Argentina must defeat Spain to advance in the Olympics

By
Osvaldo Godoy
-
76

Argentina play one of the favorites Spain on Wednesday, with winning as the only possibility to advance to the next round. After losing 2-0 in the opening game vs. Australia, and defeating 1-0 Egypt, the U-23 national team will go for the win.

With just one matchday left in the group stage, Argentina is currently in third place of group C. The top two teams will qualify for the quarterfinals.

Based on all the possible scores in both matches to be played on matchday 3 (Australia vs. Egypt and Argentina vs. Spain), and taking into consideration the goal difference, a victory from the Albiceleste would be the only result to stay alive in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

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76 Comments

  1. I think if Girotti gets a chance he will do better than Gaich. He also looks strong and tall. We need a good tall striker. Gaich does not have what it takes. His first touch is not there either.

  2. To be fair ,clubs both local and overseas don’t release players is the main problem . Secondly Batista made a few mistakes .First match both ortega ,de la fuente are heavily pressed .He didnt substitute suitable left back and right back . Then an impossible red car ruin the whole team .

    Final match vs Spain, batista use his Maradona urzi instead of T almada ,de la vega ,Payero and replaced the dangerous player barco half time which cause the whole match .

    actually after several friendly before olympics ,some players such as M vargas , Urzi ,De la fuente ,Ponce ,Ortega Should not be called .

  3. Few questions arising
    – was it the right approach, while the team has to win it..??
    – is that ‘batista guy’ an appropriate one for any form of Argentina team I mean u15, u17, u20, u23, I m afraid this bullshit is the coach of our u20 team..
    Hope, AFA must sack him and choose a meaningful coach at least who brings some objectivity in the team..

    • I am sure Batista will get fired. He was given time on this project. In fairness , created a team & had moderate success before Olympics – but some bad selections & remained loyal to his favourites. So he takes the blame & shld get fired. Perfect time to restart youth project with a new leader

      • Who could be the right person to guide that youth project..??
        I feel peckerman once was but now who..??
        We need someone like him because a strong youth will always produce a far more strong eleven..

        • Pekerman definitely an option unless he is fully retired. But it would be new energy to have Masche take this up. He is passionate about Argentine football development & this is not a 24×7 job . We wont get a top coach for this job anyway due to low pay.

        • the copa America indicated the whole system is working in the right way .So just take it easy .U20 is a team to find out players for future national team . So the coach must select different players to try .Those failed should never be given chance unless significantly improved .

  4. Most part of this game Arg defended well. But tht is not Arg s way to success. Attack is the best way to defend. Players looks not bad always. Thr is some mistakes in certain positions. If Batista fill that gaps by selecting 3 overage players things can easily changed. Argentina MGT. is the reason for this sad end of olimpic football. I think this this is second time Arg.s approached this tournament very casually. In prev. olimpic Same situation happens arg.out in firstvround..

  5. Very disappointed the way we are out. This spiritless coach leads this spiritless talented players to go easily thr home. Looks like Batista always thinking thr is no spirit in his face like Our head coach Scaloni.

  6. First match we took lightly..and we have paid for that.
    Our best football we played against Spain…but still lacking in many areas.
    Coach is the only person to be blamed. First he didn’t pick overaged players except GK. He should have utilised that opportunity. One good striker and one good midfielder we should have progressed.

    • i think its between Japan, South Korea , Brazil , Spain .
      Spain looks weary & very wasteful in front of goal . So jus strong on paper
      Brazil has a good balance . GK seems the weak spot.
      Japan & South Korea have been preparing for Olympics for last 2 years & will create impact. In all probability semis will be Japan – Spain & South Korea vs Brazil.
      If crowd was allowed in stadium, Japan would have had a great advantage.

  10. this coach made a big mistake .Not barco out but urzi . Barco is the most dangerous player fist half .
    urzi is useless .T almada, de la vega and payero come in the whole team becomes better in final 10mins .
    But all in all this team is not up to the standard of spain .Perez ,Medina are national team material . Barco ,venuezla ,Payero are useful , Gaich should be given more support in midfield so don’t underestimate him .De la vega is hard working but need more improvement. T almada I think he may not be as good as we expect .Bravo is decent in defense .Others player are just moderate

  12. Look at France, they have Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Nkunku, Moussa Diaby, Aouar, Marcus Thuram, Camavinga, Upamecano, Konate, Kounde, Wesley Fofana, Theo Hernandez in this generation but neither were here. Only Brazil (again) and Spain take this tournament seriously from the big football nations.

  14. Wasted opportunity but this is a team not good enough to win it all and that’s the whole point. It goes back to all the players that missed out on playing due to not being selected or their clubs not allowing them to play!
    and off course nobody around here wants Brazil to get gold.

