat Nigeria 6-0 or 7-0 to reach knock out in the worst case scenario. But now we depends on other teams too.Augreo and Higuain both should start in 4-3-1-2.Higuain is good his link up is best and he also participate in defence.Why Ansaldi is on the bench,Mercado is not offensive.Ansaldi can solve many problems.Ansaldi Fazio Otamendi Taglafico is best back line.Balanced of offensive and defensive.Thereis only few players who can drag this shit piece of Argentina.Only Messi Augreo Higuain Dybla Acuna Otamendi Fazio Ansaldi Lo celso or to some part Pavon.Only these players are good.Meza Salvio Mascherano Di maria and others are just average do not expects from them any miracles they are average nothing much.We have to settle for our best players.After 6-1 loss Caballero should have been dropped.One goal keeper who conceded four goals vs Nigeria is dropped and who conceded five goals is selected for world cup.Our coach never had plan,the players he should have tested in friendlied he never tested them.Where is our most creative midfielder Lo Celso.He is the one who can link up with Messi and he is nowhere near the team

  18. The tenth world cup I have been following and supporting Argentina. But never felt so hopeless and disgusted with the performance of the team. In any match you will see atleast some positive. In this everything was in place to lose. Messi did not like the 343 system, neither did most of the folks following football. 343 works when you have a good defense with a strong keeper and a set of trusted midfielders. Going into the match with Mercado and Taglafico was a recipe for disaster. You add Enzo Perez into the mix who had just joined the squad and Meza/Salvio/Acuna who were not sure what their role was, the match ended even before it started. In the first game we never used the flanks and everyone wanted to play through the middle. In this match it was decided only the play will happen through the flanks and no play through the middle. Only a dumb ass coach will do this and play into Croatia’s hand. Messi and Aguero were taken out of the game due to the tactics and they had 20/7 touches in the first half. It was obvious that they did not like the formation and build up. I wont be surprised if it comes up that during the break there was a turmoil in the locker room. The expression of Messi showed it before the second half kick off. To be honest I never thought there will be another coach as disorganized as Maradona. Rationality and argentine coaches cannot be spoken in the same line.

    This world cup is all about 1-0 wins or losses. Keeping the goal difference down was the key even in a loss. When you play with no system after being a goal down and no message coming in from the players substituted on the formation, just shows where the team is. No preparation before the world cup and no clue in the world cup. I had written 4 months back this is the worst talent we have taken to the world cup and a coach who has used 100plus players in a year’s time, the result is not a surprise.

    Anyway as always we need to be optimistic, if any thing is left in this tournament. I still feel the senior players need to take over the team and let Sampaoli face the media. If I was an Argentina manager and an asshole from press asks me about Ronaldo after this screwup, I would have blown my top off. This idiot cannot analyze what is going wrong with his team and comments on others who mean nothing to Argentine football.
    qu
    My hope is for Nigeria to beat Iceland and Argentina beats Nigeria with a good goal margin and qualify. The team I would work with in the next week would be

    Armani
    Ansaldi Dtamendi Fazio Rojo
    Mascherano Banega
    Dybala Messi Aguero
    Higuain

    Whether folks like it or not, Messi needs to take over the playmaker role with support from Banega. Just my two cents. In the two matches there has been very limited interplay between Messi and others. In yesterdays match Sampaoli decided Messi will play closer to the goal and that would work if you had a midfielder who can push the ball front and not play sidewards. Anyway tactically and mentally there is a huge disconnect between coach and players. The good part is we have lost it and we are at the bottom. None of us have any hope left. Hoping that destiny might work in our favour and things improve as it cannot get any worse ( Unless Sampaoli thinks otherwise)
    Hoping for Nigeria win today

  19. What’s wrong with Messi’s ”friend” rakitic ? He was with Messi like a postal stamp!! That guy was guarding Messi whole match…Look at the only chances for was nullified by that guy when higuain passes him..from nowhere Rakitic appear and stop that shot by Messi.

  20. Hi FIFA,

    we are the Argentina team who are requesting you to give permission to strengthen our team to beat all the team in this world cup’18.

    we have created the formation i.e 3-8-8-4. we are testing this formation in game with 3 goal keeper. it may, this formation can win Nigeria atleast

    kindly provide your approval.

    Thanks and Regards
    Sampaoli and fans

  21. Friends Club is close now due to massive renovation until further notice.
    Wanda and Icardi are inviting you to share their Champaign at their vacation spot celebrating the failure of the bald guy who rejected best striker in Serie A, benching best promising attacker in the world, and one of the most talented midfielders, also benching the talented Pavon, and rejecting one of the best defenders Garay while benching two decent defenders Fazio and Ansaldi. The list can go on. He brought old old squad, remember when I said you need young players for the WC, our average age is 29.4 older than any team.

    Messi wasn’t interested in the match because he had an argument with Sampaoli to include Di Maria, Biglia and Higuaín in starting 11, that affected the team chemistry and lots happened in the back room we don’t know about but Messi came tense and in deep stress…..I need to play with my buddies. He has zero leadership and inspiring effect on his team, he’s introvert by nature and can’t be a leader. Yes genius with his individual skills but lately failing in CL and this world cup because his team work is declining. Ronaldo will get his sixth ballon d’or and will end the argument of best player in the world.

    Friends Club will be leaving back to Argentina next week but Dybala and other promising players will take over the journey.

    • there was no friends club had there been a friends club the team wouldn’t look like this, the problem was sampa’s confusions .Messi didn’t insisted him to take biglia he himself went to italy to talk to him after the injury. wasted the previous one month not trying for dybala -messi partnership ,didn’t include pablo perez who would of great value to this team,Anyone this forum can say paredes was never given a solid chance like shit mascherano biglia got in the end all add up to worsen the problem

  22. So whoever on this site were praising and made players like meza, acuna world class are really biting their nails now. there’s a reason why a 26 years old meza is still playing in argentine league, if he was that GOOD he would be atleast attracting a mid tier european team. the guy did nothing in these two games, got no pace, pavon is light years ahead of him in pace. And about this guy sampaoli, who on earth experiments with players and formations in a WORLD CUP??? this guy is a genius in making bad decisioins and creating troubles for the team. You gotta have a team, i really miss sabella’s argentina, he showed what needs to be done if you have a shaky defence, he built a team, who played together in the qualifying and he trusted them for the world cup and it paid off. Even maradona’s argentina of 2010 was better thn this dickhead sampaoli’s argentina, atleast he didnt made us go home in group stages. we still have a chance to qualify from this group but even if we make it we are not going anywhere! france will thrash us in second round.

