Argentina vs Brazil

Tyranax

What a finish from Fabiano. Such a cool head, and great technique. The man's a goal machine. Great timing and weight of pass from Kaka too.

8-10

dor83 wrote: »

Cambiasso is injured anyway and Higuain plays in the hardest position to get into in that team. In that article they mention Crespo as a possible but they don't even mention Milito who has a very good scoring record at club level but is constantly overlooked by the national team.

He just came on.

Headshot

Argentina need width badly

NaiveMelodies

8-10 wrote: »

He just came on.

For a poor enough tevez.

dor83

8-10 wrote: »

He just came on.

The way he played last week he should have been starting anyway.

Headshot

only1stevo wrote: »

For a poor enough tevez.

that's tevez he just doesnt do it internationally

NaiveMelodies

ah milito!! shud have scored

dor83

Headshot wrote: »

that's tevez he just doesnt do it internationally

8 goals in 52 games is a very poor record for a stricker.

cooker3

I'm really impressed with Brazil. So much so I don't even think Whelan or Andrews would get there game!

Headshot

kaka has been superb tonight,really pulling the strings for brazil

Slash/ED

Yeah quite weird to say Brazil lacking some of the individual talent they've had in the past but look like a real solid great tactical unit, they're very impressive today, and always have the talent to be a threat on the break. Their third goal was just class.

Headshot

well worth staying up to watch this match

dor83

Really good to see Adriano again, hope he scores.

Tyranax

The Emperor is on!

Headshot

just need a goal come on

That_Guy

dor83 wrote: »

Really good to see Adriano again, hope he scores.

I'm sure Headshot will share your sentiments to get his money.

CHD

People throwing things at the players are scum

Headshot

ahh dammit

dor83

Over, sorry you didn't get the 5th goal you needed Headshot but at least it was a decent game. Good night all.

Mr.Nice Guy

Good game. Good day of football overall. Oiche mhaith, chaps.

Tyranax

Brazil look a very efficient outfit, and a tough prospect. Pace, skill, deadly finishing and a strong defence. They'll take some stopping next year.

8-10

Mr Maroon wrote: »

Cambiasso and Higuaín are two of the best Argentinian players there are.

I fancy Brazil to win this. 3-1.

*subscribes to Mr Maroon's predictions*

HalloweenJack

I was pretty surprised that Brazil won and by that score. My instinct said Argentina would win, I don't know why.

Surely Maradonna will be sacked now.

Kirby

Doubt it. He will be sacked if they don't qualify....which is kind of a moot point anyway coz they will. I highly doubt he will still be in the job after the world cup though, Argentina would have to win it for him to keep his job.

Headshot

Kirby wrote: »

Doubt it. He will be sacked if they don't qualify....which is kind of a moot point anyway coz they will. I highly doubt he will still be in the job after the world cup though, Argentina would have to win it for him to keep his job.

moot point ?


their away to a very good Paraguay side and atm Columbia are 2 points behind
It wouldn't surprise me to see them not qualify automatically

and if they do qualify Maradona will be sacked before the WC i'd say

____________________________________________________________________

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/sep/06/world-cup-argentina-brazil

Where now for Argentina? With less than a minute on the clock, there was an "Ole!" for every pass in the Gigante de Arroyito. Usually reserved for the last five minutes of a thrashing, the crowd in Rosario couldn't help themselves. Brazil hadn't touched the ball and Argentina had already created a goal-scoring chance.

The fans' euphoria quickly dissipated. Two goals in seven minutes from Brazil cancelled out the home advantage that Argentina had placed so much importance on obtaining. In choosing to move to Rosario for the vital World Cup qualifier, Diego Maradona and his players were hoping to find a stadium where the atmosphere would give them the necessary boost to defeat Brazil. As the players had admitted in the build up, however, they needed to give the home fans something to enjoy.

When Luis Fabiano doubled the Brazilian lead after half an hour, there was silence. Rosario had nothing to cheer about. Shocked and disappointed, then came the realisation - Brazil were simply the better side. In a survey conducted right after the game, 70% of the newspaper Clarín's readers admitted they doubt that the team will qualify for the World Cup.

