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

Roy Nemer
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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

Roy Nemer
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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!

RIQUELME returning to our National Team?

Roy Nemer
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To add info to the RIQUELME saga, despite being criticised by the Chilean newspaper yesterday, he apparentely wants to come out of the volunteer international retirement and play for Argentina in the next Copa América (Venezuela 2007 in June).

What?

Yep. Exactly what you just read.

Now back in Argentina (playing for Boca Juniors), the reason why he quit our National Team is no longer valid. He was feeling bad about all the criticism he was getting from the Press and the public in general and the way it affected his mother´s health. But he was so worried because he was living in Spain and he was so far from his mother (who had to be hospitalised in the past).

Apparentely she is better now and he feels safer because he can be in Buenos Aires with her to support her.

With VERON back in the team, he also feels BASILE is not taking into consideration the past trouble a player might have had and he thinks the manager is keen to give any player another chance.

So the funny ways of life can sort out the playmaker´s spot woes that Argentina were having to deal with and if RIQUELME is happy again with life then who knows what could happen.

Are you happy with the news of a possible RIQUELME´s comeback?

Let’s discuss!

Our talent from across the Atlantic

Roy Nemer
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We know now the 22 players called by COCO from our local league. We also know that he wants to take to the Copa America Venezuela 2007 a mix of those players and the best talents we´ve got playing in the European leagues.

OK, now here are the names that are almost certain for the upcoming Copa America:

Roberto ABBONDANZIERI
Roberto AYALA (captain)
Gabriel MILITO (COCO is really a fan of him and he didn´t disappoint against France)
Fernando GAGO (BASILE had him in Boca and he was a key part in that successful team)
Javier SAVIOLA
Lionel MESSI

One step behind this group are:

Gabriel HEINZE
Esteban CAMBIASSO
Carlos TEVEZ
Javier MASCHERANO (the duo of CARLITOS and MASCHE will depend on whether they are able to get a decent form by playing more minutes because if it wasn´t because they were in trouble at West Ham not playing that much, COCO would love to have them on board).

The big question mark remains on whether he picks Hernan CRESPO to opt for experience and a recognised striker or if he gambles with Mariano PAVONE to start building up for the future and try and find a new BATISTUTA in him.

RIQUELME: Is he a Prima-Donna?

Roy Nemer
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It’s well-known that Juan Román RIQUELME is not exactly an easy-going guy. He has always been impossible to talk with for the local press when he first came to the scene playing for Boca.

He would score a hat-trick and yet refuse to talk with the journalist after the match.

Some think he is special and once you get to know him and become his friend he is a great guy. Some think he always have the same face, the same look in his eyes. It doesn´t matter if he scores a crucial goal or he miss an all-important penalty kick. He´ll always have the same expression.

But the most controversial side of RIQUELME seem to take place in the kitchen of football: the dressing room.

The Chilean newspaper “La Tercera” have published an article about the rift between RIQUELME and Villarreal manager Manuel PELLEGRINI who have decided to exclude ROMÁN from his squad and sent him on loan to Boca Juniors.

Now the details that La Tercera have unveiled are shocking (to say the least).

Arguably, RIQUELME was guilty of the following acts of misconduct while at Villarreal:

• Complained about the weight of the ball

• Refused to participate in some volunteer team training

• Include family members on the team´s travelling buses

• Arrange a press conference to announce his retirement from international football at Villarreal without the consent of the club´s authorities

• Listen to music on his MP4 player while PELLEGRINI was giving the pre-match talk to the team.

Granted these are rumours or versions published in Chile, but knowing RIQUELME I have little doubts they are true.

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