    • Mr . chen, please close your comments don’t waste your time with this funcking coach. we will comeback in 2026 if alive because Argentina won’t qualify for next world cup2022 if sampaoli is there.

  24. I married into an Argentine family so have only been paying attention to the national team since 2000 and have a good sense of what happens with the Argentine, US and English national teams. What I hear always is about the corruption in Argentina – that players are played to showcase them so that they can be sold overseas. Is that still true? I don’t think it would explain the current problems because 99% of the team has already been sold to European teams so no need to showcase them.

    What Argentina really needs is a smart, creative midfielder. Riquelme was this but since him I don’t remember any young studs fitting the bill. Instead it seems like Argentina just develops strikers and wingers. Is that what all the best kids in Argentina want to be? Seems like AFA should try and develop/reward the midfielders a little bit more.

    My personal disgust with the NT management is their refusal to play Tevez. The guy was all energy and can-do attitude. Messi has become a ‘mental case’ like – was a zombie in the Brazilian WC (don’t know how they gave him the award for best player) and then yesterday again. You see him with Barcelona and he looks happy and intense, but with this national team he looks sullen and indifferent … In my opinion the other players give him TOO MUCH respect.

    It was so refreshing to see Dybala finally on the field.

  26. I am sure we can qualify for knockout and sampaoli will fix the errors. stop blaming him. he worked the hardest.
    We will qualify, We are Argentina.

    I also think Iran can beat Portugal and ronaldo will be out

  27. Does anyone remember when we had a world class team with world class players…well I cant remember in past 30 yeears. I only saw riquelme a world class midfielder we produced..can’t remember other than batistuta as a world class striker..messi a once in a life time player…other than that nothing…people promised and went..

  28. Yeah a really crazy piece of crap. An unbalanced, crazy, overmatched piece of crap. Coaching Chile is not like Coaching Argentina, a two times Worl Cup winner, six times Finalist. Clearly, clearly above his head. Anybody please answer, do you think a front of Aguero Higuain and Dybala plus Messi LoCelso FROM THE START will look uninspiring?? Will fail to score?? I for once don’t think so. Horrible horrible horrible day for Argentina. Please end the misery now. Croatia has, sorry to say that, zero fan in the global soccer world. In the world at large the biggest contingents belong to Brazil, Germany, Argentina, France and Spain. I don’t want to face Brazilians, Spain fans when we lose by five directly against these teams. End the humiliation now. 14 goals in in three recent games???? Please.

    • Apparently Romero said that he told them that he was confident to get better and be ready by game one but Sampaoli let him go anyway.

  30. I get the feeling the players didn’t want Cabellero starting ( who would besides Sampaoli) and after he made their biggest fear come to pass, they felt betrayed by the decision to both start him and play an unfamiliar formation. Sampa probably did a lot of convincing about the merits of starting Willy (build up?) and they put their faith in him only for it to explode in everyone’s face. The saddest part is we will never know what would have happened if Lo Celso wasn’t suddenly removed from starting consideration and if Armani had started from day one. If you play the best possible team and you go out you regret it less than the question marks that linger when you do what we did in the first two games with not playing the best team.

    • you got the thing right than most of the journalist out there i also this is the problem,we could have won the first match but cabellero made a mistake in that match also conceding a goal.

  31. If Argentina not win this world cup then appointment of Sampaoli is responsible, bauza should have been our coach

  32. First of all this is the World cup. I Mean WORLD CUP. This is NOT AFTER World Cup. Not a time to experiment. The likes of Tata Martino, or Bauza still trusted very similar’s squad to Sabella’s, not Sampaoli.

    Sampaoli is the only coach after the World Cup 2014 who dares to use “new players” that most people want. Crespo said it right that he is a long term project coach, not World Cup coach.

    Let’s see these players: Dybala, Icardi, Tagliafico, Meza, Pavon, Armani, Paredes, Lanzini, Acuna, Bustos, Martinez, Salvio. Most of these players are called up regularly only under Sampaoli. Most of us are excited because FINALLY we think that he got cojones unlike others. Check out those names? Aren’t they what you always want?

    The problem is he does not set the deadline of when the last deadline he can experiment with the team. The last deadline he can experiment should have been a year before the World Cup or so. One year until the World Cup, his task is to use the same team over and over again. That was what Sabella did with our team. That’s what most of the big teams in the world do including Brazil or Germany.

    A lot of people forget that having YOUR FAVORITE PLAYERS in the line up won’t make our team strong immediately because there are a lot of factors to make a team strong, not just ability alone. You need:
    1. TEAM CHEMISTRY
    2. KNOWLEDGE OF THE TEAM

    New players need a lot of time to develop these two factors. And what Sampaoli does? He is playing and relying on the likes of Meza or Tagliafico or Pavon who have less than 5 caps each or something in the WORLD CUP DURING THE TOURNAMENT! It is easy to blame Caballero alone, no dude. You guys talk as if if Caballero had not been there, we would have not lost. No.

    Messi is already unmotivated even during the anthem. That’s a sign that we fucked up big time. Messi knows that his coach is doing something that he does not believe will do good things for the team.

    Look man, if you want to lose, lose with our best players who KNOW THE TEAM. In 2002 we lost, but we used our strongest squad that had been training together for 4 years. It is better that way than losing because of stupidity of experimenting big time AT THE WORLD CUP.

    • Germany does experiment, but they know in the back of their mind that Khedira, Kroos; Ozil, Muller; Hummels, Boateng, and Neuer will be the core of the team and WILL start when it matters like the World cup time.

    • Well said. It was a mistake to accept the job with only few matches left till world cup. In 2002 we dominated the whole qualification and had an impressive winning streak. What happened was bad luck in my opinion others will disagree which is ok. This time we don’t have team chemistry we don’t have a plan. If you watch the matches again and again you see messi is pushed out of the game because 4 men are blocking the area around him. Why can’t you take advantage of the space ? This formation can work IF all players run their ass off on the pitch. But you see almost no movement.

    • Very true, but he took charge only 1 year before the WC, haha. Whoever going to be the coach, I want a long term project, not only for 2022 but also for 2026. We need to build up a team of players who are 20-24 years old, like what we did in 1995.

