Tag: Argentina

20/06/2014

Lionel Messi criticism welcome, says Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella

Reuters | Jun 20, 2014 at 10:56pm IST

Four-times world player of the year Lionel Messi may not be deciding Argentina’s team tactics but his criticism is crucial and welcome, coach Alejandro Sabella said on Friday.

Messi was critical of Argentina’s first-half defensive formation in their World Cup opener against Bosnia despite a 2-1 win but those post-match comments were welcomed, Sabella said.

“I was not hurt by Leo’s comment and he has said that before,” the Argentine told reporters ahead of Saturday’s Group F game against Iran. “He likes to play 4-3-3 with (Angel) Di Maria up front”

World Cup 2014: Messi criticism welcome, says Argentina coach Sabella

Messi may not be deciding Argentina’s team tactics but his criticism is crucial and welcome, coach Alejandro Sabella said on Friday. (Getty Images)

“They (reporters) asked him how he likes to play and he answered what he thinks in a respectful way. We respect each other, we have a very strong team spirit. It is good to have an open dialogue with my players.

“Sometimes players learn from us (coaches) and sometimes we learn from them.”

Sabella surprisingly opted to play an extra defender in Hugo Campagnaro and sacrificed forward Gonzalo Higuain against World Cup debutants Bosnia and the result was a flat first half display that belied Argentine’s status among the tournament favourites.

He changed tactics at halftime, with his players feeding Messi more and the Argentine scoring in the 65th to put them two goals ahead.

Sabella confirmed that would also be the way he would start against Iran, who drew 0-0 in their opener against Nigeria.

“We can all make mistakes you know. Tomorrow we will start with a 4-3-3 formation and we will take it from there. We may have to change the formation or not.

“I am the one who told Messi to go (to the news conference after the Bosnia game) and I fully trust all my players from a human and professional standpoint,” the coach said.

“We have a two-way street in our dialogue because if you don’t let them say what they want to say then you won’t get the best out of them.”

20/06/2014

Team Melli has what it takes against Argentina.

The fans will be assured of two things comes tomorrow’s clash against Argentina. One , The Brazilians who will form the majority of the attendance at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte will be supporting Iran , two Queiroz will stick to his game-plan and will remain faithful to the same starting 11 played against Nigeria.

Both are two good signs for Team Melli in a match that is, if not the most important in its history , it is one of the highest profile matches ever played by Iran. Every player that will be playing for Argentina, will be familiar or a household name for the Iranian players and fans. That in itself has positive and negative effects. If Iran players get rid of the inferiority complex that Carlos Queiroz has contributed to build in the mentality of his players by repeatedly refereeing to them as “amateurs on and off the field”, Team Melli has what it takes and are up to the task. Playing against greats like Messi and co does not exactly require super human power, again as Queiroz is implying, after all even the greats like this magician Lionel Messi is a human. Curiously, great player have more than their fair share of off days as pressure to excel, be at the top and be a winner, is sometime excessive and takes its toll. The pressure on the great players can be stressful and result in such player to perform below expectation. Of course, it requires powerful and motivated opposition players to turn the day of greats like Messi to a miserable one or at least make his life difficult. In Team Melli, there are enough signs to indicate that the defense line can indeed frustrate Messi and his teammates.

Like Reza “Gucci” Ghoochannejad stated, “we are under no pressure “. Indeed everyone expects Argentina to win, after all they are one of the title contenders. So, the pressure is on Argentina rather than Iran. On the other hand being cool and being complacent does not work very well against the likes of Aguero and Higuain , not to mention Messi who will punish you in a blink of an eye. Team Melli players need to concentrate during the entire match, never leaving their guard down. Iran has done a pretty good job against Nigeria, and despite that repeated statement that Argentina is not Nigeria, (so obvious, isn’t it ?) The crux here is about a game-plan and defensive discipline that should work regardless to the opposition.

That goalless draw in the first match against Nigeria was not pretty but no one can take it from Team Melli that it played an organized well-structured defensive system that yielded the required result. The result and the one point was also quite satisfactory for the majority of the fans. No doubt a similar performance and result will be a welcome against a tougher opposition. Lest not ignore that this opposition has some shortfalls of their own such as high average age , stamina and a questionable defense that has already been scored upon once in this group. It is ironic that at the start of the match tomorrow when the stats are announced, Iran has a better defense than Argentina. Let us hope that is another of those good omens.

