Tag: Sergio Aguero

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.”

Group ‘F’ analysis by FIFA

fifa.com

Group F will feature one match that has become something of a classic fixture of and five that have never been played on the big stage before, part of the reason for which is because Bosnia-Herzegovina are making their first appearance at the FIFA World Cup™, while Iran have only ever faced their group rivals in friendlies.

As for Argentina and Nigeria, the other two combatants in the group, there is not much they do not know about each other. Their meeting next June will be the latest instalment in an exciting rivalry between the two sides, led by Lionel Messi and John Obi Mikel, who have faced off three times in major competitions at different age levels: the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Netherlands 2005, the gold medal match at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 2008 and in the group phase at South Africa 2010. On all three occasions Argentina won.

The teams
There is not much that has not already been said about two-time world champions Argentina or for that matter about Messi, who will renew his bid to lift the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy. Alejandro Sabella’s men are the favourites to top a group in which reigning African champions Nigeria will be aiming to make the experience they have acquired on their four previous appearances count. Meanwhile, Bosnia will be out to replicate the entertaining brand of football that made them the fourth-highest scorers in the European qualifiers, and Iran, coached by Portugal’s Carlos Queiroz will hope to combine solid organisation with the technical attributes they have long been known for.

Players to watch
Lionel Messi, (ARG), Sergio Aguero (ARG), Gonzalo Higuain (ARG), John Obi Mikel (NGA), Victor Moses (NGA), Victor Obinna (NGA), Edin Dzeko (BIH), Vedad Ibisevic (BIH), Miralem Pjanic (BIH), Reza Ghoochannejhad (IRN), Javad Nekounam (IRN), Karim Ansari (IRN).

The crunch match
Bosnia-Nigeria: in a section that most people will expect Argentina to win, games such as this one will be crucial in deciding who goes through to the last 16. The European side will have the challenge of performing in circumstances that will be entirely new to them, while the Nigerians will be eyeing the chance to reach the knockout phase for the first time since France 1998.

A look back
Argentina 2-1 Nigeria, 25 June 1994, Boston
This game, which will forever be remembered as Diego Armando Maradona’s last match for his country, pitted an Argentina side packed with stars such as El Diez, Claudio Caniggia, Fernando Redondo and Gabriel Batistuta against a Nigeria team very much on the up and up and featuring the likes of Rashidi Yekini, Finidi George and Emmanuel Amunike. The Africans took a surprise early lead through Samson Siasia, only for the wily Caniggia to turn the game around with a typically predatory double. The blond-haired striker’s cry of “Diego, Diego”, imploring Maradona to play the pass that would lead to his second goal, is an iconic moment for Argentina fans.

Did you know?
Bosnia-Herzegovina, who played their first official match as an independent national team in November 1995, came close to making their World Cup debut at South Africa 2010 but lost out in the play-offs to Portugal. Twenty-four of their 26 most regularly selected players ply their trade outside the country.

The stat
36 – The number of years since Argentina and Iran met for the first and only time to date. That match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, took place in Madrid on 22 March 1977 and formed part of Real Madrid’s 75th anniversary celebrations. One year later La Albiceleste won their maiden World Cup title on home soil in a competition that marked the Asian side’s world finals debut.

 

 

The tweet

 

En un Mundial ningún partido es fácil pero con esfuerzo y trabajo siempre hay recompensa. Vamos Argentina!!!

 

In a World Cup match is no easy job but there is always effort and reward. Come on Argentina!
Sergio Aguero, Argentina

Argentina: Romero first choice GK despite being a reserve in his club!

It is not difficult for any fan or expert to mention the strong spots of Argentina national football team.

The FIFA ranked 3 team , has the services of the World greatest footballer in Lionel Messi and two of the world  most lethal strikers in Sergio Agüero and Gonzalo Higuaín playing in the forward line. That combination can destroy any defenses at will. However , Argentina, like many teams have weak spots too and nothing is more obvious than their defense line. Despite having the services of several veteran players, none of their defenders are in the same class of their forwards. Recent matches in Europe highlighted some of the Argentine defenders shortfalls including lack of pace and some wild tackles leading to penalties and sending off.

The goalkeeping is one area that Argentina have traditionally fell short of expectation , and this time around, history is repeating itself.

Reuters has report on the current goalkeeper situation in Argentina team:

(Reuters) – Sergio Romero will be Argentina’s first-choice goalkeeper at the World Cup in Brazil in June despite spending most of his time at Monaco on the bench, national coach Alejandro Sabella said on Thursday.

The former winners are likely to have one of the strongest attacks at the finals but their defense has come under scrutiny with Romero being criticized for not always commanding his penalty area.

“Romero had a good match and I consider him an excellent goalkeeper who unfortunately is not getting continuity at his club,” said Sabella of the keeper’s performance in last week’s 0-0 draw with Romania in a friendly in Bucharest.

“Apart from the odd injury he has always been in my team … the position (at the World Cup) is his,” the coach told the Radio La Red Argentine station.

Sabella said he had decided on around 90 percent of his 23-man World Cup squad.

Argentina have been drawn in Group F with Bosnia, Iran and Nigeria.

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,