Argentina Copa America squad announced: Four goalkeepers, Lucas Alario included

By
Roy Nemer
-
149

The Argentina Copa America squad has been announced and all four goalkeepers have the the team.

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni has decided to cut Emiliano Buendia, Jose Palomino, Juan Foyth and Lucas Ocampos from the team and has included Franco Armani and Lucas Alario. Franco Armani, who is continuing to test positive for COVID, has been selected, meaning that all four goalkeepers will be in the team.

As we reported earlier, Juan Foyth and Lucas Ocampos were the two big surprise exclusions while Emiliano Buendia and Jose Palomino were likely to get cut. Lucas Alario, who was at one point completely out of the team due to injury has been selected by Scaloni.

Here is the squad for the Copa America:

Goalkeepers:
Franco Armani
Emiliano Martínez
Agustin Marchesín
Juan Musso

Defenders:
Gonzalo Montiel
Nahuel Molina
Cristian Romero
Nicolás Otamendi
Lucas Martínez Quarta
Germán Pezzella
Lisandro Martínez
Nicolás Tagliafico

Midfielders:
Marcos Acuña
Rodrigo De Paul
Leandro Paredes
Giovani Lo Celso
Exequiel Palacios
Guido Rodríguez
Nicolás Domínguez
Alejandro Gómez

Forwards:
Lionel Messi
Lautaro Martínez
Nicolás González
Sergio Agüero
Ángel Correa
Ángel Di María
Joaquín Correa
Lucas Alario

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149 Comments

  1. Emiliano Martínez; Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Nicolás Otamendi, Marcos Acuña; Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez and Nicolás González.

    Starting eleven as per Ole and seems this to be a decent lineup. My only concern is subs and scaloni’s decision making about the subs.

    BTW, the quality of this blog is regressing day by day. I understand the criticism but call outs for something personal is unwarranted.

    I have been following this blog for years right from Maxi Lopez wc blog to this website.

  2. We have a right back problem. Other than that, the only problem is executing well. Weakness in every level must be compensated – for example playing both Parades, DePaul means you have to offset that with Palacios instead of LoCelso. Personally I would play only Parades or DePaul at a time not both. Leaving out Buendia is a brainfart by Scaloni. I’d pick him instead of Gomez.

    Again, the team needs to execute.. Given the 5 practice sessions, I am more confident we will play better with every game in copa. Vamos ALBICELESTE!

  3. I was always backing up Scaloni but now I have some questions myself

    We are the only Nation to bring 4 GK to a tournament!!!

    I know some of you are not fan of Dybala.. But I watch all the Seria A Matches with involved Argentina Players… Juve only plays good with Dybala, the Problem is Ronaldo there he probably doesn’t want Dybala to perform better then himself…

    Most of the too European Countries would integrate Dybala in the Team either as Starter or Supersub…

    But we rather take a not fit Alario????

    I think the Team Choice this time is not the best possible Team for Copa

    For the positive things… Romeros is a beast I think he will be one of Europes top defenders for the next few years… Emi couldn’t show what he is capable of but I am sure he will do great

    so now we have to pray and scream vaaaamooooos

  4. Dont know why, i m loosing confidence in this team. Sad that this is the last Copa for Messi. This tournament should be the last chance for Scaloni… we need better tactical managers, but seems like politics out there is pretty bad. Armani, somehow managed to be in this team even with covid positive result is unbelievable…heard that he has many fans out there, but deep inside every one knows he doesn’t deserve here. Will support Argentina no matter what… i can see its hard for us to go past semifinal with scaloni tactics… sad but true

  5. Positives from last two qualifiers. I am glad that Chile and Columbia matches happened right before Copa. Unlike last Copa where our team management had to make strategic and formation changes in the middle of the competition, this time they have good understanding of what changes needs to be made.

  6. Nicolas Capaldo has signed with RB Salsburg. He had to move on, since the Varela kid has well and truly arrived.
    Pedro De La Vega is Norwich’s main target to replace Buendia. Fiorentina are also on hot pursuit.
    Fausto Vera is in talks with Anderlecht.

  8. Here in Argentina particularly in AFA is store house politics. Thus they could not even win copa having the best player in the world….
    Who are the contender of Euro and world cup often give change to the young player who are in form.. as France gave chance Ambappe lost world cup who was much young…
    If we look before two match ago of Argentina , we will find that there was none establish defender in the team…but giving change to Chistian Ramero we have found a establish defender in the team…
    Only for the politics Armani and Otamandi are getting chance instead of Martinaze….
    Rulli won the Europa lig and he was the hero and his age is also suitable but we will found Armani, Cabalaro like goalkeeper…
    In the last match Musso should be substituted rather Armani Cabalaro like Mursacin we found who did not make a single save
    Argentina have best goal keeper of Europe, best Defender of Europe and Best legendary football player of all time than they will not able to win cope like tournament because they also have politics in football and corruption in AFA…

  9. “Tottenham have confirmed that Villarreal have exercised their option to sign Juan Foyth on a permanent basis.”

    Source: Skysports

  11. Midfield and forward player list is good every single deserving player is there but in defence some are not worthy.Goalkeeper list is good too but there should be 3 goalkeeper. Armani should be out can not take a risk of Covid positiveness
    So much bashing for Otamendi but he is good player and we do not have much alternatives. Lisandro height is problem, Quarta is very bad player, Pezella is OK kind of defender.
    Overall Scaloni made a good list of player. If Romero and Emi Martinez starts everything going to be settled. Just sad for Emiliano Buendai, even rival directors are saying he is a top talent and this is not a way to treat your top talent