  33. First of all,shame on you argentina.We are die-hard fans from kolkata,india.We remained awake the whole night to see the match and at last cried like hell.As I said a few days back,if giovani lo celso,pavon,dybala,armani are not included in the team,they would be out of the world cup.It is pure common sense.Mad coaches of argentina bring good players by plane,they sit on the benches,they see their team losing in front of their eyes and finally come back by plane again.This is the scene every year.The whole team and the coach are fully responsible for this loss.

    what is it?Is it a joke?A fragile gk(cabellero),a outdated midfielder(enzo),two average players(meza and acuna),no defender except otamendi.What a team.A big national side like argentina is using this kind of line up and their FA is supporting this.Nobody is protesting even.That dumb sampaoli does not even read any newspaper.His basic mistakes were spotted against iceland,still did the same mistake against croatia.Repeatedly telling,the main problem is the selection of wrong players.I am feeling so sorry for pavon.He could have been a man to watch in this world cup.Even a 5 year old kid knows messi would be man-marked just like neymar,suarez and others.So you have to have other tactics to score the goal.Why will you depend on a single player?The name of the team is argentina,not messi & co.I am just broken into pieces.Basic coaching stuff is missing.

  34. I’ve read somewhere that AFA President has said that no matter what happens in the World Cup, Sampaoli will continue being coach.

    Is that fake news?

  36. very well said !

    Nativeson June 21, 2018 at 7:55 pm
    Guys,

    I totally disagree with all those blaming Lionel Messi.

    Messi is just a victim of AFA (I am Kenyan but I do know that AFA led by the octogenarian Hulio Grondona) and some bad coaches.

    In Barcelona, they use a system and players that will complement Messi.

    In Argentina, the coaches are clueless as to how best to utilise this freak of nature and yes, Messi is a force of nature.

    I watched all Argentina world cup qualifiers including that hat trick over Ecuador even after having conceded a goal thus going down 0-1.

    Without Messi, it is possible that we would NOT have been in this world cup.

    In 2014, Higuain missed ( I think) two chances. Two!

    If Messi’s career is going to be defined by this World Cup and these two games, then, the world is really unfair and it really is.

    Messi is just frustrated and it is showing. He can see Portugal rolling with a second tier team but not his own team.

    I thin k you guys (Argentina) used to have a guy Hugo Tocalli (junior team coach) who brought up all these guys…………Aguero, Di Maria, Banega e.t.c.

    May be such a guy could be used. I tdoesn’t have to be a big name like Diego Simeone or the Tottenham guy.

    Argentina will be very foolish to go down without having Messi win the world cup.

    Messi should by now be a two time WC winner- Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014.

    At worst, we’d have won one of them……..whichever but Germany upstaged us.

    Finally Argentinean fans, friends and Arentinean citizens,

    I come from a winning country…………..KENYA!

    We play horrible football but alongside our Ethiopian neighbours, we RUN!

    That is why I say that the only day I’ll stop supporting Argetina is the day we make it to the Wrold Cup which is most likely NEVER!

    So, in kenya, our athletes are coached …..yes by a few foreign coaches but the majority of our coaches are our very own…………..guys who’ve run for us and won medals in the Olympics, world championships, big city marathons e.t.c.

    The best marathon coach (arguably) is a guy who won silver in the men’s 3000m steeplechase in Barcelona, 1992.

    He has several medals …..perhaps five international medals, one gold and about four silvers.
    His name is Patrick Sang.

    He coaches the best marathon runner perhaps in History……….the guy who tried to break the two hour marathon last year.

    ….and it is not one. These are guys who’ve been in the trenches and understand the science of running.

    We have our own home grown coaches who know the territory and understand the trade.

    Honestly, i know more about running than I do football but to me, the way Argentina plays is just beautiful.

    So, my question is, why not bring in some of your former players as coaches?

    Diego Simeone, Riquelme, Pablito Aimar, Batistuta, may be Crespo…….

    why not bring them on and try them out?

    Guys, let us not lose hope. Personally, I will not.

    All the best guys and all the best ARgentina.

    yes , indeed all the best to argentina and for it’s football future too ! but unfortunatly to bring simeone or pochettino, i doubt that AFA have got that kind of money for it to happen unless they want to come by themselfs meaning no much sallaries, which would indeed will be great, but i think the answer to our problems with coaching must come from someone like tocalli or similar kind of person who has a similar kind of mindset too !

    • Thanks Ricky villa.

      That game really hurts. I’ve lost all appetite.
      My brother is a huge Brazil fan and I don’t know what will happen should we not qualify. He’ll be making fun of me telling me that Messi ‘is watching it on his big screen in Rosario or Buenos Aires’. That is how we roast each other.

      I believe in miracles but this would have to be a big one for us to qualify. It’s out of our hands but miracles do happen.

  37. and one more thing please stop talki’n about that Jerusalem shit ! Just listen to KRS-1 and Boogie Down Production ” why is that ” and u will find out about the truth of that “holycity and the chosen people crap” !

    BDP: ” why is that ”
    The day begins with a grin
    And a prayer to excuse my sins
    I can walk anywhere I choose
    ‘Cause everybody listens to the B.D.P. crew
    We’re not here for glamor or fashion
    But here’s the question I’m askin’
    Why is it young black kids taught black?
    They’re only taught how to read, write and act
    It’s like teachin’ a dog to be a cat
    You don’t teach white kids to be black
    Why is that? Is it because we’re the minority?
    Well, black kids follow me
    Genesis chapter eleven verse ten
    Explains the genealogy of Shem
    Chem was a black man in Africa
    If you repeat this fact they can’t laugh at ya
    Genesis fourteen verse thirteen
    Abraham steps on the scene
    Being a descendant of Shem which is a fact
    Means, Abraham too was black
    Abraham born in the city of a black man
    Called Nimrod, grandson of Kam
    Kam had four sons, one was named Canaan
    Here, let me do some explaining
    Abraham was the father of Isaac
    Isaac was the father of Jacob
    Jacob had twelve sons for real
    And these were the children of Israel
    According to Genesis chapter ten
    Egyptians descended from Ham
    Six hundred years later my brother read up
    Moses was born in Egypt
    In this era black Egyptians weren’t right
    They enslaved black Israelites
    Moses had to be of the black race
    Because he spent forty years in Pharaoh’s place
    He passed as the Pharaoh’s grandson
    So he had to look just like him
    Yes, my brothers and sisters take this here song
    Yo, correct the wrong
    The information we get today is just wack
    But ask yourself, why is that?
    The age of the ignorant rapper is done
    Knowledge reigns supreme over nearly everyone
    The stereotype must be lost
    That love and peace and knowledge is soft
    Do away with that and understand one fact
    For love, peace must attack
    And attack real strong, stronger than war
    To conquer it and its law
    Mental pictures, stereotypes and fake history
    Reinforces mystery
    And when mystery is reinforced
    That only means that knowledge has been lost
    When you know who you really are
    Peace and knowledge shines like a star
    I’ve only shown you a simple fact
    It takes a nation of millions to hold us people back
    Which is wack but we can correct that
    Teach and learn what it is to be black
    ‘Cause they’re teachin’ birds to be a cat
    But ask yourself homeboy, why is that?

    btw i’m white man myself, and never mind the colour of your skin yellow, brown, red, black or white, but until the day we keep on fighting because of false history it will bring us nothing else than harm like sampa’s done to us now, but it has a fucking nothing to do by skipping the so called ” holy land” and that is fact ! Learn your history before open your stupid mouth with poisened words of what u have been thought of ! i feel really sorry for u man like i do for the rest of the world, because this shit has lasted for bloody centuries way much longer than our shit with AFA and shitty minded coaches like sampa for example ! so fucking wake up man and go to do your analysis in that holy city of yours again, and again until u fucking got it right !

