Argentina's Preliminary Squad

[canucklefan]

Keepers

01 ROMERO, Sergio - AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands)
02 ANDUJAR, Mariano - Calcio Catania (Italy)
03 POZO, Diego - CA Colón de Santa Fé (Argentina)


Defenders

04 SAMUEL, Walter - Internazionale FC (Italy)
05 BURDISSO, Nicolás - AS Roma FC (Italy)
06 DEMICHELIS, Martin - Bayern Münich (Germany)
07 COLOCCINI, Fabricio - Newcastle United FC (England)
08 HEINZE, Gabriel - Olympique Marseille (France)
09 INSAURRALDE, Juan Manuel - CA Newell's Old Boys (Argentina)
10 OTAMENDI, Nicolás - CA Vélez Sarsfield (Argentina)
11 GARCE, Ariel - CA Colón de Santa Fé (Argentina)
12 RODRIGUEZ, Clemente - CA Estudiantes de La Plata (Argentina)


Midfielders

13 RODRIGUEZ, Maximiliano - Liverpool FC (England)
14 MASCHERANO, Javier - Liverpool FC (England)
15 BOLATTI, Mario - ASF Fiorentina (Italy)
16 PASTORE, Javier - Citta di Palermo Calcio (Italy) ==> Note: he never player for his National football team.
17 DI MARIA, Ángel - Benfica FC (Portugal)
18 GUTIERREZ, Jonás - Newcastle United FC (England)
19 DÁTOLO, Jesús - Olympiacos CFP (Grecia) On loan from Napoli (Italy)
20 VERON, Juan Sebastián - CA Estudiantes de la Plata (Argentina)
21 SOSA, José - CA Estudiantes (Argentina) On loan from Bayern Münich (Germany)
22 BLANCO, Sebastián - CA Lanús (Argentina)
23 MERCIER, Juan - AA Argentinos Juniors (Argentina)


Forwards

24 MESSI, Lionel - Barcelona FC (Spain)
25 TEVEZ, Carlos - Manchester City (England)
26 HIGUAIN, Gonzalo - Real Madrid (Spain)
27 MILITO, Diego - Internazionale FC (Italy)
28 AGÜERO, Sergio - Club Atlético de Madrid (Spain)
29 LAVEZZI, Ezequiel - SC Sportiva Napoli (Italy)
30 PALERMO, Martin - CA Boca Juniors (Argentina)

[yomurphy1]

No Cambiasso, Zanetti, Gago? I don't understand Mardonna's love for crappy domestic players.

[canucklefan]

It's a fact that Maradona doesn't like Zanetti, the press knows this and I heard this before. However, I can't tell if it's personal or not.

[beachesl]

No Cambiasso, Zanetti, Gago? I don't understand Mardonna's love for crappy domestic players.

Perhaps its personal, but also perhaps it is Maradona´s skewed view. They did not perform all that well for Argentina in the games he called them for. But, hey, Messi didn´t either.

On Sunday night, Maradona said he remembers 1978 when he "was not given a chance" and said he wants to give the young domestic (and some of the expatriot ones like Pastore) players like himself then a chance. They are the ones that will be most likely be cut, leaving only Veron and Palermo, and probably Otamendi, as the domestic palyers on the 23.

For the Canada match, I predict , since Samuel, Millito and DeMichelis won´t play, Maradona will use 1 or 2 substitutions for defence to settle a few issues (at least to the public), maybe one in mid-field (I think that is pretty well settled). I expect 3 or 4 substitutions up front so that all the forwards except Millito will get a run out because that is where the controversy and doubt will be for the 23. His heart wants Palermo, and he has publicly said that PALERMO IS going to SA, but that would mean leaving both Arguero and Lavessi off the final 23.

On the cusp of being dropped are: Aguero, Lavessi, Coloccini, Insaurralde, Garcé, and 3 of 5 of: Mercier, Javier Pastore, José Sosa, and Sebastián Blanco and Maxi Rodriguez.