  12. I have defended and supported Scaloni all the time.
    I don’t think he is the best coach but the alternatives weren’t good either.
    The team needed to get younger and I had hope he would introduce younger players, and he did, he did well in this regard. Although, after some not so good results he crumbled because of pressure from two enemies: The media and its own fans and called some older players back.
    As a national team coach you have to keep in check the terrible media, the delusional biased fans, the players who think the bigger than the team, etc.
    if you give in you open the gates and lose control.
    I think he has lost control to some degree and is not making rational decisions.
    – If you select Ocampos and Foyth as starters in an important game and some days later say they are not good enough to be in a 28 players squad then you are not a good decision maker. Why did you risk playing those players in that important game when they are not good enough?
    Probably because your decision making is bad.
    They made mistakes, but what about Otamendi who makes mistake after mistake?
    Should the same standard be applied in that case also?
    No, you don’t because he has protection and you don’t have the balls to do that.
    – No sane person can tell me Dybala is not good enough to be in a 28 players squad! It doesn’t matter if he is out of form, he is a useful player to have.
    Why wasn’t the same standard applied in the case of Aguero?
    The same reason as Otamendi!
    – The last 2 games Foyth, Ocampos, Martinez Quarta, Tagliafico, and Emi’s injury acted as shield for Scaloni’s lack of tactical plan.
    Scaloni wanted to protect the lead and got scored on and draw.
    He made a mistake!!!!
    As far as I am concerned, Scaloni has put a standard to judge him.
    We must use the same standard to judge him as he did Foyth and Ocampos.
    2 mistakes and you are out!
    He had enough time and he must deliver the Copa or must go home.
    Let’s support him and hope for the best, if doesn’t deliver I will be the first one to call for his resignation.
    I will judge him according to his standards.

  14. 4 GK’s??? Hahaha… I am feeling disheartened, betrayed as lifetime Argentine supporter. This team, management give politics priority over team. Do they deserve to win? I guess, no…

    Why there is no Dybala or Buendia? Doesn’t matter. Why 4 gk?

  15. I didn’t comment since the Colombia draw but here are some of my thoughts

    Compared to Chile, we looked much better in the first half until Emi’s injury. He is such a commanding presence in the goal and gives the team a sense of security and confidence in the back – that was obvious when he left the field and also for Arsenal and Aston Villa. We don’t get this with Armani or Marchesin. Really bummed out he couldn’t finish this match and really show why he should be #1 before Copa starts. Also bummed out about Buendia not making the bench for either match and now excluded in Copa squad. He must be incorporated into the team afterwards

    With Scaloni choosing a COVID positive Armani as 4th GK over a top form creative midfielder and legit talent Buendia, something we were clearly missing vs Chile, I’m worried that Emi Martinez might also be denied in the tournament if Armani recovers… If he doesn’t, Armani’s COVID could be Emi’s Bernd Leno for NT
    He showed twice that he can come on to a team and have an immediate huge impact – he will do the same for NT if given the chance

    Super happy with Romero! Looks like he has played with us for years. Hope to see more of him and Licha together

    Bambi Foyth exclusion is understandable and welcome. His SILLY SILLY mistakes lost us 4 points in these 2 games. He just looks too nervous in NT shirt and is evidently a ticking time bomb. Maybe try again in a few years. Like Poli said earlier, at 8 years old you learn that in a dangerous situation, ESPECIALLY WITH ONE MINUTE LEFT, you clear the ball!!! You don’t start to dribble unless you are Maradona.
    Ocampos was awesome last season and has had good games for us, but poor this season and a ghost on the field vs Chile…
    I feel one of Pezzella and Otamendi could have been left out, for me both are not necessary
    Injured Alario was ruled out from Copa but now included. Can be changed for Alvarez if not fit 24h before Chile match

    All in all I’m content with the squad. I just feel Buendia really should have been there and should have had some minutes vs Chile or Colombia. He plays a role we need and choosing 2 unavailable players + an extra poor form defender over him feels unjust. Either way he is inevitable.

    We are just 3 days away from Copa America!
    VAMOS ARGENTINA!

    • why 4 goalkeeper.. bcoz of injury and covid case of Armani..if that is the case then Scaloni should have selected 3 fit players..

      Scaloni has his own idea..
      Sad for Buendia..even if he had been selected and performed bad ..I would never mind.. any other national team may not dropped E. Buendia
      Scaloni never going to give much chances to Papu Gomez.. Both correa are not in Scaloni’s core 14,15 players..these are sad thing
      even after bad performance from Foyth and Ocampos one of them may be retained in place of Armani..

      last two games were not good result wise but we had some positive things like – C.Romero, E.Martinez, Locelso, Palacios etc

      I think Scaloni now have to use a player to sub messi to be ready him for post messi era..its a long time with messi dependency
      .one day he will retire..we must look after future no 10 of Argentina..

  16. I’m.from trinidad and Tobago.. And our head coach is Terry Fenwick, one of the English defenders who maradonna skipped past in 86.. we are out of qualification for Qatar. But even fenwick wouldn’t pick 4 goal keepers 🤣

    • When a player plays their heart out whole season to get recognized by their country. And people like scaloni damages them pyscologicaly.. ruilli was one in the past and now buienda

      • Who is our x factor on the bench? An Injury prone aguero? Why not dybala Mr scaloni? He can play multiple attacking areas on the pitch..

        • Ruilli/Benitez… sensi..polimano.foyth.perez. battaglia, ocampus. Dybala, buindea, mc alister. Icardi. Can u guys believe we have this squad at home.. And people say we don’t have depth?

  18. Hoooooo boy, when has there ever been an albiceleste official squad list without a very generous dose of controversy?
    Ok overall it’s a pretty solid list, most of the players who should be there are there but ofcourse there are some head scratchers:

    – 4 GKs, one of whom is COVID +ve? Look info and guidelines on COVID are constantly changing but as a doctor I say if you have COVID then you need to stay out of it! There is no sure fire method of determining whether a person is infectious or not especially if the results keep coming back +ve so Armani should be nowhere near the team.

    – Ocampos dropped? Seriously?! I honestly think it might be a fitness issue (or maybe a personal issue) because I can’t imagine that Scaloni would drop him after one off match where the poor guy played out of position. His season at Sevilla might’ve paled compared to the one before but Ocampos is a talented, physical, hard working player that adds alot to any team he’s in.

    – Buendia not even getting a look. I mean he got called up but didn’t even travel with the team to the WCQ, now I know that we’re not privy to how the players are doing in training but no one can convince me that a talent like Buendia isn’t even worthy of traveling with the team.
    I really hope that he atleast gets called up to the olympics (doubt it) because he can make that squad truly competitive.

