Tag: Lionel Messi

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
Lionel Messi scores

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.”

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.”

Mr. Kaffashian , do the honorable and correct the sitiuation.

Team Melli players , deserve more than one shirt.

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Mr. Kaffashian’s statement to the press that Team Melli players have no right to swap shirts after a match ends, a customary and a tradition that has been practiced in international football as old as the game itself, has created numerous debates and feeling of humiliation and anger amongst the fans. Major world sport media took an interest and news of the miser Kaffashian run viral on the web and TV stations to the embarrassment of every Iranian fan. Many fans expressed their anger and dismay at Kaffashian over the social.

Anybody who knows Ali Kaffashian closely enough will tell you that he is genuinely a nice man void of any trickery or dishonesty in his dealings, which is unfortunately becoming a requisite for reaching to authority echelon in Iran’s sport. He is one man that cannot brag about his bloated bank account and enrichment out of football. But the ever smiling, grinning happy face Kaffashian has a major disadvantage in his dealings; He comes across more often than not as being clueless to a degree of embarrassment.

He has a knack of dealing with problems, when asked by the journalist at least, by simply dismissing them or deny their existence. If really pushed hard for an answer, his customary “Inshallah” or the equivalent of wishful thinking , seems to be his method in sorting out the problems by hoping they go away!

Asked in Tehran about the cancellation of the Friendly game that was supposed to be played in Johannesburg between Team Melli and National Team of Mozambique , he said “I don’t know the reason , it is Queiroz’s decision and I don’t have a clue why he cancelled the match.” Remember , this is the President of the Football Federation talking. When Queiroz returned to Tehran, he was asked the same question. The Portuguese coach was taken by surprise, or at least acted so, “There was no game scheduled to begin with for it to be cancelled. How can you cancel a match if it was not even arranged ?!! We did not agree on anything with Mozambique!”

For the record, that match was mentioned in all the daily sport papers in Iran , listed on FIFA Website and even on-line betting companies had the match on. Team Melli fans who were lead to believe that there is a friendly match were disappointed, but most importantly , the President of Iran’s football Federation , who should be the reference and the authority , with his signature on the contract , claim he was not aware about the cancellation !

That is what is meant by the statement that Kaffashian is sometimes clueless.

His statement about the shirt swaps, which practically means that his federation is unable or perhaps not willing to buy extra jerseys for the players in the world greatest show on Earth , is another example of him being clueless.

We genuinely believe that Kaffashian is perhaps not aware of the shirt swapping protocol or he believes that it is a childish behavior that must stop, who knows what he is thinking. The pressure of Iran reaching the World Cup is taking its toll on the nice man and is beyond his capability to manage all the events and responsibilities. We also doubt that it is a monetary or economical issue. For God sake , Iran is set to receive US$8 million , even if it loses all the 3 matches , while it will be handed $1.5 million in advance which is supposed to be for their preparation costs. How much do the extra shirts cost , that Kaffashian has an exception to?

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There is little doubt that the incumbent president of FFIRI , was shocked and embarrassed by the accusation directed to his federation from the minister sport in which football was singled out as the sport which spent the most amount of money with nothing to show for it in forms in championship or glory unlike other sports such as Wrestling , Weightlifting even volleyball and Basketball.

Astounded Kaffashian, after initially winging and moaning about the unfairness of the accusations, set to work to address these issues. He had to, because he is seeking office again for a third term and his failure to control expenses at a federation that has generated very little if any revenue , will not augur well in his re-election campaign. He embarked on a belt tightening crusade. He has indicated several times that his administration might not be able to afford to renew Queiroz’s contract after it expires after the World Cup, because of increased wages demand.

However, his economizing policy has reached a senseless stage where players are given one set of training kit for a 3 weeks of training camp. To cap it all, the embarrassment of telling the likes of Messi , Aguero , Higuain , Zabaleta , di María , Džeko , Spahić , Begović , Yobo , Obi Mikel , Emenike and the rest NOT to bother expecting shirts swap from Team Melli players after the match , because our players need to wash it for the next game!

Truly embarrassing situation for a proud nation like Iran. It is not that money is not available in the country, as Iran , even under harsh economic sanction by the west , has managed to survive and balance its book. Its natural resources are aplenty and not limited to oil only. Iran is one of the few nations in the world that has no significant national debts, unlike many of its oil-producing neighbors that are in trillions of dollars in debts. The reasons behind such predicament in football, is the poor management that has marred the football establishment for decades.

