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Breaking News: Sergio ROMERO out of the World Cup

Roy Nemer
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32

Some breaking news coming out of Argentina which has been confirmed by the team, goalkeeper Sergio ROMERO is out due to injury and will miss the World Cup.

A tweet coming from the official Argentina National Team’s Twitter account has confirmed that the Manchester United goalkeeper is out of the tournament. A join in his right knee has caused him problems and he is out of the tournament.

This would mean that one of Franco ARMANI or Willy CABALLERO will take over as the starting goalkeeper. Nahuel GUZMAN who made the list of 35 could possibly be called-up as the replacement but comments made by GUZMAN’s father after SAMPAOLI had left his son out of the World Cup squad could make things interesting.

As noted in this article, Sergio ROMERO was close to drawing Ubaldo FILLOL’s record of 13 World Cup matches. ROMERO was on 12 games.

Goals scored and more, Argentina World Cup statistics

Roy Nemer
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32

Some Argentine World Cup records can be broken this tournament and we have all the statistics.

From the youngest player to the oldest player, from the number of clean sheets to the number of goals scored, we have all the numbers! Beginning with the World Cup records and statistics:

Diego MARADONA holds the Argentine record for the number of World Cup’s he has participated in (4 World Cup’s). Only two players on the current squad have been with the team since the 2006 FIFA World Cup: Javier MASCHERANO and Lionel MESSI.

Diego MARADONA: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994
Javier MASCHERANO and Lionel MESSI: 2006, 2010, 2014

Diego MARADONA: 21 matches at FIFA World Cup’s
Javier MASCHERANO: 16 matches
Lionel MESSI: 15 matches

The only way Lionel MESSI can surpass Diego MARADONA would be if he plays in all the matches and Argentina win in the quarter finals (as that would secure a semi-final spot which would mean a seventh match either the 3rd place match or the final). There is no way the two can be at 21 matches.

As for the forwards, Lionel MESSI and Gonzalo HIGUAIN when compared to Gabriel BATISTUTA:

Gabriel BATISTUTA: 10 goals at FIFA World Cup’s
(4 goals in 1994, 5 goals in 1998, 1 goal in 2002)

Lionel MESSI: 5 goals at FIFA World Cup’s
(1 goal in 2006, 4 goals in 2014)

Gonzalo HIGUAIN: 5 goals at FIFA World Cup’s
(4 goals in 2010, 1 goal in 2014)

For Lionel MESSI, he has yet to score a goal in the knockout stages.

In the goalkeeping department, Sergio ROMERO is extremely close to a record set by Ubaldo FILLOL. The legendary goalkeeper played in 13 World Cup matches. Sergio ROMERO is currently on 12 matches.

2010: Nigeria, South Korea, Greece, Mexico, Germany
2014: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany

Since 2016 Copa America final with Argentina:

Paulo Dybala: 0 goals, 8 matches
Gonzalo Higuain: 1 goal (WCQ), 8 matches
Sergio Aguero: 2 goals (Friendly’s), 7 matches
Angel Di Maria: 2 goals (1 in WCQ, 1 in friendly), 17 matches
Lionel Messi: 6 goals (all 6 in WCQ), 10 matches

For the three goalkeepers, here’s the number of matches played in 2017-2018 season (per TNT Sports):
Sergio ROMERO: 10 matches
Willy CABALLERO: 13 matches
Franco ARMANI: 68 matches

The rest of the 2018 FIFA World Cup squad statistics:

A total of 13 of the 23 players have scored for Argentina (only four of them have scored in a World Cup):
Gabriel MERCADO: 3 goals – 0 at a World Cup
Federico FAZIO: 1 goal – 0 at a World Cup
Nicolas OTAMENDI: 4 goals – 0 at a World Cup
Cristian ANSALDI: 1 goal – 0 at a World Cup
Marcos ROJO: 2 goals – 1 at a World Cup (vs. Nigeria, 2014)
Javier MASCHERANO: 3 goals – 0 at a World Cup
Ever BANEGA: 7 goals – 0 at a World Cup
Lucas BIGLIA: 1 goal – 0 at a World Cup
Manuel LANZINI: 1 goal – 0 at a World Cup
Angel DI MARIA: 19 goals – 1 at a World Cup (vs. Switzerland, 2014)
Lionel MESSI: 61 goals – 5 at a World Cup (vs. Serbia & Montenegro 2006, vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina 2014, vs. Iran 2014, two vs. Nigeria 2014)
Sergio AGUERO: 36 goals – 0 at a World Cup
Gonzalo HIGUAIN: 32 goals – 5 at a World Cup (Three vs. South Korea 2010, vs. Mexico 2010, vs. Belgium 2014)