    – Alario’s inclusion. Look I really like Alario and normally I’d have zero problem with his inclusion but only a few days ago we got word that he was gonna miss copa and now he’s going to it? Were the reports of his demise exaggerated? or is Scaloni gonna risk it and take him anyway? Really hope it’s the latter because taking an unfit Alario while leaving a fit Dybala at home is criminal on the level of Diego leaving out Cambiasso and Pupi in 2010.

    Ofcourse there are positives, as I said the squad list itself is very solid and ofcourse the inclusion of Emi Martinez, Tucu Romero, Licha, Molina, Papu and Nico D is commendable (if not a tad bit obvious). Also, leaving out Juandito was a good decision, the kid sadly still has a lot to learn and unfortunately he keeps repeating the same mistake (namely hanging on to the ball for too long) where ever he goes.

  19. I never like Foyth’s current form with the NT, but the kid deserved to be part of the squad. This may destroy him psychologically in the future. His biggest problem is that he isn’t a fast learner, he does many errors at country and club level but learns nothing. Emi Buendia’s exclusion and selecting four GKs is weird. Anyways, there is nothing we can do about it, let’s enjoy the Copa and Vamos Argentina!!!

    • If Foyth isn’t a fast learner, then why we even call him talented! You are right that he is keep making similar high profile mistakes over the last two years. When will he learn? Look at Romero how he developed himself in just a year. This is the definition of talent.

      • “If Foyth isn’t a fast learner, then why we even call him talented!”

        Rahman, the kid has talent, but the thing he needs to focus on is avoiding the mistakes he did in the past.

        Learning from your mistakes and learning new things are two very different things. Maybe Foyth is good at learning new things and bad at learning from his past. That last part is what I meant by “he isn’t a fast learner”.

  20. Huge mistake to cut Buendia, same problems over and over again since Scaloni took this job. As I said, the target should not to win the Copa but to prepare for the WC qualifiers. With this level of coaching and players selection, AFA really need to worry, could be the 1st time of the Argentina football history the national team not qualified for the WC(despite the current ranking). I felt a promising start of him and then nothing progressed since 2019. He is an assistant, not fit for the coach job.

    I don’t believe in miracle for this Copa and I hope some changes may take place ASAP.

  22. Why four goalkeeper? Headless scaloni should fired if we win the cup!
    Lets come to the point..
    #My only concern is right back defence ability Against powerful attack
    #Emi bundia should include over papu gomez
    # Cb is ota(Through error prone still our 2nd best)and Romero
    #In mid i would like to
    Pardes– gudio R– lo celso(top 5 in the world)
    Or
    De paul–gudio R — lo celso

  23. ………………….Martinez
    Molina romero otamendi acuna
    …………..Paredes/guido
    …….Depaul. Palacios/paredes
    ……………….Lo celso
    …………..Messi martinez

    Just for a change…a diamond mid….

  24. Since Scolani still picked Otamendi , why not call up Biglia, Mashcerano , Enzo Perez, Gago, Demichellis while we’re at it?

    We can have a party for a 30-40 year old guys.

    • I think he did that because he doesn’t want to take any risk to call new players or to try new things. He called Emi Martinez, Romero, Buendia(now dropped) mostly under pressure from journalists and other staff. He doesn’t want to take the responsibility if someone failed. As a result, this team will never progress with him.

      • I think the reason why he picked 4 goalies is because in the back of his mind he assume that Emi might not recovered fully for CA or he might be injured again along the way if he does play.

        Buendia exclusion is a bad one since he’s the only midfielder we currently have with great ball control and quick footed. The reason why Messi is never effective in national team these days is because there’s no creative midfielder, and there’;s no one in midfield that could dribbles and attract few opponent players to create space for Messi… So, our #9 (Lautaro or whoever play in that position) along with Messi will always be isolated and easy to marked.

        Paredes is too one dimensional and never play at high level for full minutes. Usually only good for one half.

        Just because Buendia played at Champhionship doesnt mean he’s not top league quality. Leeds united was in Championship league 2 seasons ago, yet they finished in top 10 this season in EPL.

        The lack of firepower upfront is worrying and with Otamendi at the back, the defence is like today’s Barca where they could dominate the ball only to conceides goals from 1-2 defensive blunders.

  25. if alario available for the teams.. then scaloni decision is right.. honestly if julian alvarez in the team than it is not bad either… i think in chile match alvarez prove his talents and maturity.. he was good and,,, young always brings something new.. unfortunate on foyth .. bcs he is learning stage .. he done major error but it could be prove come back solidly some time

  26. We live in an era where u pick old and injured and virus infected players over young and promising players.. Look how ge rmany won in 2o14.. gotze wasn’t no starter but he had talent.. And he came of the bench and showed the world what he could do..even though it was the last thing he done🤣.. So Mr scaloni… Leave important match winning talents at home and keep bench warmers on your squad… I’m still supporting Argentina 100 though..

  27. Its commendable that Scaloni is taking decisions on the basis of Performance. Happy to see Molina, Lisandro, Papu, Nico Domeniguez and the Correas in the squad. Lets go and win the Copa.

    Not crying but its my opinion, it doesnt matter which i also know, I respect Scaloni a lot. He is our coach. Whatever he does is good the team. But i didnt like the selection of 4 Goal keepers. There is noway we are gonna try 4 Goal keepers in the Copa. If Scaloni has preference for Armani for his experience and leadership then its fine. Respect that but he could have dropped Marchesin in that case or even Musso(I like him he is young and a good Goalkeeper but he wont start) Its a waste of 1 field players spot. Even though we have 28 players to select.

    Ocampos even if he is not in form could have been there. Foyth is only 23 give him time. He is playing in a position which is not his natural position. Otamendi makes childish errors he is still there. Di Maria dont adds anything to the team he is still there, but dropping 2 young players who are the future. SMH. I really hope that this Copa be the swan songs for Otamendi and Di Maria. Enough of them.Unless we win it there is no point in keeping both of them. The new players will make mistakes these 2 veterans also makes mistakes. So its better to chose the mistakes of the new players because they are the future.

    • yeah team needs more new faces,, and i think defence needs to overhaul.. two new center back should be introduce regularly alongside romero,lisandro … angeleri should be in squad ,, and another right back talents should be in search. honestly scaloni didn’t done anything wrongs . but 4 goalkeeper is really wasted a spot for collection a new talent in the fields..