  15. We lost bcz this fucking coach
    Why not Almada is not starting 11
    …
    Look his rating
    Played only last 25minit
    & Rating is highest 7.6
    This is shame

  16. Not that bad result from this weak squad: Thiago Almada is on a whole different level than our ordinary players, Almada, Perez and Medina will be NT players imo, maybe Vera, maybe Macallister (out of form) and maybe De la Vega (seems very ordinary sadly) others def NOT…plus Cristian Romero, Foyth, Lisandro Martinez, Senesi Montiel, Molina, Palacios, Nico Dominguez, Nico Gonzalez, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro from this generation (97-2001)…who has the talent but not the mentality Barco and Almendra.

  21. Where a people who wanted Gaich with the National Team because he scored 2 goals in 2 games months ago ?

    This guy is a joke, random in Argentina, fail in Russia and without impact with U23 or his italian team

    The second worst Adolf of the History.

    • Gaich flopped in tournament . Thats a fact. But he came into tournament with very less playing minutes. Also supply to him was non existent. As a CF without proper supply , you have to be in dazzling form to make the difference. I hope to see him in a first division for a season with constant minutes & am confident he will bounce back.

  32. the second half is all or nothing .Put in de la vega ,Payero instead of urzi ,belmonte . may be T armada instead of mcallister. otherwise go home tonight

    • Urzi, ponce,colambatto & de la fluente wasted spots. We are defending well as a team. But need to take game now to their half to get the odd goal. Spain knows draw is good enough.

  33. Herrera is much better than De La Fuente. Our defense overall looks good. The duo of Perez and Medina is superb. Spain dominating but not real chance. We played very defensive today which is correct against a team like Spain. But how will we score? We also bring no danger at all to Spain.

  38. With oyarzbal we may end up winning😊 we dont need to worry on their posession. How we capitalize a counter attack may be the key. Cuccurella is their jordi alba.

  39. the poorest player is de la fuente .Hopefully Mosevich or Herrera can replace him. Midfield payero ,De la vega ,Barco ,Vera , Gaich Infront . Venezuela is promising should start .So the line up will be
    Herrera #Perez#Medina#Bravo
    #####Vera
    De la vega#payero#barco
    # Venezuela
    ####Gaich

  41. Vamos 🇦🇷. Maybe a macclister thru pass & a scrappy goal by gaich. Jus win somehow. I think this team can defend if we get the goal.

  42. Present and Upcoming Possibilities.
    Full Details
    Argentina Roster.

    – Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez. #23
    GK/ Age: 28 / Ht: 6’5”/ RF
    Aston Villa #26
    DOB: 09/02/92
    POB: Mar Del Plata, Arg

    – Juan Musso
    GK/ Age: 27/ Ht: 6’3”/ RF
    Atalanta
    DOB: 05/06/94
    POB: San Nicolas, Arg

    – Franco Armani. #1
    GK/ Age: 34/ Ht: 6’2”/ RF
    River Plate #1
    DOB: 10/16/86
    POB: Casilda, Santa Fe, Arg

    – Augustin Federico Marchesin. #12
    GK/ Age: 33/ Ht: 6’2”/ RF
    Porto FC #1
    DOB: 03/16/88
    POB: San Cayetano, Arg

    – Paulo Dino Gazzaniga
    GK/ Age: 29/ Ht: 6’5”/ RF
    Fulham
    DOB: 01/02/92
    POB: Murphy, Arg

    – Jeremias Conan Ledesma
    GK/ Age: 28/ Ht: 6’1”/ RF
    Cadiz CF #25
    DOB: 02/13/93
    POB: Perdamisno, Arg

    – Cristian Gabriel “Cuti” Romero. #13
    CB/ Age: 23/ Ht: 6’1”/ RF
    Atalanta #17
    DOB: 4/27/98
    POB: Cordoba, Arg

    – Nicolas Hernan Gonzalo Otamendi #19
    CB/ Age: 33/ Ht: 6’0”/ RF
    Benfica #30
    DOB: 02/12/88
    POB: Buenos Aires, Arg

    – Patricio Nehuen Perez
    CB/ Age: 21/ Ht: 6’1”/ RF
    Atletico Madrid
    DOB: 06/24/00
    POB: Hurlingham, Arg

    – Lisandro “Licha” Martinez # 25
    CB-LB /Age: 23/ Ht: 5’9”/ LF
    Ajax FC # 21
    DOB: 01/18/98
    POB: Gualeguay, Arg

    – German Alejo Pezzella #6
    CB/ Age: 30/ Ht: 6’3”/ RF
    Fiorentina #20
    DOB: 06/27/91
    POB: Bahia Blanca, Arg

    – Lucas Martinez Quarta
    CB/ Age: 25/ Ht: 6’0”/ RF
    Fiorentina #2
    DOB: 05/10/96
    POB: Mar Del Plata, Arg