  38. Guys,

    I totally disagree with all those blaming Lionel Messi.

    Messi is just a victim of AFA (I am Kenyan but I do know that AFA led by the octogenarian Hulio Grondona) and some bad coaches.

    In Barcelona, they use a system and players that will complement Messi.

    In Argentina, the coaches are clueless as to how best to utilise this freak of nature and yes, Messi is a force of nature.

    I watched all Argentina world cup qualifiers including that hat trick over Ecuador even after having conceded a goal thus going down 0-1.

    Without Messi, it is possible that we would NOT have been in this world cup.

    In 2014, Higuain missed ( I think) two chances. Two!

    If Messi’s career is going to be defined by this World Cup and these two games, then, the world is really unfair and it really is.

    Messi is just frustrated and it is showing. He can see Portugal rolling with a second tier team but not his own team.

    I thin k you guys (Argentina) used to have a guy Hugo Tocalli (junior team coach) who brought up all these guys…………Aguero, Di Maria, Banega e.t.c.

    May be such a guy could be used. I tdoesn’t have to be a big name like Diego Simeone or the Tottenham guy.

    Argentina will be very foolish to go down without having Messi win the world cup.

    Messi should by now be a two time WC winner- Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014.

    At worst, we’d have won one of them……..whichever but Germany upstaged us.

    Finally Argentinean fans, friends and Arentinean citizens,

    I come from a winning country…………..KENYA!

    We play horrible football but alongside our Ethiopian neighbours, we RUN!

    That is why I say that the only day I’ll stop supporting Argetina is the day we make it to the Wrold Cup which is most likely NEVER!

    So, in kenya, our athletes are coached …..yes by a few foreign coaches but the majority of our coaches are our very own…………..guys who’ve run for us and won medals in the Olympics, world championships, big city marathons e.t.c.

    The best marathon coach (arguably) is a guy who won silver in the men’s 3000m steeplechase in Barcelona, 1992.

    He has several medals …..perhaps five international medals, one gold and about four silvers.
    His name is Patrick Sang.

    He coaches the best marathon runner perhaps in History……….the guy who tried to break the two hour marathon last year.

    ….and it is not one. These are guys who’ve been in the trenches and understand the science of running.

    We have our own home grown coaches who know the territory and understand the trade.

    Honestly, i know more about running than I do football but to me, the way Argentina plays is just beautiful.

    So, my question is, why not bring in some of your former players as coaches?

    Diego Simeone, Riquelme, Pablito Aimar, Batistuta, may be Crespo…….

    why not bring them on and try them out?

    Guys, let us not lose hope. Personally, I will not.

    All the best guys and all the best ARgentina.

  39. Mathematically Argentina still can qualify but what worries me team doesn’t look ready for the world cup, hope Argentina play beautiful football and prove me wrong but chances are very less, if Croatia can do this imagine France, Belgium, Spain etc

    • I for once would rather not face any of the top contenders. It will be worse than this crap that Sampaoli has as result. Spain already has scored six goals against Sampaoli. The guy is mad, a crazy man. He cannot think right, he think himself revolutionary but he is really delusional. He once talked about playing with two or even ONE defender. A madman who can’t think right.

  40. I love how people keep posting stupid fucking line ups.

    It shows how little you know about football.
    It doesn’t matter who plays anymore. Not a single player in the 23 believe in the coaching staff.
    What do you think Aguero means when he says “ let the coach say what he wants”? That’s a polite way of telling him to go screw himself
    You guys think everybody on the team doesn’t know Caballero sucks?
    What do you think when before the cup Messi says we are not contenders?
    This show is over. Show some knowledge and class and accept what has happened.

  41. Sampaoli is an idiot who took the job based on his emotion. Even with having a deal with no matter what happens he can stay in charge after world cup. Bielsa refused the job “it’s not the right time” because he knew he doesn’t have enough time to print the team his way of tactic. Sampaoli’s dream was to lead Argentina that’s why he screw payment in club and chose honor over logic. If sampaoli gets fired it’s the worst thing what can happen to us. Let the man work with time and you will see another results for sure.

    Its not over yet. I will believe in so called miracle even with my expectations not being high at all but hope is the last thing which dies my friends.

    • arg team won’t qualify for 2022 also if samadhi there. some black sleeps are there in AFA. AFA should conduct the election and choose the core team.

      finally messi is GOAT

  42. My comment is hardly different to the others.

    Willy’s moment change the entire course
    True, it’s never been a clear game strategy either before this goal, but at least we’re even at that time. Both us and Croatia missed some easy chances. Though croatia were better in the middle department.

    Rather than going all out attacking, the players became afraid in going forward. A shaky defense (this mean goalkeeping) could hurt the entire team’s confidence.

    After that, it’s about the brilliance of Croatian guys from the two teams that dominate Spain. Modric doing what he could best, taking advantage of our drop of confidence.

    The third goal was gonna happen anyway, with the come of dybala and Pavon, which was meant to go all out but has high risk of increasing the loss, it’s now or never scenario.

    Just don’t put the chances to end, though the chance of we are going out early is huge. If Iceland didn’t win against nigeria then we have a slight chance hoping Croatia won’t rest their best players in the third match and a win against nigeria, is of course, a must.

