Argentina coach Jorge SAMPAOLI has opted to go for a different line-up on Friday with his team.
With Maxi MEZA joining the squad on Friday, coach SAMPAOLI now has all of his 23 players at his disposal. With everyone available, he put up the following ten players in training:
ANSALDI; OTAMENDI, FAZIO, TAGLIAFICO; MASCHERANO, LANZINI, LO CELSO; DI MARIA, MESSI and HIGUAIN
Compared to Thursday’s training session where SAMPAOLI had this:
Federico FAZIO replaced Marcos ROJO, Javier MASCHERANO replaces Lucas BIGLIA, Angel DI MARIA in for Cristian PAVON and Gonzalo HIGUAIN started in place of Sergio AGUERO.
Lucas BIGLIA, now one of the veterans of the Argentina team, has stated that the players will shoot their last shot, while also saying he expected an apology by Alejandro GOMEZ.
Speaking in an interview with Ole, the AC Milan man didn’t hold back when discussing Alejandro GOMEZ. However, he also commented on the young players on the team and what he told them prior to the friendly match against Italy. Here’s what he had to say:
“Before the match against Italy, I told them that they are the future of the National Team and that they have to play calmly, that the pressure falls on us (the veterans) and that they just have to dedicate themselves to playing.
“When we played in Europe, especially before the first match against Italy, there were kids like LO CELSO, LANZINI, BUSTOS, TAGLIAFIGO that we told them “guys, you have to play calmly, the pressure is only on us. You guys play like you do with your clubs. They are the future of the National Team, that they (media and fans) kill us, rightfuly or wrongly, we are used to it. Dedicate yourselves to play.”
Lucas Biglia and Manuel Lanzini with the Argentina National Team.
Lucas BIGLIA on his role in the team:
“I know very clearly what my role is. I do what the coach asks of me and my team mates, nothing more. What interests me the least is being the protagonist. I want the best for the team, the personal achievements do not interest me.”
Lucas BIGLIA on this Argentina team and Sergio ROMERO:
“We are going to shoot out lost shot as accurately as possible. We hope to put up a fight and to have the best World Cup possible. We are very sad because ROMERO is a reference point in the National Team.
About leaving school to play football full time:
“My old man told me to do what I liked to do and to forget the others. I didn’t finish college. I had one year left but at the time it was difficult. I trained at my club and with the National Team. At one point my father told me “Study or play football” and it was he who told me to do what I liked.”
“At home, my sister has three degrees, another one who is a lawyer, one a professor and one a gym teacher. The only bum was me. I owe my mom a degree.
Lucas BIGLIA on the incident with Alejandro GOMEZ:
“During that incident, I was perfectly aware he was behind me, which is why I got back up infuriated. In all honesty, I expected him to apologise on the pitch or straight after (GOMEZ wrote an apology on Instagram), but nothing. I prefer to look forward now.”
“We are not friends, we just play for the same national team. I don’t use social media, not even Twitter or Facebook, so an apology via Instagram isn’t going to do much for me. For example, the Benevento player (Nicolas VIOLA) who caused the previous injury came to visit me in hospital.
“I was so angry because I felt this horrible pain and was afraid that I had hurt my back again. I remember that night I returned home and worked with the physiotherapist until 5am.”
As part of the 50 days, 50 Argentina World Cup moments, we will be counting down the top 50 Argentina moments at a World Cup using the daily number.
We are just 20 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup and in 20th place we have Rene HOUSEMAN scoring in the 20th minute at the 1974 FIFA World Cup versus East Germany.
It was Argentina’s third match in the second group stages of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and the finalists of the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930 were up against East Germany. The team had already gone through a 4-0 thrashing against the hands of the Netherlands where the Dutch put on a football clinic.
Following the 4-0 loss game a 2-1 defeat to Brazil and the Albiceleste were up against it versus the Germans. Joachim STREICH had put the Germans ahead in the 14th minute but HOUSEMAN quickly pulled one back just six minutes later. However, coach VLADISLAO CAP’s team was eliminated after having picked up only one point in the second round.
Here was Argentina’s starting XI for the match:
12. Ubaldo FILLOL
2. Ruben AYALA
3. Carlos BABINGTON
5. Angel BARGAS
6. Miguel BRINDISI
7. Jorge CARRASCOSA
10. Ramon HEREDIA
13. Mario KEMPES
18. Roberto TELCH
20. Enrique WOLFF
Argentina National Team coach Jorge SAMPAOLI put out ten players in training with Lionel MESSI, Sergio AGUERO and Cristian PAVON playing up front.
Franco ARMANI has now joined the Argentina National Team and coach Jorge SAMPAOLI has everyone at his disposal bar Maxi MEZA of Independiente who will join up with the team following his club match later tonight. With nearly everyone at his disposal, the coach tried this 4-3-3 in training:
He then made a few changes with Eduardo SALVIO coming in for Cristian ANSALDI, Marcos ACUNA for Nicolas TAGLIAFICO, Javier MASCHERANO for Lucas BIGLIA and Paulo DYBALA for Sergio AGUERO.
Per a report by TyC Sports, the fitness of Gabriel MERCADO remains an issue for Jorge SAMPAOLI and Argentina.
With Sergio ROMERO leaving the Argentina team and not participating in the World Cup due to a knee injury, it appears as though coach Jorge SAMPAOLI does not want to take any risks regarding player who are unfit. The concern at the moment is Gabriel MERCADO’s back injury.
Since joining up with the team, MERCADO has yet to train normally with the rest of the squad. The coaching staff are expecting to have him ready by next Friday (June 1) and if not, don’t rule out another chance in the final list of 23 for the World Cup. The final list of 23 has to be submitted to FIFA by June 4, which would leave the staff three days following next Friday to make any changes.
In the cases of Sergio AGÜERO and Lucas BIGLIA, there doesn’t appear to be any problems.