The reality could be something completely different than what we think and write about. It could all turn out to be the opposite of the predictions, but one thing is for sure. You do not need to have 11 players who played in the European Champions League to compete against Argentina. You need guts, motivation, skill and discipline which Team Melli has managed to a high degree in the last match.

The Question now is can the boys maintain the same discipline against Argentina?

Go Team Melli.

20/06/2014

Lionel Messi Wants More Offensive Argentina Against Iran

Argentina defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opening FIFA World Cup 2014 match but were far from dominant in their performance.

Reported by: Agence France-Presse

Last updated on Friday, 20 June, 2014 10:42 IST

Taking aim: Lionel Messi in action against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

© AFP

Belo Horizonte: Argentina captain Lionel Messi believes coach Alejandro Sabella has to back his side’s attacking capabilities and include him among a front three when they face Iran on Saturday in Belo Horizonte.

Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain is expected to return to Sabella’s starting line-up as the two-time winners look to seal their place in the second round of the World Cup with a victory over Iran.

Higuain came on as a substitute to set up Messi to score just his second ever World Cup goal as Argentina got their campaign off to a winning start against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Rio on Sunday.

And Messi said he feels more comfortable playing with both Higuain and Sergio Aguero in attack.

“We are Argentina and I think we need to concentrate on ourselves without fixating on who we are playing,” said the four-time World Player of the Year.

“We feel more comfortable with two up front and me behind because it makes it easier to counter-attack and, because we have more people in attack, we have more possibilities.”

Messi eased some of the pressure on his shoulders to finally deliver his best form at a major tournament for his country with his stunning effort in the 2-1 win over Bosnia.

However, his underwhelming first-half performance was still criticised by some and he admitted he needs to play closer to the opposition’s goal.

“In the first-half I found it difficult to get a hold of the ball and when I did I was very far from goal.

“The truth is when I did have the ball I lost it a number of times and at other times I was playing it backwards. I was annoyed at not being able to play the game I had planned.”

Along with Higuain, Fernando Gago could return in midfield at the expense of Maxi Rodriguez as he too made a positive impression as a second-half substitute against Bosnia.

Javier Mascherano is also expected to win his 100th cap in midfield and insisted he is as hungry for success as he was on his international debut.

“I am not one of those players that makes the difference on the pitch, but more a player that sacrifices myself for the team. What is my secret? I live for this.”

Iran made an encouraging start to their campaign too as they held African champions Nigeria to a 0-0 draw in Curitiba on Monday.

Coach Carlos Queiroz fiercely defended his side’s tactics in that match given their lack of facilities and poor preparation in comparison to their more illustrious opponents in Group F.

And striker Reza Ghoochannejhad believes his side can enjoy the experience of taking on one of the best side’s in the world with nothing expected of them.

“We have to enjoy it and follow the coach’s instructions to the letter. We’ve got absolutely nothing to lose in this match,” said the Carlton Athletic striker.

“Argentina are among the favourites this year, while the same can’t be said for us. All the pressure will be on their shoulders and we will have to show our resilience, like against Nigeria.”

18/06/2014

Iran captain Javad Nekounam calls for improvement

Iran captain Javad Nekounam was satisfied with his team’s draw against Nigeria in Group F but has called for improvement.

Published: 17.06.2014

Carlos Queiroz’s men opened their FIFA World Cup campaign with a goalless draw in Curitiba on Monday – the first stalemate in 14 games thus far in Brazil.

The result further highlighted Iran’s defensive capabilities, having kept their fourth clean sheet in five competitive games.

But while Nekounam was pleased to have claimed a point, the 33-year-old midfielder said his team-mates must improve in the attacking third after scoring just four goals in five matches in the lead up to the World Cup.

“We could have snatched a win in the last 20 minutes, but we lacked the finishing touch,” Nekounam told FIFA.com post-game at the Estadio Joaquim Americo Guimaraes.

“I think that’s the area we need to improve in. When you consider that a lot of our players were making their World Cup debuts, it’s been a very good day for us.”

Nekounam added: “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy at all and we also knew that we’d lose if we didn’t keep our focus.

“We are happier with the result than they are, but we can’t just settle for what we’ve got.

“We only have one point and we still have two very difficult games ahead of us.”

Iran are back in action against South American powerhouses Argentina on Saturday before facing Bosnia-Herzegovina four days later

16/06/2014

Not so impressive Argentina rescued by Messi

Argentina’s 2-1 defeat of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ debut is hardly likely to generate great delight among Albiceleste fans. That said, there are times when all that matters is getting the job done, and this was one such occasion.