  43. This world cup is last for messi generation not messi. India eliminated same way in 2007 world cup despite huge expectations from sachine and his generation but Sachin Tendulkar remains for the next world cup 2011 and India finally lift the title but Sachin generation Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble won nothing, same thing can happen with Aguero, Higuain, Dimaria, mache hope this Argentina generation lift 2018 world cup

      • Sachin retired with out lifting the world cup would have been shame in cricket same for football with out lifting world cup for messi. Both are God in respective sports and faced same critism for the lose for country despite all time top scorer

        • India is without Sachin a better Cricket Team Argentina isnt a better Team without messi
          Look at the Games in the Qualification
          With messi Argentina has lost only against Brasil and without messi Argentina has won only 1 Game

          • Lol you haven’t watched Sachin in prime, even i haven’t too, Sachin is highest run scorer in Australia, England, South Africa, Subcontinent, highest century ever in cricket world cup as well as cricket history gow can you say India better with out Sachin. Many stopped watching cricket after Sachin, Sachin was top run scorer in 2011 world cup and single handly destroyed Pakistan what does you want more

          • Hahahahah Check Ur facts
            Top scorer was Dilshan in WC 11 Sachin was Good but Not the best if there is someone who is the best than its don bradmann for me dravid is better than Sachin dravid was better than Sachin Outside Asia
            Not Sachin beat Pakistan it was Pakistan themselves
            But Pakistan took revenge 1 year ago 😉

    • Messi will continue with Argentina, AFA can’t afford messi lose and no player quit NT his prime expect gurd muller who already won everything. 2019,2020 copa and 2022 world cup is waiting for messi even messi won this year will remain with this team

        • yes 2copa in 2year plus confed cup in 2021, that means messi can play four international tournament in next 4year

        • Why i compared Sachin with messi because both face same critisim individual player not team player but actually noone Indian cricketers wanted to win world cup as much Sachin same apply for messi too but hater saying Argentina will be good with out messi just like India was better in wasim akram, soyeb akter, polock, megrath era with out Sachin, take a breath Sachin in prime incomparable to anyone noone ever break Sachin 100century record in poor bowlers era mind it

          • i understand you’re Pakistani but in cricket Sachin is considered as God ask any cricketer idol team Imran khan admitted, it would be injustice if Sachin retired with out winning world cup and justice happed. I Sachin Sachin was highest run scorer in world cup ever and top scorer for India 2011

      • Well Cruyff retired early too, there were others like Schuster. Messi won’t quit again though, not till he wins one trophy with his country.

        • One day time came when messi become headache for Argentina like Xavi or inesta but still on a worst case 4year left for messi so we have to enjoy as much we can then many stopped watching football like cricket after Sachin

  44. Now an audio from Simeone gets viral. “The goalkeeper… He had done it already! He did it against Spain, against Italy when the ball went wide off the post, and I told you it was a pity he didn’t concede so they would realise that if you screw it in the World Cup, it’s a goal”

  45. Argentina has no midfield, a third class striker manduzic looks superior than Aguero shows attack can make one team looks strong on paper but on field midfield win the match, modric proved today that he is they for real success not cr7

  46. CRISTIANO RONALDO IS A GREAT PLAYER AND HE’S PLAYING WELL WITH HIS TEAM. HE’S HAVING SOME GREAT MOMENTS. HOWEVER, YOU CAN’T COMPARE. RONALDO HAS THE TEAM TO HELP HIM. LIONEL MESSI DOESN’T. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS.” and why is that so M.R Sampaoli ? well because u are piece of shit, nothing else man !

    “WE WERE EMOTIONALLY BROKEN AND WE DIDN’T HAVE ANY FOOTBALL ARGUMENTS TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF EVENTS.” who broke everyone emotinally ? u MR. Sampaoli,a piece of shit !

    WE HAVE NOT FOUND THE BEST TEAM TO ACCOMPANY MESSI. BECAUSE OF THE REALITY OF THE ARGENTINA SQUAD, IT SORT OF CLOUDS LEO’S BRILLIANCE. LEO IS LIMITED BECAUSE THE TEAM DOESN’T GEL WITH HIM AS IDEALLY AS IT SHOULD. yes, it deffinetly didnt gel with u moron and never will !

    I DID NOT READ THE GAME WELL. oh, really, i think everyone thought u are our savior, including yourself M.R Sampaoli, please leave immeatedly right now and let the players try for their own pride against nigeria !

    There must be something really wrong according to what kun said !
    And if spain sacked or lopeteqi quit himself 2 days before the tournament started then why we cant do the same,at least we got nothing to lose !

  47. I just hope messi continue playing with Argentina whatever happens in 2018 Klose won world cup at 36, Ronaldo playing at 34 in 20118 and messi will be 34 in 2022 and remain in peck till 2020, look at CR7 lost his peck after 2015 won back to back 2 balloon dor and on the verge of winning 3rd if Argentina failed in the world cup, messi will win another 2 balloon dor in worst case

  48. I think everything fell apart as soon as Caballero made that stupid mistake that cost us the first goal.

    After Caballero’s idiocy, the team was broken!

    We even lost our collective head. Cards started flying…………I think there guys got booked.

    It is that mistake that changed the entire calculus.

    They (we) were fighting for a single goal (hoping that we don’t concede) or at worst, a draw……….may be 0-0 or whatever kind of draw.

    Then, the caballero results to stupidity like a high school kid and suddenly, we are looking at a ‘must score’ situation just to eke out a draw.

    A draw would have been very okay.

    The moment Croatia scored, they lost interest in going forward. They lost all interest in playing football. All they did was foul, defend, waste time and such like stunts!

    It was Caballero who cost us this game but then again, he didn’t put himself on the team.

    The coach did and reading all the comments here regarding Caballero, I wonder why the Sampaoli stuck with him.

    I wonder how that young kid Geronimo Rulli is. Is he that bad? Why wasn’t he taken as the number 3 goalkeeper or…….after Romero got injured?

    AS for Messi, there is nothing he can do. He always has three or four guys around him and most of the time, whenever he passes the ball, it is taken from whoever he passed it to thus his frustration.

    No Argentinean coach has been able to utilise Messi and that is the problem.

    So, to conclude, without Caballero’s mess, we’d most likely have setteled for a draw and the entire group would have been decided on Tuesday and WEdnesday.

    Now, we are fighting for one spot with Iceland.

    We could still win by the grace of God via a Nigeria-Iceland draw!

    Then, we beat Nigeria next week to give us four points.

    Of course it is easier said than done but I am hopeful.

    I will say three Hail Marys today.

    I am Kenyan but my heart is for Argentina. I’ve always supported Argentina!

    Right now I am down but I will not give up.

    I am hopeful! I will not lose hope.

    I BELIEVE IN GOD, EVEN WHEN I SEE HIM NOT!

    I BELIEVE IN THE SUN, EVEN WHEN IT SHINES NOT!

    I BELIEVE IN LOVE EVEN WHEN I FEEL NOT THE TOUCH!

  49. People hating on Messi as if it was Messi’s fault, so he missed a PK, REALLY, that sums up his entire ARGENTINA career? ARG would not have been in the WC if it wasn’t for him or the one before…….don’t be blinded by anger. There was nothing more that Messi wanted more than winning the WC for his country, DOUBT that and you’re clueless.

    NO OTHER player or Players added or subtracted from this team or a formation could have made this team better……none would have mattered because the driver DOES NOT know how to drive.