Only nine of the 23 players have World Cup experience:
Javier MASCHERANO: 2006, 2010, 2014
Lionel MESSI: 2006, 2010, 2014
Angel DI MARIA: 2010, 2014
Gonzalo HIGUAIN: 2010, 2014
Sergio AGUERO: 2010, 2014
Sergio ROMERO: 2010, 2014
Lucas BIGLIA: 2014
Marcos ROJO: 2014
Nicolas OTAMENDI: 2010

A total of 11 of the 23 players have less than 10 caps for Argentina:
Willy CABALLERO
Franco ARMANI
Federico FAZIO
Cristian ANSALDI
Nicolas TAGLIAFICO
Marcos ACUNA
Eduardo SALVIO
Giovani LO CELSO
Manuel LANZINI
Maximiliano MEZA
Cristian PAVON

The average age of the squad is of 28 years (not counting months or days) in alphabetical order:

Willy CABALLERO: 36
Javier MASCHERANO: 33
Cristian ANSALDI: 32
Lucas BIGLIA: 32
Federico FAZIO: 31
Franco ARMANI: 31
Gabriel MERCADO: 31
Sergio ROMERO: 31
Angel DI MARIA: 30
Gonzalo HIGUAIN: 30
Lionel MESSI: 30
Nicolas OTAMENDI: 30
Sergio AGUERO: 29
Ever BANEGA: 29
Marcos ROJO: 28
Eduardo SALVIO: 27
Marcos ACUNA: 26
Maximiliano MEZA: 26
Manuel LANZINI: 25
Nicolas TAGLIAFICO: 25
Paulo DYBALA: 24
Cristian PAVON: 22
Giovani LO CELSO: 22

These are just some of the statistics of the players. We will continue to add more as the tournaments gets closer!

Poll: What do you think of Argentina’s 2018 FIFA World Cup squad?

Roy Nemer
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63

Now that we’ve had close to 24 hours to look at the squad, let’s take it to a vote!

We’ve heard all of the comments about the Argentina team. Mauro ICARDI has been left out, Lautaro MARTINEZ as well while Gonzalo HIGUAIN gets picked for a third consecutive tournament. Depending on what you think of a few players, that can be seen as a good thing or a bad thing.

However, there are probably certain things that we can all agree on. That Argentina may have finally found a long term left back in Nicolas TAGLIAFICO. How there’s actually a decent base of goalkeepers, the inclusion of the likes of Federico FAZIO, Manuel LANZINI and possibly a few others.

With all of that said, let’s take it to a vote. What do you think of Jorge SAMPAOLI’s Argentina 2018 FIFA World Cup squad?

[poll id=”11″]

World Cup countdown: 50 days, Argentina moment number 23, Ezequiel GARAY

Roy Nemer
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0

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 23 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup and in 23rd place we have Ezequiel GARAY playing in his 23rd match for Argentina in their 1-0 win against Belgium at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

It was Argentina against one of the dark horses of the tournament Belgium in the quarter finals, a round in which Argentina had not made it passed since the 1990 FIFA World Cup. For Ezequiel GARAY, he had a new partner next to him as Federico FERNANDEZ was dropped from the starting eleven in favor of veteran Martin DEMICHELIS.

The two, alongside Pablo ZABALTA as a right back and Jose Maria BASANTA slotting in for Marcos ROJO, kept Belgium at bay and gave the team a clean sheet. The hero of the day was Gonzalo HIGUAIN who scored his first (and only) goal of the tournament and his fifth goal overall at a World Cup (with the previous four coming in 2010 in South Africa).

Gonzalo HIGUAIN scored early on in the match and one goal was enough to separate the two teams as Argentina had reached their first semi-final in 24 years.