Those fans are likely to make a similar observation about the game as the players themselves did after it was all over, namely that Alejandro Sabella’s side were more fluent after the restart, when the coach switched from the 3-5-2 formation he began the game with to the 4-3-3 that had worked so well for him in the qualifiers. The introduction of Fernando Gago and Gonzalo Higuain for Hugo Campagnaro and Maxi Rodriguez also helped his side approach their usual rhythm.

One man who saw things that way was midfielder Javier Mascherano, who was making his 99th appearance for his country. “Even though we took an early lead, we struggled to get into the game in the first half,” he told FIFA. “We played better in the second, though.”

“We looked more like ourselves with our usual formation. Why the changes? Well, the coach thought that was the best way to start before then deciding that he had to change. That what it’s all about.”

Right-back Pablo Zabaleta, who was finally making his World Cup debut at the age of 29, also pointed to the improvement in Argentina’s performance after the break, while making an interesting tactical observation:

“When we changed to 4-3-3 our first pass into the forwards was better, we were organised and we got more people forward,” he said, also in conversation with FIFA. “When we do that, we’re a handful for anyone.”

A glass half full
Neither player had been expecting an easy night, a feeling that had nothing to do with formations or tactics, as Mascherano explained: “We knew it wasn’t going to be our greatest game. The important thing was to win because opening games at the World Cup are never easy, even more so when you have a few players who’ve never experienced one before. All that anxiety has gone now, though.”

For his part, Zabaleta took a pragmatic view of the evening’s events: “Obviously we tried to win by playing good football, but what matters today is the result. What counted was getting the three points and we did that. We still know, though, that we have plenty of room for improvement, which is a good thing.”

One of the many positive points that the two-time world champions can take from their defeat of the Bosnians is that Lionel Messi got back to goalscoring ways, having gone a whole 623 minutes without hitting the back of the net in a FIFA World Cup match, his last world finals goal coming against Serbia and Montenegro at Germany 2006.

“We are all very pleased to see him get his goal because he’d gone a while without scoring in the World Cup,” said Zabaleta of Messi’s second-half strike. “We hope he can get a lot more too.”

Before taking their leave the Albiceleste duo had special words of praise for the thousands of Argentina fans who made themselves noticed at the legendary Maracana with their singing.

“I wasn’t surprised by the support,” said Zabaleta. “You expect that from Argentina fans. We felt like the home side today and we’re proud of that.”

Mascherano was no less effusive: “I’ve never experienced anything like that outside my country. I hope they keep supporting us because they’re going to help us a lot.”

08/06/2014

Jahanbaksh named amongst the young players to watch

Young Players to set the 2014 World Cup alight from Group F

Last Updated: June 7, 2014, 06:21pm

Here is a look at one young player from each of the four Group F teams most likely to make an impact for their respective countries at the World Cup

Argentina

Marcos Rojo
Age	24
Club	Sporting Lisbon
Position	Defender
Int. Caps	21
Int. Goals	0

In an experienced Argentina side, Marcos Rojo is one of the younger and probably one of the most important players in the Albiceleste squad. The 24-year-old will be playing in the left-back position for Argentina at the World Cup and has emerged as an integral part for Alejandro Sabella’s side.

While his defensive qualities have been put into question at times, Rojo is a great threat going forward and will surely prove to be a useful outlet in the final third of the pitch for the South Americans.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Sead Kolašinac
Age	20
Club	Schalke
Position	Defender
Int. Caps	4
Int. Goals	0

Sead Kolašinac has enjoyed a breakthrough season with Schalke this year. The young man established himself as an integral part of the German side and impressed many with his mature performance at the back.

A versatile player who is primarily used as a left-back, Kolašinac switched allegiance to Bosnia & Herzegovina after representing Germany at youth level and looks set to play a big part in the country’s debut World Cup campaign in Brazil.

Iran

Alireza Jahanbakhsh
Age	20
Club	NEC Nijmegen
Position	Midfielder
Int. Caps	6
Int. Goals	1

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is probably the most exciting young player to emerge from Iran recently. The 20-year old plies his trade in Netherlands for NEC Nijmegen and managed to impress with some fine performances for the Dutch side over the course of the campaign.

A tricky winger with a knack of scoring goals, Jahanbakhsh adds a bit of flair to a solid Iran side. While Ashkan Degajah and Javad Nekounam will most probably be preferred to Jahanbakhsh in the starting lineup at the World Cup, one cannot rule out the young man making an impact in the competition whenever afforded the opportunity.