  28. Scaloni lost my respect.

    First: Why can’t you drop Armani!! What is behind it?

    Second: You dropped Ocampos just for one game poor performance, who has been an integral member of the team? Why did you even start him in the first match against Chile if his form is so bad? Or, you didn’t know that he is going through a rough patch? Either way, you are just clueless.

    Third: Same goes for Foyth although this kid lost my heart too. He is a terrible choice for a CB, but he is still a viable option for a RB when you need to extra defensive against teams like Brazil. Monteal and Molina can’t offer that option. Why you dropped him after these two consecutive blunders? Didn’t you know that he is culpable of making such mistakes, which turns costly in his CB role? If you didn’t know that while we all know (except Kevin) means you lack footballing acumen.

    Fourth: why take injured Alario? If you miss a tall striker so badly, didn’t you tried Icardi or Gaich in the past? What for?

    Fifth: Buendia out! Did he not impress during the training session? If you remain on the helm, one day you will start him. And, when he will perform good, I expect you to come out and say that “I knew we have an excellent midfielder “- just like you said for Romero. Wasn’t it you who neglected Romero for months when you kept calling Bellerdi, Perez etc etc?

    • Argentina is playing after seven month and C. Romero now just started getting some fame so no chance Romero could have been selected earlier.
      Icardi’s performance in UCL was trash and Gaich is too raw.
      Ocampus out after one game for your knowledge Ocampus played all last 4 qualifiers and he was shit on those matches too that is why he is out not because of one game.
      According to you if player does mistake he should never be in the pitch so tell us how will he gel up and grow with team. Do not act like you know more than what you actually know.

        • @SergioA
          “Well said kevin! But be nice to rahman by the things hes saying he sounds like a kid. Lol”

          I really didn’t get what you actually wanted to say. Could you please correct your English?”

      • @Kavi/Kevin etc.
        “Icardi’s performance in UCL was trash and Gaich is too raw.”
        Is any of the two is worse than an injured Alario? Yes or No?

        “Ocampus out after one game for your knowledge Ocampus played all last 4 qualifiers and he was shit on those matches too that is why he is out not because of one game.”

        Then why did ocampos start in a very important game against Chile?

        “ do not act like you know more than what you actually know.”

        How do you know how much I know and don’t know?

        I know it is difficult for you to admit logic, as you keep pushing the same argument untiring no matter how many Mundo members tried in the past, maybe just think for a minute before you jumping on the keyboard?

        • Rahman Gaich and Icardi never been with team how can he select them for a tournament.Gaich does not look good on pitch and on what perform an you can select Icardi barely played in PSG,below average in UCL. Gonzalez and Lo celso were also injured but they recovers same goes for Alario
          For your knowledge all matches are important not just against Chile and Ocampus was always shit just like you.
          Your reasoning gives me idea about how much you know when you talk about football. Brush up your knowledge before getting back to keyboard.

  29. Without commenting on the players, the mix is curious. 4 goalkeepers and so many forwards? Two more midfield players would make a better balance. I am guessing Scaloni included Otamendi, Papu, Aguero and Di Maria also for their age. This could very well be the last tournament they play for the NT.

    • I’m pretty sure if Armani is tested negative he will be our No:1 GK. Scaloni is capable of doing all these crazy stuffs. Messi such an unlucky chap.

      • Man , that’d be such a shame. I truly believe Emi Martinez is such a beast of a keeper. He exudes confidence. Simply awesome at deciding when to come out and collect crosses, good in 1v1s, elite mid-level ball distribution as well.
        After a long time, we’ve gotten such a good keeper !

        • Yes Emi is spectacular. I haven’t had such a feeling even with Romero. But again our coach is insane he can do these crazy things.

  30. Hey everyone, old timer here. Hope everyone’s staying safe and getting ready to watch Copa!

    For those complaining about Scaloni, the reality is that managing the National team is probably low on the list for the good managers. Some probably view it as retirement job of sorts. That’s why good argentine managers like Simeone, Poch, etc will continue coaching at club level till they feel they want an easier gig/get worn out. Looking around at other top teams:
    1. Belgium – Martinez – was run out of friggin Everton.
    2. Germany – Low feels like he has been there since Messi was wearing diapers. There’d finally be a transition.
    3. Brazil – Tite – managed a bunch of brazilian + gulf clubs, and took charge when he is closer to 60. Probably a retirement gig.
    4. France – Dechamps – probably the one with the most relative success with Juventus’s promotion, then with Marseille. He probably then thought, “Eff this, I need an easier job”.

    3 of the 4 teams above (belgium, germany, france) have had some truly world class talent in many areas emerge in the last few years. That helps.

    So there. I *think* that we are trying to go with the Germany type model – choose a youngish manager and support staff and hope they figure shit out.

    So far, the results have been underwhelming, but all we can do is hope. So far, in all the games he has managed, I’m struggling to see true progress and improvement in the way we play, and that worries me. Part of it is system, part of it is tactical, squad selection etc, but there are some glaring issues. I’ll save that for another post :-).

    • those managers selected below 21yrs players to developed as a team. nut argentina why he is still selecting 35yrs armani, marchesin, otamendi, messi, aguero, gomez, dimaria, depaul, parades,. he supposed to select the players who turned 20yrs of age. tite got last year copa since he appointed. so you are telling that scaloni will win this copa cup am i right? its your dream…

      • Not quite sure where you’re getting the : “so you are telling that scaloni will win this copa cup am i right? its your dream…”

        I literally stated that the results have been underwhelming, and all we can do is hope.

    • I love this analysis. My only thing is that these teams had the luxury of time. This Argentina has an aging Messi. My fear is that Ronaldo could win a WC and end the debate. Portugal is scary these days with a real talented/world-class midfield. Ronaldo is now surrounded with talented world beaters that don’t even need him. He is icing on the cake. Same with Brazil (though some of their players have not been in form recently). They won Copa without Neymar. This Argentina team/manager relies on one player way too much. Last time Argentina had a complete team. Lavezzi (major contribution/goals in Super Copa before injury), DiMaria, Pastore (major contribution/goals in Copa), Lamela (goals vs Germany friendly and Super Copa). They also had a real manager in Tata Martinez (with tactics and style), who was hated only because of his 1st & only season with Barcelona.