  50. I was surprised when Guzman played ahead of Rulli against Singapore. Sampaoli tested back up keeper not future, i agree this season Rulli was awful but should have been given chance between this season to evaluate for World cup squad, in a wost case Rulli 2nd best GK after Romero or Romero don’t want Rulli in squad to remain untouchable

  51. i can’t forgive Sampaoli for not giving a single chance to Rulli to prove his wortd for Argentina, then we never faced this kind of situation

    • Exactly Romance king, I ahve always wondered as to why Rulli is never given a chance.

      I am confident that he wouldn’t be worse than Caballero. He is young and perhaps dynamic and willing to learn.

  52. I still can’t believe what I saw. What the fuck was Cabellero doing acting like the reincarnation of Di Stefano with that soft touch attempt over a charging striker?

    • El Piojo,

      i am sorry but this is what I am saying. It is Caballero who ruined everything for everyone. He knew it and frankly, after this , he lost it too just like everyone else.

      By the way, I am Kenyan and I am not supporting any African team. I’ve always supported ARgentina. ALWAYS! EACH AND EVERY TIME!

      That said, my heart goes out to Senegal. I truly hope they go through.

  53. I almost crush my car…was driving and coming home to watch rest of the game. 0-1 was a hope but then came home 2 cheap goal… urggg nothing to say…Argentina you just can’t play like a chicken

  54. I still believe Argentina can win the World cup, still not lose hope but only messi and luck save Argentina, not Sampaoli… man was good choice at bad time better staying with bauza would have been better

  57. After 2014 world cup AFA shouldn’t appointed Tata, Bauza wasn’t that bad either at least know how to win even Argentina played bad like Portugal coach farnado santos. I can tell everyone bauza never lost 6-1 again Spain in U20 squad

  58. Simeone tactics suits Argentina most, Sampaoli implementation need time, in Chile Sampaoli benefitted by belisa model but in Argentina Tata n bauza destroyed transition phase in Argentina 2014-2018

      • Tata don’t have any tactics, you can’t beat a team in plenty Shootout whom has best GK. Bravo won for Chile and Argentina failed to score in open play, if bauza was coach Argentina would have won

        • And look i don’t know about 2007, the team was too old to compete just like 2018 still hope due to messi onltt

    • still I am saying simeone is the right person to prepare the team for 2022. sampaoli can prepare the team in chile, peru, Paraguay, Morocco. these kind of the country’s playing style could match his tactics. so he can go and experiment all the system.
      Mr.sampaoli please leave the way to simeone

  59. Portugal was worst in Euro but won the Tournament, Argentina even worser in world cup. Now only luck can send Argentina into the semis and if luck favours then win the world cup like Portugal. I will happily accept 1st round exit than final lose, Noone give credit messi make Argentina into the finals unless win the tournament

    • The little boy was very upset I saw that, was kicking as he cried his eyes out. I just hope on making it to the next round but just like anything else when you depend on someone for something good usually doesn’t happen. I will still be an Argentina Fan no matter what happens.

  61. As fan of Albiceleste, 30 year fan this year, I have nothing to say right now. I will continue to support the team but Argentina made a big mistake by not following a BLUEPRINT by a certain coach who gave us a way forward. No debates needed but just rewatch the matches of Basile, Diego, Bauza & Tata and compare them to El Panchorra’s matches and tell me he didn’t teach us to adapt to opponents and conquer the challenge at hand? Any given match? Argentine football is about creativity, intensity, grit and taking the game to the opponents while determined to give away nothing at all cost. That is what got us to the final in 2014. Not line up selections or formations. Fuck all that. The Germans have already admitted to have copied from AFA’s 90’s youth development strategies. AFA now need to copy from the German player development progreams to win a world cup. I don’t believe Messi will be the last Argentine great to appear on the world football scene.

    • I am great Sabella fan,we wont be going any further with those Bielsa philosophys,

      We need pragmatic coaches to go any further

  62. “Sampaoli has lost the plot. Perez and Meza are just not good enough, and Mascherano is well past his prime, Sampaoli only plays him because of his former reputation. For a manager with a reputation for innovation, this is a really timid and pathetic line-up. Drop those three and replace them with Banega, Lo Celso and Dybala or Di Maria. What’s the point of having the best group of attacking players in international football if your midfield can’t even string passes together, shield the defence and occasionally find its way out of a press?” 100% true

  63. BENCH MESSI!!!!!
    MESSI IS NOT HERE!!!
    Head down during the Anthem?!!!!!
    Not one shot during the second half?????!!!
    BENCH MESSI!
    He doesn’t defend like other forwards have been doing this tournament! Desbrozar create chances! NOTHING!
    Messi is the best… but he’s not here!

    START DYBALA!!!!! Unlike Messi, Dybala actually gives a f**k!!!!! He’s not thinking about his Juventus like Messi is right now thinking about his precious Barcelona!!!!

    Argentina: 4-3-3
    Armani (Caballero… f*** Off!!!!)
    Mercado-Fazio-Otamendi-Tagliafico
    Bangea-Mascherano-Lo Celso
    Dybala-Aguero-Meza

    With Depressed, crying, I want my mommy, Messi out of the way and Dybala in, maybe we might ACTUALLY ADVANCE this World Cup! Not win it, but at least advance!

    • Absolutely.Messi is not for argentina.He should have played for spain.His heart beats for his beloved barca only.When your coach is doing a tactical mistake,you can have your say as a captain but messi has never done it.He remains in the back seat.Basically he does not want to play with his heart out for argentina.

      CR7 is the best player and way ahead of messi.He enjoys pressure.He has developed himself gradually for his nation and would lift up the world cup.FACT
      It is so painful to write this but it is a fact.

  64. Honestly guys.. i am a big fan of Argentina.. but honestly by watching todays game i dont want Argentina to qualify for next round.. With this kind of game planning France Spain may be brazil also will tear us with 8-0.. i will pray for iceland tomorrow… even after 26th june will stop watchinf Argentina’s match… its very much heartbreaking for me… even Messi and his Pals must retire after this world cup.. I thought Sampaoli is different from bauza or martino.. but he is same like them.. no idea of his work.. I am sorry guys gor these negative statement.. If you can please forgive me.. Vamos Argentina

  65. You have to hit rock bottom before things get better.
    Brazil got killed at home and things turned around with Tite.
    It’s time to take our medicine and start getting better.

  66. Anyone still laughing about the Jerusalemcurse? Or you starts to understand? That team will never raise its head before full apologize will come on the west wall to 40,000 kids who bought tickets. That’s it. Until then.. you will cry, Argentina.

  67. I would like to apologize to all the football pundits who predicted our first round exit.!!! I was a fool to believe that nervous messi and dumb fuck sampaoli will win this cup!! Caryy on one positive commentors.. i want to see do you have the passion i have ?????

