Home Blog Page 1258

Gonzalo MARTINEZ out of Argentina squad!

146

Hey everyone,

Interim coach SCALONI has lost another player due to injury and that is River Plate’s midfielder Gonzalo “Pity” MARTINEZ. He was injured in the superclasico vs Boca Juniors. There hasn’t been any word if coach SCALONI will be calling up any other players due to the loss of Pity MARTINEZ and Exequiel PALACIOS (as was previously posted).

Who would you guys call up to replace these two players? I know I would love to see Erik LAMELA called up. He has been playing well recently and is someone with experience and versatility.

Here’s again the players who will be playing vs Iraq and Brazil in the FIFA friendlies:

Goalkeepers:

Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Gerónimo Rulli (Real Sociedad) & Franco Armani (River).

Defenders:

Renzo Saravia (Racing), Fabricio Bustos (Independiente), Ramiro Funes Mori (Villarreal), Germán Pezzella (Fiorentina), Walter Kannemann (Gremio), Alan Franco (Independiente), Nicolás Tagliafico (Ajax), Marcos Acuña (Sporting de Lisboa), Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City), Juan Foyth (Tottenham).

Midfielders:

Rodrigo Battaglia (Sporting de Lisboa), Santiago Ascacibar (Stuttgart), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Leandro Paredes (Zenit), Franco Vázquez (Sevilla), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica), Franco Cervi (Benfica), Exequiel Palacios (River), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Gonzalo Martínez (River), Rodrigo De Paul (Udinese) & Roberto Pereyra (Watford).

Forwards:

Cristian Pavón (Boca), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Giovanni Simeone (Fiorentina), Lautaro Martínez (Inter), Mauro Icardi (Inter) & Ángel Correa (Atlético Madrid).

As always,

VAMOS ARGENTINA!!!

Mauro ICARDI on Argentina: “MESSI has to come back”

76

Mauro ICARDI spoke about the Argentina National Team and more specifically about Lionel MESSI.

It’s been a pretty fine season for the Inter captain. He has scored in his first two appearances in the Champions League and has found himself back in the Argentina National Team. Following his goal against PSV, ICARDI spoke to ESPN about MESSI and Argentina. Here’s what he had to say:

“MESSI has to come back. We will be playing in the Copa America next year and he surely has to come back.”

In regards to the Argentina National Team:

“I’m very happy to come back to the Argentina National Team. I was in the last squad and now I have another opportunity. Just like I do here with my club, with the Argentina National Team, I will try and do what is asked of my coaches. To do my best and to give my best to our country.”

Exequiel PALACIOS of River Plate out of Argentina team with injury

16

Exequiel PALACIOS of River Plate has had to pull out of the Argentina team for this month’s matches.

One of the stand out players for Lionel SCALONI during last month’s friendly matches against Guatemala and Colombia, PALACIOS suffered a muscle tear and will be out of action for the next few weeks.

Mauro ICARDI scores for Inter, Angel DI MARIA for PSG in the Champions League.

58

Mauro ICARDI and Angel DI MARIA both scored on Wednesday in the Champions League.

It wasn’t just Lionel MESSI and Erik LAMELA scoring in the Champions League. Mauro ICARDI scored the winner for Inter in their 2-1 victory against PSV. With the score at 1-1, a long ball was sent into the PSV penalty area. With ICARDI fighting to get the ball, the defender and goalkeeper clashed and ICARDI ended up scoring the open net for Inter’s second of the match.

Angel DI MARIA managed to get in on the goal scoring party for PSG in their 6-1 win against Red Star Belgrade. DI MARIA scored to make it 4-0 for PSG, a flick finish after the ball was sent into the penalty area.

Lionel MESSI scores twice for FC Barcelona, Erik LAMELA for Tottenham in Champions League

33

It was the Lionel MESSI show in London at Wembley as FC Barcelona won 4-2 against Mauricio POCHETTINO’s Tottenham. MESSI was in spectacular fashion and every where on the pitch for Barcelona. He played a massive part in two of the four goals while scoring the other two.

For Barcelona’s opening goal, MESSI played a ball from deep in midfield which cut through the Tottenham back line to find Jordi ALBA. France’s World Cup captain Hugo LLORIS came out but ALBA passed the ball to COUTINHO who scored.

The second goal was MESSI sending in another perfectly weighted ball into the area and it eventually found Croatia’s Ivan RAKITIC who scored arguably the goal of the Champions League season.

As for MESSI’s two goals, the first one was a genius goal. He started it and finished it. A low pass sent in as Luis SUAREZ let it roll in between his legs and MESSI passed the ball into the net for Barcelona’s third goal.

Barcelona’s fourth came right before full time as MESSI received the ball with a lot of time in the penalty area and a predator like finish scored the insurance goal.

There was one more Argentine player who scored in the match but for Tottenham. Erik LAMELA scored the second goal for his team, a great one at that from just outside of the penalty area. LAMELA received the ball on the edge of the area and beat the German goalkeeper to score his first of the Champions League season.