      • Definitely, Portugal is scary, the centre back, fullbacks, midfielders and even attack very strong. I believe that they will win this Euro, which can probably end the debate.

      • each and every coaches are thrown out after failure.. someone must be given 4 years
        whatever decision Scaloni takes . I will support Argentina team..hope for the best

    • Yes true, leading a national team is not the same salary as at top clubs. And much more challenging as it’s a daily basis job. But the reality is some young coaches like Heinze and Gallardo will struggle to find a decent European club with that covid. I think AFA need to focus on 1 of those 2.

      But again, as you said, the talents the most important part, the players do the job on the pitch. Without talent, go nowhere

  31. Montiel and otamendi are in the first team only because Scaloni did not try any other players in that position. It’s a fault of Scaloni that he only tried one or players in RB position.Both the players performed. bad in RB positions.I am sure he will play montiel instead of molina.

  32. Scaloni copa if Scaloni doesn’t remove otamendi it will be crime. Palomino or senesi deserve place instead of otamendi.
    And this should be last chance for montiel if he can not perform he should be out.

  33. Lionel Scaloni should always go attacking because in defensive formation there is no use of Paredes, Paredes is only effective when his team attack look at Barca vs PSG second leg of CL, Barça dominated possession and Paredes was just spectator. Argentina should use his playmaking abilities
    Now Mollina and Acuna should be starter. Otamendi is good player I respect him just his hot headness is concern,his aggressive movements may sometime cost but overall a good player.

  34. First kick scaloni,i never seen a coach who selected maximum injured and covid player,we all know that if we want to win amy match,first of all you muat be phusically fit and also match fit but how scaloni selected those injured unfit match players?and kicked the fully fit buendia… I really dont know know what will going on in the copa

  35. I still dont understand the role of De paul in the midfield he is clearly not creating anything if he just there to add physicality in the midfield why dont they play Guido Rodriguez in place of de paul so Paredes to find more freedom to create something and provide some forward passes.
    My dream starting 11 is
    ……………………………….Emi Martinez…………………….
    molina…..Romero……….Lisandro……….Acuna
    …………………………Guido Rodriuez………………
    ………….Paredes……………………….Lo celso……
    messi…………..Aguero………………..Nico Gongalez.

    • Rodrigo de Paul can run with the ball and is very active in the middle of the part with his movements. He is certainly doing his job but we human beings are greedy so I want to see some vision from him. I would like to try palacios-paredes-lo celso midfield though.

      • Why not build a team for Parades? De Paul is the engine of Argentina midfield. He and Lo Celso are must, Parades adds to the list (hoping he have some consistency). It’s as simple as that, and not the other way around.

    • Hes capable of creating but hes thrives with Lo Celso. The triangle passing against Colombia gave me hope again.

      > Guido Rodriguez in place of de paul so Paredes to find more freedom to create something and provide some forward passes.

      Paredes should be doing that regardless. We saw him play more risky against Colombia, hopefully hes does a lot more.

    • De Paul is a creative central midfielder, quite similar style to Modric,Verratti and Pogba. He plays at his best level in a 3 men midfield next to a holding and another central midfielder more defensive, like with his club. So maybe Paredes-Palacios-De Paul or Guido-Palacios-De Paul could work better. You cannot expect much from him if he plays as double pivot with another holding.

    • Nice idea. Want to lose every game? Get rid of De Paul. He is the most crucial player after Messi and even Messi could be replaced by Papu, Dybala, or Buendia

  36. Papu for Buendia…Papu has been quite disappointing for Sevilla with relative to his Atalanta form so far

  37. I go Through trash talk like the way other. It is.really wrong. Tagliafico needs to replaced but its need strong vision to understand weakness and this may be not the right moment.. If foyth is out martinez quarta.deserve to out.. Including 4 goalkeeper It’s really illogical bcs goalkeeper has very low ratio of injury history.. But squad is not bad other than this..

  39. A lot of overreaction given Julian Alvarez is actually not in the squad yet.

    Clearly Scaloni is worried about the depth of his frontline, hence choosing Alario even when not fully recovered.
    Now there is a clause which says if a player is injured from the submitted list you still have some extra time to enter another substitute player for him (if i remember correctly it is upto 24 hours of first game). So it is possible Alario can still get pulled and it will then be for Alvarez. It is not a surprise choice, but one can tell most people probably have never watched him play- Alvarez is more of a second striker, who play much further up and even leads the line sometimes. Of course, if such is the decision the fact that Dybala is not invited is more mysterious, considering players with worse fitness and injuries are included, or heck even icardi maybe. That would be my main complaint here.

    Elsewhere Buendia is not really in competition with Alvarez in my view. If there is a choice, it is probably closer between him and maybe papu or even you know who, the captain. I would love to see him but not a big miss in my view given above. The real concern to me regarding the middle is that the squad looks very injury heavy in the center – the only fully fit center mid in the squad is de paul. locelso still struggling to make 90 minutes, palacios also recovering, dominguez fitness a question mark. And no Emi does not perform same role as DePaul in Norwich. I have seen the opinion he can be converted too like Rodrigo, but remember DePaul took multiple friendlies to make that transition. You cannot do such a thing in the middle of a tournament.

    With regards to the back line, people who really are saying Foyth over Montiel are not being intellectually honest in my view. Lets compare – one of them might be absolutely average, but the other literally gifts the other team the game. Is it really a difficult choice given that fact? Molina is the unknown quantity here so will be interesting to see how he does in 90 minutes.

    Finally, four goalkeepers, yes I think that is overkill. But if you ask me who to take in place of Armani, I would probably take Palomino or a true midfielder not in the preliminary. Maybe nacho, maybe zaracho, maybe lamela etc. Again because I think this squad is missing some teeth in the middle that can be counted to be fit.

    • I really like your view but I think this is very unfair to take injured and not fully fit players over physically in form players. This is a very big mistake that can emotionally hurt some players. Beyond all the performances, tactics the players are also human being with feelings and emotion. I like Foyth but he needs to be taught a lesson but I can’t understand the case of Ocampos, it is heartbroken for him… he’s been part of the team for a good year, he put some good perfs, he hasn’t doing well in the qualifiers for me it comes down to tactics…. How in the world you choose Dimaria, Joaquim Correa, Julian Alvarez over Ocampos is beyond my understanding. I hope they come back stronger but its a very big disappointment.