    – Jose Luis Palomino
    CB/ Age: 31/ Ht: 6’2”/ LF
    Atalanta #6
    DOB: 01/05/90
    POB: San Miguel de Tucuman, Arg

    – Facundo Axel Medina
    CB-LB/ Age: 22/ Ht: 5’11/ LF
    Lens # 14
    DOB: 05/28/99
    POB: Villa Fiorito, Arg

    – Marcos Nicolas Senesi Baron
    CB/ Age: 24/ Ht: 6’1”/ LF
    Feyenoord # 4
    DOB: 05/10/97
    POB: Concordia, Arg

    – Juan Marcos Foyth
    CB-RB/ Age: 23/ Ht: 6’2”/ RF
    Villareal # 8
    DOB: 01/12/98
    POB: La Plata, Arg

    – Gonzalo Ariel Montiel # 4
    RB/ Age: 24/ Ht: 5’9”/ RF
    River Plate # 29
    DOB: 01/01/97
    POB: Gonzalez Catan, Arg

    – Nahuel Molina Lucero #26
    RB/ Age: 23/ Ht: 5’9”/ RF
    Udinese #16
    DOB: 04/06/98
    POB: Embalse, Arg

    – Renzo Saravia
    RB/ Age: 28/ Ht: 5’10”/ RF
    Internacional #26
    DOB: 06/16/93
    POB: Villa de Maria Del Rio Seco, Arg

    – Hernan De La Fuente
    RB/ Age: 24/ Ht: 5’10”/ RF
    Velez Sarsfield
    DOB: 01/07/97
    POB: Buenos Aires, Arg

    – Nicolas Alejandro Tagliafico #3
    LB/ Age: 28/ Ht: 5’8”/ LF
    Ajax FC # 31
    DOB: 08/31/92
    POB: Buenos Aires, Arg

    – Marcos Javier Acuna #8
    LB-LM/ Age: 29/ Ht: 5’8”/ LF
    Sevilla # 19
    DOB: 10/28/91
    POB: Zapala, Neuquen, Arg

    – Francisco Gabriel Ortega
    LB/ Age: 22/ Ht: 5’10”/ LF
    Velez Sarsfield # 34
    DOB: 03/19/99
    POB: Santa Fe, Arg

    – Claudio Nicolas Bravo
    LB/ Age: 24/ Ht: 5’10.5”/ LF
    Portland Timbers #5
    DOB: 03/13/97
    POB: Lomas de Zamora, Arg

    – Guido Rodriguez # 18
    DM/ Age: 27/ Ht: 6’1”/ RF
    Real Betis # 21
    DOB: 04/12/94
    POB: Saenz Pena, Arg

    – Leandro Daniel Paredes #5
    DM/ Age 27/ Ht: 5’11”/ RF
    PSG # 8
    DOB: 06/29/94
    POB: San Justo, Arg

    – Santiago Lionel Ascascibar
    DM/ Age: 24/ Ht: 5’8”/ RF
    Hertha BSC #18
    DOB: 02/25/97
    POB: La Plata, Arg

    – Rodrigo Andres Batttaglia
    DM/ Age:30/ Ht: 6’2”/ RF
    Alaves # 6
    DOB: 07/12/91
    POB: Moron, Arg

    – Rodrigo Javier de Paul # 7
    LM /Age: 27/ Ht: 5’11”/ RF
    Atletico Madrid
    DOB: 05/24/94
    POB: Sarandi, Arg

    – Exequiel Alejandro Palacios #14
    M /Age: 22/ Ht: 5’10”/ RF
    Bayer Leverkusen # 25
    DOB: 10/05/98
    POB: Famailla, Tucuman, Arg

    – Giovani Lo Celso # 20
    CM /Age:25 / Ht: 5’10”/ LF
    Tottenham Hotspurs # 18
    DOB: 04/09/96
    POB: Rosario, Arg

    – Luka Romero
    AM /Age: 16/ Ht: 5’5”/ LF
    Lazio
    DOB: 11/18/2004
    POB: Durango City, MEXICO

    – Eric Manuel Lamela
    AM-CM/ Age: 29/ Ht: 6’1”/ LF
    Sevilla
    DOB: 03/04/92
    POB: Buenos Aires, Arg

    – Alexis Mac Allister
    CM/Age: 22/ Ht: 5’9”/ RF
    Brighton and Hove Albion # 10
    DOB: 12/24/98
    POB: Santa Rosa, Arg

    – Thiago Ezequiel Almada
    CM/Age:20/ Ht: 5’7”/ RF
    Velez Sarsfield #10
    DOB: 04/26/01
    POB: Fuerte Apache, Arg