Brazil's timing in scoring all their three goals was crucial. The first, a header from the unmarked Luisão, deflated the home side's early momentum. The second, just seven minutes later, instilled fears of a potentially embarrassing scoreline. The third, Fabiano's second, came just two minutes after Jésus Datolo had pulled a goal back for the hosts, and deflated any hopes of a comeback.

"I'm not bitter about this defeat, not like the one in Bolivia," said Maradona afterwards, refusing to blame his players. He knows only too well that it is he who will come in for criticism. By his own admission, Maradona needs help in working on defence. The sight of Gabriel Heinze and Sebastián Dominguez both marking Lúcio and leaving Luisão free to score the opening goal highlighted the chronic level of disorganisation at the back.

In the coming days the debate over the role of World Cup winning defender Oscar Ruggeri could well crop up once again. Since taking over as coach, Maradona has regularly campaigned for Ruggeri to join him on his coaching staff. Ruggeri's personal clash with the decision makers at AFA, however, has so far ruled him out of contention.

Maradona's team selection will also come under scrutiny. He handed full debuts to two players against Brazil. Dátolo perhaps vindicated his selection with his marvellous strike, but in choosing Sebastián Dominguez, Argentina risked a centre-back partnership boasting one full international cap between them prior to kick-off. And despite calling up over 60 players since taking over as national team coach, once he had brought Diego Milito and Sergio Agüero into the fray, Maradona simply had no other options available to him. Holding midfielder Fernando Gago and three defenders were the players left on the bench - there was no Plan B.

Argentina's hopes rested entirely on Leo Messi, who "still owes the blue and white" according to La Nación. The paper criticised the Barcelona forward for selfishness on his return to the city where he was born. For all Messi's shimmying runs and bursts of pace, ultimately "Brazil managed to hold him up," confessed Maradona after the defeat. With the national team, Messi has no Xavi or Iniesta to combine with.

While Messi's confidence was chipped away as the game wore on, Kaká thrived on the responsibility handed to him by Dunga. "That's what makes a player world class," declared one commentator, moments after the Brazilian playmaker delivered the stunning pass for Fabiano to score Brazil's third and kill the game off.

"We're going … are they?" teased the Brazilian sports paper Lance! on its website, with Dunga's team having secured qualification to the World Cup. Argentina are in a precarious position. Colombia defeated Argentina's nearest rivals, Ecuador, just hours before the clásico, ensuring that while Maradona's team maintain the fourth qualifying spot, both Ecuador and Colombia are now just two points behind Argentina, with nine still to play for.

The last three games for Argentina include a visit to second-placed Paraguay and a difficult trip to Uruguay on the final day of qualification. Losing to Brazil was Maradona's third defeat in the World Cup qualifiers. He cannot afford another one.

Mr Maroon

Mr Maroon wrote: »

I fancy Brazil to win this. 3-1.

8-10 wrote: »

*subscribes to Mr Maroon's predictions*

:cool:

kinaldo

Headshot wrote: »

45mins to save his job

How's that one working out?

If they don't get results in Paraguay and Uruguay, then his job might be under threat.

Kirby

They will though. Can you honestly see Argentina not qualifying?

Is it possible that they wont? Yes. They are hanging on to fourth by a slim margin. But I just can't see a team that good not qualifying. Even if they slip up and dont get fourth and have to go through the playoffs, I'd still fancy them.

Tyranax

Wouldn't they have to play Mexico if they were to participate in a play-off? That'd be tasty.

rossie1977

Headshot wrote: »

moot point ?


their away to a very good Paraguay side and atm Columbia are 2 points behind
It wouldn't surprise me to see them not qualify automatically

and if they do qualify Maradona will be sacked before the WC i'd say

correct me if i am wrong but if argentina finish 5th and thus miss qualifying automatically they play someone like new zealand over 2 legs??

Tyranax wrote:

Brazil look a very efficient outfit, and a tough prospect. Pace, skill, deadly finishing and a strong defence. They'll take some stopping next year.

the team that beats brazil in the knock-out stages of next years world cup wins the tournament, personally i don't see anyone beating them, like you said pace, skill, finishing, strong defence but most of all huge size, they will just dominate the smaller european teams like spain and england with their size and power

HalloweenJack

The fifth placed CONMEBOL team, currently Colombia, will play-off against the fourth placed CONCACAF team, currently Costa Rica on 12 but only one point seperates fourth and first in CONCACAF.