  68. Sampaoli…. FUERA!!!!
    Caballero…. FUERA!!!!
    ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!
    MESSI’S HEART IS NOT HERE!!!!
    For Barcelona, he drop’s back, pick’s up the ball, and take’s head on the opposing defense all by himself! WHY NOT FOR ARGENTINA!
    His head DOWN during the national Anthem?!!!!!!!

    Messi is the best player in the World, but he’s not here, this other guy is taking his space!
    Messi had his shot in 2014, and it took the team as a whole to really progress, wasn’t a Messi Masterclass that did it!

    My team for Nigeria: 4-3-3 (Always has been and always should be Argentina’s preffered and most comfortable line up)
    Armani (Caballero…. revoke his Argentinian citizenship!)
    Mercado-Otamendi-Fazio-Tagliafico
    Lo Celso-Mascherano-Banga
    Dybala-Aguero-Meza

    Messi is now a liability more than an asset. Not ONE shot in the second half he took, not ONE!!!!!! Di María would at least try a shot but not Messi!
    It’s Dybala’s time!!! Messi has his chance, missed a penalty and disappeared this game, Sampaoli hasn’t his shot, Biglia had his shot, Perez DEFINITLY had his shot and missed an open goal, Salvio, Higuain, they ALL had their shot and didn’t cut it!

    I would let Meza be the Meza that played against Spain, instead of always looking for Messi, for him to make his mark!
    Let Dybala Be Dybala and give every Argentinian hope for the future.
    Banega is one of the best Midfielders Argentina has and for Sevilla as well, let Banega be Banega!
    Let Lo Celso Ben himself, Mascherano, Tagliafico, Mercado ALL these guys!
    Argentina seems to play better without Messi because when he’s on the pitch they all rely on him, while the opposing team just mark him and stop Argentina’s flow.

    Bench Messi (at least for the next game and 1 half of the 16 round) Caballero, Salvio (shameless diver)…
    Start Dybala, Banega, Armani, Lo Celso!
    Players who WANT to win, and can probably win!
    We’re down, but not out!

  69. if all argentina fans inundate simeone with messages and tweets maybe we can get him to take over argentina NT??? wat do u guys think???

  70. Otamendi-Fazio pair was good against Italy. But Sampaoli doesn’t want to use them again.
    Armani or Caballero both were new to the team. So he could have started with Armani whos in good form and playing regularly. Sampaoli thought Caballero has big experience and he plays with the leg. Didn’t you see he played with legs?
    Lo Celso was there in every training until WC. Why he’s been frozen out? Why Sampaoli cant understand Lo Celso is the best pair of Messi..!
    As a defender, Salvio did not convince. Mercado too lost many times. I think Ansaldi cant be worse than those.
    Messi at middle has a good chance of scoring, same time easy to nullify threat by overcrowding the area and keeping one DM always on him.

    • Are you ok dude?? I get it, the team stinks but is there to be happy about? This forum is filled with weirdo fans.. if you hate the team so much and never had faith go behind, why even bother post here since apparently you already prophesized Argentina and Sampaoli’s demise?

  72. I ask again if anyone here helps me understand why we keep asking for Armani, when Guzman has titles behind him from what I know which might not be much (Not with Argentina of cource) and also has more time playing with the National team. If someone or anyone can shine a little light on that subject (nicely please since we are uspet of the game and coach)

  74. Did he say anything about Caballero? Everybody and their mother knew this would happen with him in goal but Baldy was too stubborn. Even in the training Clips Willy wasn’t saving shit. In the games it was worse because he was also shaky with his feet. Fact is even though they haven’t set the tournament on fire, with literally any competent goalkeeper Argentina have 3points, maybe 4.

  75. I’ll tell u y real reason Sampaoli is shit

    He brought in dybala when he has never used him an any system in training

    He just thought put him in and fingers crossed

  76. Just for the deluded
    Another formation guys

    ________arnani_______
    Absaldi – otamendi – Fazio – tagliofico
    ————-Mascherano – lo Celso

    Messi————dybala——-di Maria

    ———————Aguero————

  77. Messi will be 34 Ronaldo is almost 34. Ronaldo my man. Hardwork is what makes you great. You want to win world cup with your friends right? Fuck you

    • Yes Ronaldo will win WC LOL, first play at least a final. Portugal plays defending anti-football with mediocra players, Samo wanted to play attacking football with mediocre players old Masche, Enzo Perez, Acuna, Tagliafico, Meza mission impossible, they were unable to pass the ball forward

    • Ir was so evident that vs Croatia you need to strenghten your midfield with creative midfielders who can play the damn ball forward to the strikers quickly and what did this moron, the except, Lo Celso-Mascerano-Banega, no useless wingers fog God’s sake

  78. I wish I could be optimistic and hold out hope that we limp into the next round, but honestly I think the spirit of this team is broken. I’m not sure they can pull it together, nor do I think they have a system to work with. What a waste of talent and time. AFA really screwed this up, but all of this is so Argentine. I think many on this site had better coaching insight and player selection than Sampaoli who is a complete fraud of a coach. I’ll be curious to hear what exactly went on behind the scenes as something is not right with Messi. I hope Sampaoli resigns and a Simeone or Pochetino take over and start a serious rebuild of the national team. Hec, I would even take a Pep Guardiola or other foreign coach. I would love Messi to be a part of this new TEAM as he is three years younger than Ronaldo and look at how well CR7 is doing at this WC.

  79. 1. Another proof people need to stop asking god
    2. 77% who thought we win wc are just deluded
    3. I told u guys Argentina a rubbish as I try to be realistic and objective

    4. We still have a good team with right system and players
    5. I said was no need to change formation after Iceland
    6.

  80. The ‘positives’ are back with their formations and now it’s just a matter of a small miracle. We deserve to lose. I hope we lose against Nigeria. We need to hit absolute rock bottom.

  81. I pray to god that Nigeria win tommorow
    And we also win against Nigeria with big margin i know its unrealistic but i pray for it

    Playing 11 against Nigeria should be

    ———-Armani———
    ——-Fazio————-otamendi————
    -Ansaldi—-Mascherano—-tagliafico—
    —messi——lo celso——Pavón——
    Dyballa——-aguero——-

  82. “YOU CAN’T COMPARE. RONALDO HAS THE TEAM TO HELP HIM. LIONEL MESSI DOESN’T. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS”

    Don’t you feel shame Sampa before saying this? Just fucked off!

    Argentina becomes the laughing stock of world football. A so called big team, who can’t attack, can’t create, can’t defend!! Wow……..!!!!!