    – Angel Fabian di Maria # 11
    AM-RW/ Age: 33/ Ht: 5’11”/ LF
    PSG # 11
    DOB: 02/14/88
    POB: Rosario, Arg

    – Emiliano Buendia Stati
    AM-RW / Age: 24/ Ht: 5’8”/ RF
    Aston Villa
    DOB: 12/25/96
    POB: Mar del Plata, Arg

    – Alejandro Dario “Papu” Gomez # 24
    AM-SS/ Age: 33/ Ht: 5’6”/ RF
    Sevilla # 24
    DOB: 02/15/88
    POB: Buenos Aires, Arg

    – Angel Martin Correa Martinez # 21
    RW-LW/ Age: 26/ Ht: 5’7”/ RF
    Atletico Madrid # 10
    DOB: 03/09/95
    POB: Rosario, Arg

    – Lionel Andres Messi # 10
    FW / Age:34/ Ht: 5’7”/ LF
    FC Barcelona # 10
    DOB: 06/24/87
    POB: Rosario, Arg

    – Sergio Leonel “Kun” Aguero del Castillo #9
    ST /Age: 33/ Ht: 5’8/ L-RF
    FC Barcelona # 9
    DOB: 06/02/88
    POB: Buenos Aires, Arg

    – Lautaro Javier Martinez # 22
    ST /Age: 23/ Ht: 5’9”/ RF
    Inter Milan # 10
    DOB: 08/22/97
    POB: Bahia Blanca, Arg

    – Nicolas Ivan Gonzalez # 15
    FW-LW/ Age: 23/ Ht: 5’11”/ LF
    Fiorentina FC
    DOB: 04/06/98
    POB: Escobar, Arg

    – Paulo Exequiel Dybala
    FW-SS/Age: 27/ Ht: 5’10”/ LF
    Juventus # 10
    DOB: 11/15/93
    POB: Cordoba, Arg

    – Adolfo Julian Gaich
    CF /Age: 22/ Ht: 6’3”/ RF
    CSKA Moscow
    DOB: 02/26/99
    POB: Bengolea, Arg

    – Julian Alvarez Raharjo
    FW-RW/Age:21/ Ht: 5’7”/ RF
    River Plate
    DOB: 01/31/00
    POB: Argentina

    – Federico Girotti Bonazza
    CF /Age:22/ Ht: 6’4”/ RF
    River Plate # 15
    DOB:06/02/99
    POB: Acassuso, Arg

    – Giovanni Pablo Simeone Baldini
    ST / Age: 26/ Ht:5’11”/ RF
    Cagliari # 9
    DOB: 07/05/95
    POB: Madrid, SPAIN

    – Giuliano Pablo Simeone Baldini
    CF-LW/Age: 18/ Ht: 6’1”/ RF
    Atletico Madrid
    DOB: 12/18/02
    POB: Madrid, SPAIN

    – Sebastian Driussi
    ST / Age: 25/ Ht: 5’11”/ LF
    Austin FC
    DOB: 02/09/96
    POB: Buenos Aires, Arg

    – Carlos Joaquin Correa
    FW-SS/ Age: 26/ Ht: 6’2”/ RF
    Lazio FC # 11
    DOB: 08/13/94
    POB: Juan Bautista Alberdi, Arg.

    – Lucas Nicolas Alario
    ST / Age:28/ Ht: 6’1”/ RF
    Bayer Leverkusen # 13
    DOB: 10/08/92
    POB: Tostado, Arg

    – Mauro Emanuel Icardi Rivero
    ST / Age: 28/ Ht: 5’11”/ RF
    PSG # 9
    DOB: 02/19/93
    POB: Rosario, Arg

    • Would love to see Rulli & Walter Benitez in place of Armani & marchesin..
      Would love to add balerdi in defence and Cristian pavon in wing( it’s my positive belief that this 2 will improve their level under sampaoli in the upcoming season)

  43. Hopefully they’ll progress. Spain has been better side so far but not by much. They also scored just a single goal from first 2 games. Just need to give all out since we got nothing to lose. Losing 0-3 is just the same as losing 0-1 in this game , better play without fear and press them and forced them for an error.

    The squad selection has been poor , especially with so many great players that dont even play at Copa America could have been part of this tourney, but it is what it is.

    Hopefully Mcallister will bring his A game like in PAN tournament.

  44. I’m off tomorrow from work and will wake up just before the game starts at 7 AM.
    Some on here asked the same question I’m about to ask, is this team underperforming because A) Coaching incompetence? B) Poor player’s selection due to the pool available OR because the players’ respective clubs refused to release them for the Olympics.

    And if they must lose then I hope Brazil follows suit.

  45. No other choice. Must play all out. It’s do or die game. Vamos Albiceleste

    Even Eqypt still have a chance if they beat Australia with more than 2-0.

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