Nigeria

Ogenyi Onazi
Age	20
Club	Lazio
Position	Midfielder
Int. Caps	20
Int. Goals	1

Ogenyi Onazi’s meteoric rise to prominence has been phenomenal. Having picked up by Italian giants from a church-sponsored team in Lagos called My People two years ago, Onazi has gone on to become one of the finest young midfielders plying their trade in Europe.

The 20-year old has also established himself as a regular in the Nigerian national team and helped the Super Eagles to the African Cup of Nations triumph in 2013.

A tough tackling midfielder, Onazi possesses a brilliant temperament and he will surely be looking to impress at the World Cup by taming the dangerous Argentina and Bosnia attack.

Written by: Sarad Shrestha

05/06/2014

Iran drops 6 places in FIFA Ranking of June 2014

Iran maintained top Asian ranking in the monthly list issued today (Thursday 4th Jun 2014) despite dropping a significant 6 places down to 43 in the overall FIFA Ranking.

In the last ranking to be issued before the World Cup kick off, Iran tally of 641 points ranks it above Japan (626) Korea Rep (547) and Uzbekistan (539) in Asia. Australia is fifth with 526 points.

Interestingly enough , Nigeria , Team Melli’s first opponent at the World Cup maintained its position at 44 one rank below and one point less than Team Melli at 43.

There is a mix result for the other Group F with Argentina , the highest rank team in the group climbing two places to # 5 in the world while Bosnia also climbed 4 places as the best achiever of the group at 21.

Group F ranking – Comparison chart

04/06/2014

Looking deeper at Iran chances.

Now that it is safe to assume that Team Melli players WILL exchange shirts with the rivals after each match in the World Cup, we can look relax and think of more important issues like what are Iran chances in Group F.

There is no denying what is the fans expectations are. We have arranged several polls here at TeamMelli.com and have come to an early conclusion that the majority of the fans across the globe expect Team Melli to succeed. The majority wants and expects Team Melli to qualify to the next round ahead of Nigeria and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Is that a realistic expectation or just one of those wishful thinking bits that passionate football fans always dream of beyond but it is beyond the capabilities of their beloved teams.?

If you are looking for a quick answer , we do not have one, but if you are patient enough to read our outlook , then please do so and then come up with your own conclusion versus ours.

These days, friendly or practice matches prior to the World Cup is dime a dozen. There are lots of them as each team is examining the strength and the weaknesses of their line up or try to sort out the tactical plans or maybe to put the final touches. The giants like Spain, Germany, France, England and Brazil have been toying with weaker opponents and having a ball. Out of all of those friendly matches, none was more dignifying, encouraging, and inspiring than the Germany vs. Cameroon match. No need to go into the historical background of the two teams for level comparisons, all one can say is the Germany at home should have easily dispensed of their less glamorous African opponents with ease. They did not and one reason for that is the motivation of Cameroon players and coaches , their willpower and their courage. Something that Queiroz and his men must take a note of.

Cameroon , did not park the bus in Mönchengladbach, they dared to attack and attack they did. They were rewarded and scored the first goal. Germany hit back and scored the equalizer then the second goal , both brilliantly taken. The locals were waiting for the third to cap good day work for Germany , but once again Cameroon dared to attack the Germans at their home and managed to score a beautiful well-earned equalizer. It ended all square 2-2 in Germany.

We have not seen Queiroz being bold enough or daring in any of his matches, and expecting him to change his mentality overnight is wishing for a miracle. The man is conservative by style and that is his right as there is a lot at stake at this level of football.

What though , if the boys are given a bit more freedom to go attack, Teymourian , Nekounam and Dejagah daring to attack and taking the battle into the enemy premises. What if Pooladi or Beikzadeh on the left and Heydari on the right feed the box with accurate crosses for our forwards and midfield player to take a chance or two?

It is a question of desire rather than ability. In Dejagah , Team Melli has a winner in every sense. Both strikers have some beautiful touches and finishes. They have both proven their qualities. And then we have a gem of young player Jahanbakhsh who is rearing to go , if he is given a chance or two, He is not short of courage , running and willpower. We sure do have the tools and the resources, what is needed is the will , the desire and some bravery. Cameroons of this world do not score by parking the bus. They dare to attack and they reap the reward.

Saying all that, we do not advocate chaotic offensive game plan as the defense is very vital. Unless we do attack , take the time to organize the players forward, we will not be able to win matches.