Here was Argentina’s starting XI for the match:

1. Sergio ROMERO
2. Ezequiel GARAY
4. Pablo ZABALETA
6. Lucas BIGLIA
7. Angel DI MARIA
9. Gonzalo HIGUAIN
10. Lionel MESSI
14. Javier MASCHERANO
15. Martin DEMICHELIS
22. Ezequiel LAVEZZI
23. Jose Maria BASANTA

If you missed it, here are our 50 World Cup moments:
50: Sergio ROMERO gets 50th cap vs. Switzerland at 2014 FIFA World Cup.
49: Roberto AYALA scores in the 49th minute vs. Germany at 2006 FIFA World Cup.
48: Angel DI MARIA’s 48th cap for Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina at 2014 FIFA World Cup.
47: Mario KEMPES scores Argentina’s 47th goal all time at the 1978 FIFA World Cup vs. Peru.
46: Jorge VALDANO scores in the 46th minute at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
45: Javier ZANETTI scores in the 45th minute vs. England at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
44: Gabriel BATISTUTA scores goal number 44 in his Argentina career at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
43: Gonzalo HIGUAIN receives cap number 43 for Argentina vs. Germany in the final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
42: Pedro PASCULLI scores in the 42nd minute for Argentina vs. Uruguay at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
41: Maxi RODRÍGUEZ scores in the 41st minute for Argentina vs. Serbia & Montenegro at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
40: Roberto AYALA plays in his 40th match for Argentina vs. Jamaica at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
39: Pablo ZABALETA plays in his 39th match for Argentina vs. Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
38: Javier SAVIOLA scores in the 38th minute for Argentina vs. Ivory Coast at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
37: Maxi RODRIGUEZ plays in his 37th match for Argentina vs. South Korea at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
36: Mauricio PINEDA scores in the 36th minute for Argentina vs. Croatia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
35: Ezequiel LAVEZZI plays in his 35th match for Argentina vs. Netherlands at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
34: Diego MARADONA scores his 34th goal for Argentina vs. Greece at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
33: Gonzalo HIGUAIN scores in the 33rd minute for Argentina vs. Mexico at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
32: Hernan CRESPO scores his 32nd goal for Argentina vs. Mexico at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
31: Diego MARADONA scoring in Argentina’s 31st FIFA World Cup match vs. Hungary.
30: Argentina loses opening match of 1982 FIFA World Cup vs. Belgium.
29: Argentina are knocked out of the 1982 FIFA World Cup after playing their 29th ever group stage match.
28: Claudio CANIGGIA scores in the 28th minute for Argentina vs. Nigeria at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
27: Pedro TROGLIO scores in the 27th minute for Argentina vs. the Soviet Union at the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
26: Diego MARADONA scores his 26th goal for Argentina vs. Belgium at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
25: Sergio AGUERO plays in his 25th match for Argentina vs. Germany at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
24: Diego MARADONA scores his 24th goal for Argentina vs. England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

Argentina coach Jorge SAMPAOLI: “I’m very excited”

Roy Nemer
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104

Following the announcement of Argentina’s 23 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, coach Jorge SAMPAOLI spoke during a press conference.

The Argentina coach stated that he feels comfortable with the goalkeepers, the reason why he included Cristian ANSALDI and much more. Here’s what he had to say:

“We’ve decided on these names after a lot of analysis in every position. Cristian Ansaldi can play on either side. Meza gives you options either on the outside or on the inside of the pitch.”

Argentina coach Jorge SAMPAOLI on Lionel MESSI, Sergio AGUERO and more.

“I spoke with Messi and I saw him as very enthusiastic for what’s coming up. Physically, he’s doing well. Sergio Aguero has been training normally since last week. Mercado won’t have any problems. We will see how Biglia arrives. What I saw in the past week of training is that we needed one more fullback.”

Argentina coach Jorge SAMPAOLI on the three goalkeepers.

“We haven’t had Franco ARMANI yet (on the team) but we know his form. We have a lot of faith in Sergio ROMERO. Willy CABALLERO for us is a goalkeeper which also gives us confidence.”

Argentina coach Jorge SAMPAOLI on the players.

“We’re going to have a main system of attack (when in possession of the ball) which will be 2-3-3-2. I’m very excited to count on this players and every time I see them train, the dream just gets bigger. We will be very competitive at the World Cup.

“We will have to be good because my idea is to have an Argentina which plays and takes advantage of the characteristics of the players called-up. There are young players with a lot of potential.

“The World Cup has to be faced without fear, leaving an imprint. One understands that the players have CHARACTERISTICS which serve us. With time and the desire to play, it’ll just get better. I have a lot of hope and every time I see them train, the dream gets bigger.”

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