      • “How in the world you choose Dimaria, Joaquim Correa, Julian Alvarez over Ocampos is beyond my understanding. ”

        Yes I forgot to mention about Ocampos. I think the choice was between J Correa, DiMaria and Ocampos and personally I would have taken Correa and Ocampos from that choice.

    • > A lot of overreaction given Julian Alvarez is actually not in the squad yet.

      Dude, i must have read the list 20 times. I kept repeating “WHERE THE HELL IS HE? AM I BLIND OR GOING REALLY DUMB. WTF”

      > Dybala is not invited is more mysterious

      Kills me. Missing copa and prep for WC. Alario injured, leaving 9s fairly thin with Martinez and Aguero. Really stupid leaving a guy of this talent at home.

      > Buendia is not really in competition with Alvarez… between him and maybe papu or even you know who, the captain. I would love to see him but not a big miss in my view

      Yes, people are going bananas as if he’s the end all. Hes not going to make a huge difference anyway. Enough players are there (except my boy) so largely up to tactics/system at this point.

      > very injury heavy in the center – the only fully fit center mid in the squad is de paul. locelso still struggling to make 90 minutes, palacios also recovering, dominguez fitness a question mark. And no Emi does not perform same role as DePaul in Norwich.

      Worrisome considering 3 center mids is our best. Gomez runs the entire game but he doesn’t contribute defensively the same as RDP and GLC. I know Lamela is injury prone, but the guy is currently fit and easily the same quality of better than most. Absolute monster to help close down games, nightmare for any opponent. Another miss.

      > With regards to the back line, people who really are saying Foyth over Montiel are not being intellectually honest in my view.

      I’m one buts its more wishful thinking. I keep hoping he miraculously stays foul free.

    • Interesting points.

      For me, I’ve got 2 big concerns, and I wonder if it’s to do with just talent level.

      1. Midfield : Strangely, a strength of Argentina now feels like a bit of a weakness for me. Take our 3 starters from the last game: De Paul, Lo Celso, Parades.
      De Paul feels like he’s being playing a different role than the successful one he plays at Club level, where he is more advanced. Lo Celso is the main player we depend on for creativity but tends to fade in and out of the game a bit. Parades plays the holding role , but is inconsistent, misplaces passes and gets us into a bit of a shit. Palacios came in later- i know he is young and highly rated, but I am not quite sure what he’s good at yet. Maybe he needs to work his way back to form and fitness. We seem to lack that 1 world class pivotal shield for the defense (Masch type).

      2. Defense: Outside of Romero (Who came out with a lot of positives), I am worried about the rest. The entire defense mentality seems like, “See opposition player with the ball ? Tackle him immediately.” No marking, no staying with the man, etc. In the columbia game, I was shitting my pants every time Cuadrado got the ball. He waltzed past people like they didn’t exist. It was frankly quite embarrassing. Montiel looked like he had no idea what to do . He made a couple of forward runs to support the attack in the 2nd half and even that minimal contribution made some difference. Taglifico…. :-(, I’ll refrain from commenting . I honestly feel Licha is good (Despite his height), good speed, anticipation, reads the game well, physically strong despite his short stature, and has the ability to stay with his man. I can’t quite figure out why he doesn’t start.

    • As our midfield players…not in shape/fully fit…we will be forced to use 4231 formation when tournament progress. Thats when you need a player like Buendia.

  40. I am disappointed with Ocampos being dropped. Sure he was disappointing in those 2 matches, but he’ll come thru. He’s got a great heart, full of fight and spirit, qualities losers like Aguero and Di Maria will never develop in a 100 years. Those qualities win u tournaments. Aguero and Di Maria have been given a thousand chance and they can’t do any better for the NT.
    Otamendi is a disgrace.
    Really gutted to see Argentine football pegged back every time you see a ray of hope.
    Alvarez, Buendia, and Girotti should have been incorporated with the World Cup only a year away.
    And Facundo Medina had a stellar season in France, and should be paired with Romero. By the time the World cup comes, they will be one of the best CB pairing in the world. But hey we have Pezzella and Fartamendi.
    Why are we cursed with Retarded coaches since Alfo Basile some 26 years ago.

    In transfer news, Sampaoli is now targeting Pavon, moving from Almada.

  45. Brazil doesn’t have better team than Argentina the only difference is they have Tite who has clear idea but Argentina have idiot Scaloni who is completely clueless.

    • I agree brazilian squad is not that great, they lack a creative midfielder or two. Paqueta can’t be your main creative midfielder. Rischarlison and jesus need 10 chances to score a goal.
      They are going to struggle to score goals but it is very tough to score against them too since they have quality defenders, goalkeepers and defensive midfielders.

      • I totally agree with this. If you compare the the playing XI:
        1. Goalkeeper : The first choice is even. Ederson and Allison is great, but so is Emi. The difference is that their 2nd choice is excellent, and ours is a big question mark.
        2. Defense – brazil has the edge. Outside of Romero for us, the rest feel more unsettled/weaker in comparison. Brazil’s defense of sandro, marquinos, militao and danilo is very steady.
        3. Defensive mid: This is a big difference. Casimero is very strong. So are his replacements. They also usually play a double pivot of Casimero and Fred. Fred is an extremely average player, but his only role really is to provide additional defense cover. We lack here.

        This allows them to use Neymar/ firmino/ and whoever else to figure and get some goals. Our problem is a suspect defensive structure overall.

  46. Don’t talk shit about batistuta him better than Pessi he win two trophies with argentina and proving at small Fiorentina while Pessi need the help of xavi ieniesta Neymar to win champions league not eaven a Copa America that he cannot win for argentina and why scaloni calling fucking armarni that’s texting positive to play in tournament he is out of his mind

    • this fuck..in scaloni never win trophies. his team will come out of qtr finall stage. if scaloni have 10yrs future project means why did he choose over aged players 30yrs. claudio topia is killing the argentina football. yesterday i watched estonia vs latvia match they were playing very aggressive match and ball movement also very fasting no one is holding the ball above 3-5 secs. they are all playing from GK. GK was also not kicking the ball on the air all the time like armani, marchesin. if argentina play with either team a definitely they will lost.