Apart from Argentina, which incidentally is not known for its World Class defending, the other two teams are not superior to Iran. Sometimes, strong desires and mentality can overcome tactics and skills and wins you matches.

Our conclusion is if Queiroz opens up and employs some of his weapons, Team Melli can surprise a few people and possibly qualify. Deploying defensive strategy is more difficult to see the team making it to the next round. Fortunately, team Melli has been pretty impressive in quick counter attacks, which has won them at least three matches in the Qualifiers. Whether such strategy will work at this much higher level , is something that has to be seen

03/06/2014

Argentina announces the final list.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella announced the 23-man squad that he will be taking to Brazil for FIFA World Cup 2014. Lionel Messi unsurprisingly made the cut but Ever Banega was left out of the squad.

Banega joins Nicolas Otamendi who impressed for Argentina in the last World Cup but lost his place due to the inclusion of Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis. Club teammates Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero will join the center-back in Brazil.

Argentina’s squad boasts an adept strike-force as it comprises of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Rodrigo Palacio and Ezequiel Lavezzi. Ricardo Alvarez is the only surprise inclusion as the midfielder hardly ever featured for his club Inter Milan.

Two-time world champions Argentina, who haven’t been past the quarter-finals since the 1990 World Cup, will play debutants Bosnia in their Group F opener on June 15.

FIFA World Cup 2014: Argentina World Cup Squad & Player List

Goalkeepers: Mariano Andújar (Catania/ITA), Agustín Orión (Boca Juniors), Sergio Romero (Monaco/FRA)

Defenders: José Basanta (Monterrey/MEX), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City/ENG), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica/POR), Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon/POR), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City/ENG), Lisandro Lopez (Getafe/ESP), Hugo Campagnaro (Inter Milan/ITA)

Midfielders: Ricardo Alvarez (Inter Milan/ITA), Lucas Biglia (Lazio/ITA), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid/ESP), Augusto Fernández (Celta Vigo/ESP), Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona/ESP), Enzo Pérez (Benfica/POR), Maximiliano Rodríguez (Newell’s Old Boys)

Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City/ENG), Gonzalo Higuaín (Napoli/ITA), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/ESP), Rodrigo Palacio (Inter Milan/ITA)

15/05/2014

WC 2014 – Argentina squad : No Tevez World Cup recall

Carlos Tevez’s excellent form for Italian champions Juventus this season failed to earn him a recall when head coach Alejandro Sabella named his provisonal 30-man squad for the FIFA World Cup™.

Tevez, capped 64 times, scored 19 goals for Juventus as they retained their Serie A title this term. However, not even that was a strong enough argument for Sabella to call up the 30-year-old for the first time since he took over at the helm of the national side following Argentina’s failure to win the 2011 Copa America.

Tevez, who played a full part in Argentina’s 2010 World Cup finals campaign, had wanted to make up for his last appearance as it ended in him missing a penalty in the shootout loss to eventual champions Uruguay in the Copa quarter-finals.

Sabella, who has until 2 June to decide on his final 23 players, opted to allow star player Lionel Messi to play in the role he plays to high effect at Barcelona — which did not allow for Tevez to be part of his plans.

Argentina, who won the last of their two World Cups in 1986, have been drawn in Group F with Africa Cup of Nations champions Nigeria, debutants Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran.

Argentina squad
Goalkeepers: Mariano Andujar (Catania/ITA), Sergio Romero (Monaco/FRA), Agustin Orion (Boca Juniors)

Defenders: Lisandro Lopez (Getafe/ESP), Hugo Campagnaro (Inter Milan/ITA), Federico Fernandez (Napoli/ITA), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City/ENG), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica/POR), Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon/POR), Jose Basanta (Monterrey/MEX), Nicolas Otamendi (Atletico Mineiro/BRA), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City/ENG), Gabriel Mercado (River Plate)

Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona/ESP), Jose Sosa (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Augusto Fernandez (Celta Vigo/ESP), Ricky Alvarez (Inter Milan/ITA), Lucas Biglia (Lazio/ITA), Ever Banega (Newell’s Old Boys), Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Maxi Rodriguez (Newell’s Old Boys), Enzo Perez (Benfica/POR), Fabian Rinaudo (Catania/ITA)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona/ESP), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid/ESP), Rodrigo Palacio (Inter Milan/ITA), Gonzalo Higuaín (Napoli/ITA), Sergio Agüero (Manchester City/ENG), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris SG/FRA), Franco Di Santo (Werder Bremen/GER)