Guitierrez and Di Maria are brilliant wingers, the one thing Maradona has got right.

[beachesl]

After giving the list, Maradona spoke and announced the team against Nigeria
http://momento24.com/en/2010/05/12/a...ainst-nigeria/

Moments after giving the previous list of 30 players of the 23 that will go the World Cup, Diego Armando Maradona made an interview with Fernando Niembro, and anticipated the first team for the debut versus Nigeria

“Sergio Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Martin Demichelis, Walter Samuel and Gabriel Heinze, Javier Mascherano, Jonas Gutierrez, Juan Sebastian Veron and Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain,” said Maradona, without any surprises since it was known they it be the same team that beat Germany in Munich.

However, the coach inmediately left a mystery by saying: “I can make a change. I have in mind playing with a side defender”

Clemente Rodriguez would be the only one with those skills in Maradona’s list.

He also said that his “Xavi is Veron,” and intends Messi to move at any place in the attack and not just in the right as he usually does in Barcelona.

“Messi understands what I want when I release him, because in the right he has only the option of going to the centre,” mused Diego.

[beachesl]

According to brief news reports, Maradona will set his team of 23 tomorrow, and not wait until the ist of June, because he " does not want to waste more time". Tomorrow, they are to start training at the AFA ground at Ezeiza, near the international airport, with a view to the friendly on Monday, 24 of May, with Canada at Monumental.

http://www.ar.terra.com/futbol/mundi...l+Mundial.html

This means he goes into the friendly with a effective bench of 20, given that the 3 Euro Final players will not be ready to play.

[Juby]

I'm gonna miss being able to yell ABBBB BONNNN DANNNN ZIERIIIII on nice saves. And for real, I don't think theirs a squad in the whole tournement that wouldn't make room for cambiasso...

[beachesl]

Final 23 prematurely announced by Maradona, the team for Monday (with Samuel, DeMichaelis and Milito sitting ont he bench due to playing the Euro final on Saturday)

Equipo:

Arqueros: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar, Holanda), Mariano Andújar (Catania, Italia), Diego Pozzo (Colón)

Defensas: Nicolás Otamendi (Vélez Sarsfield, Argentina), Martín Demichelis (Bayern Munich, Alemania), Walter Samuel (Inter, Italia), Gabriel Heinze (Marsella, Francia), Nicolás Burdisso (Roma, Italia), Ariel Garce (Colón), Clemente Rodríguez (Estudiantes)

Volantes: Jonás Gutiérrez (Newcastle, Inglaterra), Juan Sebastián Verón, Javier Mascherano (Liverpool, Inglaterra), Angel Di María (Benfica, Portugal), Javier Pastore (Palermo, Italia), Maxi Rodríguez (Liverpool, Inglaterra), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina)

Delanteros: Lionel Messi (Barcelona, España), Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid, España), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City, Inglaterra), Diego Milito (Inter, Italia), Sergio Agüero (Atlético Madrid, España) y Martín Palermo (Boca Juniors, Argentina).

[beachesl]

Maradona runs over "*******" cameraman


GettyImages

Journalists and camera crews push up against Diego Maradona's car

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa threatens to be a highly memorable one for Argentina, but more for the increasingly unfathomable antics of coach Diego Maradona than for anything that happens on the pitch.

This week the eccentric Albiceleste coach hit the headlines when he accidentally ran over a cameraman and then yelled insults at him as he lay injured. According to a witness, Maradona's Mini rolled over the lower part of the cameraman's leg at a busy news conference in Buenos Aires.

"What an ******* you are," Maradona shouted from the car. "How can you put your leg there where it can get run over, man?"

While the unfortunate cameraman was being attended to by paramedics, Maradona, whose World Cup preparations were disrupted in March when his dog bit him on the face, delivered the names of his final 23-man squad to the media.