  47. Such a shame ..there is no buendia just ridiculous ..scolani believe injured alario covid armani older pezzela is better than emi buendia just ridiculous.. that’s why Brazil is still unbeaten in world cup qualifier… they choose player by performance not politics…no wonder as a geniune Argentine fan I believe copa winner is Brazil

    • Buendia that buendia that……stop overhyping him….if scaloni thinks we have better options than him then so be it. Accept it. Don’t make a mountain of a molehill.
      If he performs well in the premier league, he will get his chance again.
      We will have a great chance to win Copa America if only scaloni shows some bravery.
      Trust scaloni for now.

  51. Scaloni does not have the balls to bypass the River Plate agenda. Calling the fourth goal keeper Armani proves it again and again. Now I started feeling guilty of becoming an Argentina football fan. See this is a team that never ever gives joy, pain and sadness are always being the end product. Fact is that much of the losses are due to the decision making. As far as I can remember, substituting Requelmi against Germany in the world cup later conceding a goal loosing out… to calling Armani to please River and excluding Bunidea. This team will always be like this luck and decisions are always against us. Feeling sad for Messi he should have opted for Spanish citizenship that could have given him many international trophies including World cup. Let’s go to Copa without any exception. This coach does not guarantee us any thing neither the team.

  52. I will drop Papu for Buendia, better still drop Armani and bring Buendia as it is more promising in the future. However Scaloni knows better than me if Papu is more important than Buendi at this moment.. and most importantly his players selection is based on the contribution to the team and game plan. Still my concern is game plan and right players on the game which is still on progress and never firm

  53. Bangladesh are more develop than our country..
    I have a huge respect for Bangladesh and Bangladesh people as I get a medical degree from there and I have a lots of friends there..it’s actually my second motherland..
    And another exciting thing was that there are so many Argentina fans.. credit goes to lord Diego Armando maradona..
    But all for now we have to support the team right now.. definitely scaloni isn’t a proper coach..but I think afa don’t have money..

  54. Mr farhad stop your non sense comments.. Argentina didn’t produce great players since 30 yrs what a joke..that means you are not an Argentina fan..
    Batistuta???
    Riquelme aimar sorin maxi Rodriguez..zabaleta de Maria and list goes on..
    They reached last copa America finals 2004 2007 2015 2016 and WC final 2014..
    All games were lost in extra time except in 2007..so pls look at the record…if hiquin had scored result would have been different..
    What batistuta have done for Argentina except 1993 copa?
    His 6 goals for Argentina in world cup are against medicore teams as Greece and Jamaica..other 4 goals are 1 vs england on penalty..1 vs Romania on penalty..1 vs Japan 1 vs Nigeria..
    He haven’t score on knock out games except penalty..
    You are comparing shitty Bangladesh team with Argentina powerhouse..
    Your shitty Bangladesh team lost even to our national team Nepal..
    Yes I understand there are lots of frustrations as Argentina fan..but don’t compare to Bangladesh India..

  55. There is River Palate propaganda. Player without getting played a single minute in the pitch are being dropped. River Plate could not find buyer for his average player Montiel,now they are using national team for exposure of his player. Three River Plate players there is no other club with 3 player

    • I dont understand why Argentina lets the local clubs destroy their own national teams? Good players end up in European teams for a reason. Stick with the best players. Maybe have few players from domestic leagues, but this fetish of Argentina for shooting itself in the foot is frustrating from a fans perspective. Get the team with best players and let them put up a show – as simple as it gets.

  56. I want one thing to say guys keep your expectation low from this team. Emi Buendai did not make the list worst mistake,Foyth could have a good substitute, did not need fourth goalkeeper.Montiel did nothing, Quarta Martinez is also worst. Now from coward Scaloni he has become dumb Scaloni.
    At last Argentina not going to win Copa America

  57. Alario is hurt and is on the squad. Armani has COVID and is in the squad as a fourth keeper…Am I reading this right? Scaloni took an injured player and a fourth goalie with COVID? He left Licha and Buendía off of this team for an injured player and a fourth goalie with COVID? Still gonna support the team as always but I have low expectations…A fourth goalie with that May not even be able to travel to Brasil…lol

  58. keeping julian alvarez is right decision, but taking 4 goalie is unnessesary , foyth has done wrong but he should not be removed from the squad bcs this was not the right time to remove him.. since he was selected up till now he should selected for copa at least for learning.. and tagliafico he will not effective right back the way argentina needs to play … and why baundia out he could be good replacement for R. de paul

    • Foyth makes at least 3 errors a game. His last error was somethign he should have learned at eight years old…when in danger, just clear the ball. Maybe he’ll make comeback a few years down the line

      • Yes with mistakes like those I’m glad he’s been dropped for now.. its good for him.. only negative is Otamendi will probably play due to “experience”.. nvm

  59. in Bangladesh, Argentina have a huge fan base .Mostly because of DIEOGO armando Maradona. i thought the next generation ‘s Argentine footballers will have the same quality but what a shame last 30 years Argentina produced nothing but garbage footballers. i doubt these players feeling when they lose coz it is the same shit again and again. messi mascherano requelme Batistuta and 1978 and 1986 generation’s players ,that’s it. it is high time one should think 100times before being emotionally invested on this stupid branless headless chicken football team . giving huge responsibility to a stupid coach .MARADONA rightly said scoloni is a stupid and this armani’s cock sucker is proving that.
    i am totally fad up with this players and coaches actions. wheneve i see messi walking , paredes exposing defence running like a pig, foyth jogging tagliafico lol , I have said enough SOME OF U GONNA SAY HEY STOP ABUSING OUR PLAYERS , WHY DONT YOU PLAY ,THEN WE WILL WIN, THATS NOT MY BUSINNSS U STUPID SHIT . TRY TO BE LOGICAL.THIS FUCKING TEAM WILL WIN NOTHING FOR NEXT 200YEARS UNTILL THERE ARE 3/4 MARADONA CALIBER PLAYER AND OTHERS ARE NOT LAZY BUM.
    RGENTINE PLAYERS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC .
    I WILL REMOVE 100 MESSI TYPE PLAYERS FROM MY TEAM WHEN I HAVE I MARADONA AND 1 MASCHERANO LEVEL DEDICATED PLAYERS

    EVEN BANGLADESHI AND INDIAN PLAYERS HAVE BETTER TEAM CHEMISTRY AND DEDICATION FOR THEIR COUNTRY ,WITH PROPER OPPORTUNITY GIVEN THEY WILL DO A LOT BETTER THAN THESE RUBBISH ARGENTINE PLAYERS.

