Youth World Cup: Argentina know their Group E rivals

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March 3, 2007

The draw for the Youth World Cup Canada 2007 (U-20) has been conducted and Argentina will share Group E with Czech Republic, North Korea and Panama.

It doesn’t look like a Group of Death or something like that. In fact, it was a kind draw for our boys who, however, will need to improve dramatically from what they shown in the South American tournament if we want to defend the title MESSI, KUN and company won in The Netherlands 2005.

Here’s the complete draw:

Group A (Toronto, Edmonton):
Canada
Chile
Congo
Austria

Group B (Burnaby, Victoria):
Spain
Uruguay
Jordan
Zambia

Group C (Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton):
Portugal
New Zealand
Gambia
Mexico

Group D (Montreal, Ottawa):
Poland
Brazil
Republic of Korea
United States

Group E (Ottawa, Montreal):
ARGENTINA
Czech Republic
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Panama

Group F (Victoria, Burnaby):
Japan
Scotland
Nigeria
Costa Rica

The people have spoken

By

Roy Nemer

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March 2, 2007

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Olé, the only sports newspaper from Buenos Aires, is conducting a poll amongst its readers and the question is simple:

How would you like to see our national team formed to play in the Copa America?

A: Only with local players?
Votes: 9859 (26,9 %)

B: A mix between local players and players from Europe?
Votes: 24862 (67,9%)

C: Only players from Europe?
Votes: 1916 (5.2%)
It´s clear that the supporters believe that COCO´s got it right. At least the idea.

Now, what really surprises me is that only 5% of the people want the Albiceleste to be entirely represented by our stars playing in Europe.

D’ALESSANDRO says there’s no problem with MESSI

By

Roy Nemer

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March 2, 2007

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They haven´t talked to each other after the incident
(Click here to watch the video) but Andrés D´ALESSANDRO said those are things that happen in the pitch and stay in the pitch.

There were no apologises after the game but the positive things is that at least one of the players involved (D´ALESSANDRO, because MESSI didn´t comment publicly after the incident) is playing down any chance of a possible rift between them.

Personally, I think it´s wrong that MESSI over-reacted to a very subtle touch, but at the same time, D´ALESSANDRO was wrong in what he did. He shouldn´t have even come close with his head towards LIO´s.

Here´s hoping there will be no more acts like this involving Argentine players. You may saaaaaaaaaaaaaay I´m a dreamer! 🙂

Sources say: COCO will call RIQUELME when he is match fit

By

Roy Nemer

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March 2, 2007

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It was an open secret really. COCO gave ROMAN the captain arm-band for the first game in his new tenure (against Brazil in London, when we lost 3-0).

Soon after that, RIQUELME announced his retirement from International football but the reasons he gave for taking that measure (his mother´s health), plus the fact that before making it public, he called the manager to let him know first-hand, kept the manager from being mad or angry at RIQUELME and most importantly, the door remained wide open.

Now, with a renewed interest from ROMAN to be a part of the team that will go and play the Copa America in Venezuela (June-July 2007), Alfio BASILE will embrace him once again as he considers RIQUELME a great playmaker and an important member of his squad.

Where will VERON stand in this? Well…I don´t think we should really compare VERON with RIQUELME. Or make them compete for the playmaker spot as I think BASILE will see VERON more as a right midfielder (probably) rather than have him sitting behind the two strikers as he´ll like to see ROMAN.

Plus…according to BASILE, there is never an excess of talented footballers. That´s a rule in his book.

Many managers will be scared to bring to a World Cup many offensive players (take a look at Sven Goran Eriksson with England (he took an unfit Michael OWEN, an injured Wayne ROONEY and an unkwown Theo WALCOTT to join the only game-ready forward he had Peter CROUCH. So just four attacking men! Too little!).

BASILE in 94 used Claudio CANIGGIA, Gabriel BATISTUTA, Abel BALBO, Diego MARADONA and he even had offensive midfielders Leonardo RODRIGUEZ, substitute forward Ramón MEDINA BELLO and a young Ariel ORTEGA in the mix.

I see no reason for VERON and RIQUELME to co-exist in the team. Of course, I don´t want them to be picked because of their names. I want them to perform in order to deserve the call.

VERON did it last season by becoming one of the best players of the tournament, helping his team of moderate budget (Estudiantes de La Plata) beat millonaires Boca Juniors to the title.

Will RIQUELME do the same this time around?

Under-17: South American tournament

By

Roy Nemer

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March 2, 2007

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Well…another tournament in which the Albiceleste will be involved.

I´m talking about the U-17 South American tournament which will also qualify teams for the U-17 World Cup in Korea and the Panamerican Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

What I´ve heard was that Miguel TOJO is training with the boys in Ecuador (host of the tournament) and that Hugo “I´m happy with the tie even though I could be out of the Olympics” TOCALLI will fly there today to take command of the group that will make its debut on Monday against Paraguay.

The first four teams will qualify to the World Cup in Korea to be played from August 18th until September 9th, 2007.

There´ll be two groups of 5 teams each and the first three from Group A and B will advance to the final round in which every team will play against its 5 rivals and the champion will be decided by total points obtained in that final round (same system they used for the U-20 tournament in January).

Argentina will play in Group B and will be joined by Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Group A will be formed by Brazil, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia and Chile.

Bananito will be the tournament´s mascot (see picture):

The Under-17 South American tournament was first introduced in 1985 with the idea of creating a regional competition to qualify teams to the then newly-born U-17 World Cup. The first three editions where played by U-16 players.

Argentina won the first edition by beating Brazil in the final. But the boys in yellow are the winningest team in this competition: they took home 7 out of 11.

Argentina won 2 times (1985 and 2003), while Colombia and Bolivia each won in one opportunity.

Will try and investigate a little bit about our players in search of a possible new star for the future.

And of course we´ll follow all the action here in this space!

Am I missing something here?

Oh…yeah! Of course…here it is:

VAMOS ARGENTINA!