People with little management skills and experiences who have little appreciation or understanding of resource management , marketing , revenue generation , business processes , public relations, global lobbying , etc. , seems to be running football affairs. Such people objectives and priorities are diverse, outdated and highly governmental orientated. To add to the chaotic management situation, famous ex-players or coaches, have been demanding major roles in running football clubs and federation, while the absolute majority of the ex-footballers are not qualified business managers or have any organizational skills. A recipe for disaster is brewing..

Not only the Iranian football fans across the world, but even other fans expect Kaffashian to revise the situation. It is a shameful act and a behavior that scratches the honor of a proud nation.

If Kaffashian, does not come up and say something like “I did not mean it like that, there is a misunderstanding “ , then this website will start passing the hat and start collecting donations for extra Jerseys for players….

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Tevez “I will be in Disneyland during the World Cup”

FORMER Manchester United and West Ham striker Carlos Tevez has said he’s given up on going to the World Cup in Brazil with Argentina.

The forward, currently playing at Juventus, has fallen out of favor with the Argentine management and Tevez is planning alternative ways to spend his summer. That would be one less headache for Carlos Queiroz when he faces the might of Argentina in the FIFA World Cup in June.

The former Manchester City player has been in decent form for Juventus this season, scoring 18 times, but at international level there is an embarrassment of riches ahead of him.

Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Ezequiel Lavezzi all stand in his way.

Tevez said: “I don’t think I will watch my national team play at the World Cup. I’ve already bought tickets to go with my wife and my three children to Disney World. They deserve that trip and I have very clear in my mind where my place is.”

“I will nevertheless be Argentina’s number one fan. My candidates for the title are Argentina, Brazil and Germany in that order. I nevertheless don’t think I will be able to watch the games because that would make me very nervous and be nostalgic.”

Iran’s World Cup opponents falter in friendlies.

Argentina’s attacking stars failed to find a way through a resilient Romanian defense in a surprising goalless draw in the Romanian capital Bucharest.

Despite the much vaunted trio of Lionel Messi , Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain starting , Argentina side drew blank against the underdogs, with Barcelona’s Messi conspicuous by his lack of influence on the game. With less than 100 days to go to the World Cup , boss Alejandro Sabella maybe slightly concerned that a team that may well be the first choice XI in Brazil struggled to break down a side that failed to qualify for this summer’s extravaganza.

Meanwhile , the other team in Iran’s group in the World Cup , Bosnia- Herzegovina fared even worse than Argentina  beaten 2-0 by Egypt another team that has failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Two second-half goals from Gedo and Mohamed Salah gave coach Shawky Gharib a winning start after they beat the European qualifier Bosnia 2-0 in a friendly game in Austria on Wednesday night.

Gedo opened the scoring seven minutes after restart with a clinical finish before Chelsea’s Salah ensured the win with a close-range effort as Egypt start a new phase under Gharib, who replaced Bob Bradley following the team’s failure to qualify for this year’s World Cup finals in Brazil.  Despite having quality players, Bosnia attempts on Egypt’s goals were shy and far apart.

The other team in the group , Nigeria played Mexico in another goalless draw Wednesday night in Atlanta, USA.

Neither manager was much concerned with getting a result in this match. The match was a dour and boring affair which resulted in the fans in the Georgia Dome to voice their displeasure at the final whistle.

So, the loss of Team Melli to Guinea does not look too bad after all , as none of the FIFA World Cup group opponents have managed to get a win in what is normally matches for experiments and various tactics deployment, 

 

Iran Football federation regrets targetting of Messi’s facebook page.

Tehran

Mohammad Reza Molla Mohammad , the Cultural administrator of Iran’s football federation (FFIRI) has regretted the action of some delinquent juveniles who posted derogatory remarks on Lionel Messi’s facebook page.

In the aftermath of the FIFA World Cup draw 2014 carried on Friday, Iran was drawn in the same group as Argentina, which prompted some of the less educated so-called Iran fans to post some childish nonsense which has nothing to do with football.

Molla Mohammad said that the Football federation puts a lot of emphasis on sportsmanship plus civilized and courteous behavior reflecting the culture of the proud nation. “

In a statement published in FFIRI website in Farsi , Molla Mohammad  said “As a country , we have certain cultural , social and religious values that we stick by and form the pillar of our society. We have lots of respect to all our opponents in the World Cup , and while we appreciate and understand rivalry and competition , we condemn such insulting behaviour by some fans against one of the greatest football players in the world. “

“Lionel Messi is a phenomenon and we are proud that we will play against him and his team in the World Cup. What has been said by some fans has nothing to do with Iran and Iranians. Messi has our respect and our admiration.”