    • Perhaps you should cheer for your own country players from now on. Maybe this Argentine rubbish players will vs your country players in Qatar2022 and we will see the results

    • I’m from Bangladesh but stop talking bullshit…. How can you compare Argentine players with our players, our player can’t even run with the ball, can’t even pass the ball correctly…. Lol… You seasonal fan… I don’t understand shy you’re making this statement…. And you’re telling messi would be removed if you have maradona?

      F**k you! Messi has done more than Maradona for Nt…

  61. Well here we go, expecting it to become a warzone in here but this is my take

    Foyth: Understandable because of the mistakes and I think it is a great coaching decision to keep Molina who can contribute a lot actively in attack and has a connection with De Paul. I was in favor of playing Foyth before the qualifiers started but now I realize he can not be trusted and seems to be shaken and nervous. At least with qualifiers we have retained second place and have several more games to play but if he makes a mistake at the wrong time in copa it is bye-bye.

    Ocampos: It feels very weird to get rid of him but it kind of makes sense, he did not use the opportunity he was given and is not in good form. I do not think Di Maria should start but currently he is providing more than Ocampos except for workrate.

    Palomino: This exclusion does not feel like a shock and if I am correct he has not a single cap for us. At the same time someone that understands playing with Romero would be useful and he has been in good form at the end of the season. I guess it was either him or Pezzella to Scaloni but Pezzella is a leader and has experience with the team and has an understanding with Quarta (a player with understanding with Romero is better than one that has understanding with Quarta but this is what happens when you don’t integrate your best players as soon as possible, it’s too late now)

    Buendia: This one my least favorite exclusion and I’m sure many agree. I have said this many times, Alvarez is a great talent but in no way should he be selected ahead of Buendia. There must be some quota for local players because Buendia provides a lot of the creativity we are missing and a better option at right wing.

    Overall: From a general perspective, some of this makes sense and some makes no sense at all from a first glance until you look into it. I am guessing Buendia counts as a midfielder for this but his ideal role for the NT would have been a right winger. That being said, we have gotten rid of two wingers, Ocampos and Buendia. What we are left with is Di Maria, Alvarez, and Gonzalez (and some would argue Correa but I doubt he will be used as a winger ever for Argentina). Those three options look pretty abysmal if you are going for a 4-3-3 like last game (Nico is good but is returning from injury, Di Maria yes is world class but we all know he has headless chicken tendencies and is preferably a sub, while Alvarez is greatly inexperienced in the NT and we have seen not even 30 minutes of him). What this – plus the fact that Scaloni kept Molina which is an extremely attacking fullback – hints at is that he may be looking to play a narrow formation which is a good sign. I am not totally sure this is true but it makes the most sense that he made these exclusions with a tactical formation in mind, so please guys, give him the benefit of the doubt. What I do not understand is Alario and Armani, Armani will never be able to play until his PCR tests negative and Alario, unless we are suddenly in a parallel universe, is going to be injured through the whole Copa. Very confused on those decisions because while the other exclusions make some sense due to tactics and the other reasons I mentioned, having at least two of those players give us more options in case of emergency or for tweaking things.

    • I have 4 inferences from this final list
      1) has emi fully recovered from colombia game fall? Maybe there is some discomfort which only can justify 4gks. I dont think scaloni is that dumb to waste a spot. If armani was a preference, he can just drop one from musso or marchesin.
      2) scaloni is rightfully realising that our final third is not firing. Is Alario a right selection, only time will tell. But if he has recovered its a good move. If its a situation where scaloni is hoping he will recover by knockout stage, its too risky. It will end up being like aguero in wc14. But what wld have forced scaloni is that aguero may not be match fit . Like someone who said in grp – he cld have tried girotti or gaich or even icardi instead of an unfit alario. I will still place benefit of doubt with scaloni as we dont know exact fitness position of alario.
      3) not playing buendia is a big mistake. Atleast in romero & emi, scaloni finally corrected his blunder. Not selecting buendia when players like alvarez & dominguez made it is illogical. Will dominguez get a minute? With angel correa, dimaria – why waste a spot on alvarez. I wld still prefer ocampos who played on wing & will trouble opposition ( atleast as a sub).
      4) there are so many players in this team now whose fitness position looks dicey – alario, dominguez, palacios, nico g, romero, aguero( match fitness ), romero, emi ( maybe fully recovered). Hope we dont end up being a bag of injured players in tournament.

      • I saw a video of Emi training again so I am sure he is getting better from his knock. Now when you put the list of all the players at the same time it does look scary. AFA better make sure they are protected and fit because we are walking on ice. Already brave of them enough to call them up and try to get them fit

      • Agree. Didnt see Alvarez in omission list & i assumed he is in till i read elmongol post. But key point remains that Buendia missing out is a real bad selection piece. Even Alvarez got some minutes against Chile while Buendia did not even feature in sub list for both matches. This is inline to Scaloni or AFA’s misplaced perceptions of rating Armani higher than Martinez or even NPerez/Balerdi/Medina/Kannemann getting earlier debut to Romero while Romero has been doing consistently well for last 3 seasons in Serie A.

  62. My only issue is why 4 GK!? Also what’s the point of waiting on Armani when Martinez showed great performance. Politics will never leave Argentine football

    • Let me put myself on the spotlight
      I almost sure Emi martinez is first choice golie for scaloni now just wait and see . A lot of guys in here are way to critical it’s getting embarrassing.

      • It doesn’t feel right you know even Argentine media is wondering around about Armani & Alario inclusion. Anyway all I want Martinez to start in goal. His air game was amazing. Was catching everything on sight. We missed that kinda commanding keeper for long

  63. what a wrong decision by scaloni, leaving out baundia and foyth but in quarta and tagliafico, and taking 4 goalkeepers, now it seems scaloni is n’t right man

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