    Side Note:The only thing Argentina can do is passing thousand times in their own box! Such an embrassment!!

  83. It is not this player or that, no other player not included would have done any better, he has the best player on the planet and he simply reduced him to what he is today, unfortunately he was the only manager available with just a year to reach the wc and a handful of qualifiers left, willing to take the job with some decent experience and competence but it turned out that he has neither.

    • Well, he was brave to take charge of this mess. He had a highly paid job in the Europe. Most of us praised him like god when he replaced Bauza. That said, I am sad but I am still thanking Jorge for his effort.
      Anyone know if Aimar was part of the delegate? I was thinking Aimar might be the only one who can calm down the players and keep the solidarity.
      Last, being the best supporter of Messi for years, I am still questioning why did he look so uninterested? I am so sad about that!

  84. I hope miracle happens.but for miracle to happen Argentina need right formations.
    Armani
    Ansaldi otamendi Fazio taglia
    Banega locelso mascherano
    Dybala messi aguero
    Formation:4-3-3

    • Lol. Another formation. Stop this already. This squad is useless. I hope for mass retirement after Nigeria.

    • need to kick mascherano out cabellero also ,he hoped to win world cup riding on the back of messi and earn highest appearence for argentina ,had this selfish guy taken retirement back in 2015-16 we could have afforded to fill the midfield with young creative players ,how on earth a good coach can choose mascherano

  86. Win or loose well more loose then win as we are experiencing I am still an Argentina Fan but (my opinion) why is caballero still goalkeeper and also I see everyone here keep asking for Armani, now again I am not smart or fully know the stats of the Argentina players as most of you but would Guzman be a better fit based on he has more time playing with the team over Armani again just a question I now many of us like I am are very upset but my opinion do you think Croatia will not play a bitch move and either tie with Iceland or let them win just asking?

    • Iceland and Croatia are rivals they will not give an inch.so all depends on Nigeria Iceland match if Iceland wins.Argentina all but out

      • Okay was not aware of the rivalry betwen Iceland and Croatia that puts me a little on easy being confident on Nigera to win since we have seen the ball game in many games including with Argentina. Thank you for the response.

      • Croatia and Iceland are rivals from recent time. They had played in the same qualification group for WC 2018, and Croatia ended up second. They beat each other on their own soil respectively. Argentina are pure disaster, but I still have some hope. Nigeria beat/ draw with Iceland, and Iceland draw/ lose against Croatia. Of course, Argentina need to thrash Nigeria 🙂

  87. I pray to god that Nigeria win tommorow
    And we also win against Nigeria with big margin i know its unrealistic but i pray for it

    Playing 11 against Nigeria should be

    ———-Armani———
    ——-Fazio————-otamendi————
    -Ansaldi—-Mascherano—-tagliafico—
    —messi——lo celso——Pavón——
    Dyballa——-aguero——-

    Sampaoli should Play with his idea of 2-3-3-2 now he has nothing to lose !!!!! Dont know what he has trainined in Training camps he always change his Formation

  88. Fuck you sampaoli fuck you… Block me from the group… I doesn’t care… Fuck… He is just a piece of shit… Mother fucker sampaoli… 3 at defence crazy dump fuck… This all happened coz of u mother fucker… Caballero go home and relax as u did today… Biggest mistake of my life choosing argentina as my team… I should have stopped supporting the team in 2002 only… This is it I’m done with AFA… Bye mundoalbisceleste… The best fan base I have come across… I can’t cry any more… I love you guys…

    • Man I feel your pain right I just lay down in my bed tearing my eyes out I’m tired of this bullshit and I can’t move on from this team and it hurt a lot seeing Argentina this bad Argentina is the worse team in tournament by far.

  89. The truth is that corrupted AFA give chances to arrogant and smug coaches. Peckerman destroyed Argentina in 2006, ommiting Zanetti and withdrawing Riquelme arount 70-th minute against Germany. Maradona was a joke and only Sabella was a humble man. I hope Diego Simeone will finally take a charge on Argentina berth, but I’m not even sure that Sampaoli will be sacked. Remember, after 2002 disaster, Bielsa remained in charge until the summer 2004.

    • that looser will resign.. he only came for glory. Serigo Romero Forgive me for all the bad things i have said to you man!!

  91. Let him shut his mouth and shut the fuck up does he have any idea how many people support argentina World wide in Bangladesh and India it’s like 200mn!!! They all suffering tonight because of his stupditiy

  92. Can someone please give a list of Argentine youngsters who could make it big in a few years. I am done following the Messi generation and their accomplishments at European clubs. How good is Benjamin Garre

  93. Hey Sampaoli, you should have taken me ahead of the KFC loving Higuain. I think I could have scored against Iceland. Wanda says I am good at scoring goals.

    Go Well against Nigeria. Difficult loss today.

  94. I pray to god that Nigeria win tommorow
    And we also win against Nigeria with big margin i know its unrealistic but i pray for it

    Playing 11 against Nigeria should be

    ———-Armani———
    ——-Fazio————-otamendi————
    -Ansaldi—-Mascherano—-tagliafico—
    —messi——lo celso——Pavón——
    Dyballa——-aguero——-

    Sampaoli should Play with his idea of 2-3-3-2 now he has nothing to lose !!!!! Dont know what he has trainined in Training camps he always change his Formation

    • Hi FIFA,

      I do apologize for shitting in my pants during the game against Iceland although it is not a power house football team, and I also appreciate your acknowledgment to my apology in regards to my sever diarrhea during Croatia game since I couldn’t built a decent midfield after I benched Lo Celso whom Messi is not a friend of. Also, what made my diarrhea visible is benching Dybala and Pavon for whom Messi has no alliance.

      I would like to stress that the team chemistry was non existent after an argument on who should be a starter and I think I did upset Messi by benching four of his best buddies: Biglia, Di Maria, Higuaín, and Rojo. The mood felt agonizing and I also made the situation even worse by insisting to give the goalkeeping mission to my favorite goalie in the world Caballero even after he was hammered by Spanish team, showed poor skills during training camp, and gifted a goal to Iceland. I’m coming out today and I would like to announce my life partnership with Caballero. I feel the world accepts diversity and that’s why I have changed formations and players every game I coached for Friends Club.

      Final confession is that I do coaching for fun and experimenting to kill time. Initially, I don’t have a proper coaching training and tactic skills. I have never had the required attributes to be a real coach. Please accept my sincere apology and I would like to continue to be a coach for the team and I will listen to all your suggestions and recommendations so next time I make sure the team won’t qualify to world cup in Qatar by all means.

      Jubilantly,
      Your Professional Coach
      Stubborn Sampbaldy

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