I’m on the Argentina Bandwagon
After completely destroying a supposedly decent Serbia Montenegro 6-0, Argentina are the best team in the world.
At this minute.
They are playing perfect football right now. Not a weakness to be found. The bench is stocked with loads more talent that we finally got a glimpse of today. Messi and Tavez are stars, forget about starters, on every other team in the world.
You can say they haven’t been tested yet, but neither have any of the other ‘name’ teams. While the rest of them are floundering around and scraping through with 1-0′s, Argentina have been putting on shows.
Stretching to find anything negative to say about Argentina, you could argue that they are peaking too soon. Okay. But I wouldn’t want to play this team.
No one would beat them tomorrow. Whether that’s still true on July 9th, we’ll have to see.
Argentina IS the best team in the World Cup, and they’re going to destroy Brazil in the Finals…
I was surprised that Cambiasso was sat down in favor of Gonzalez, and Coach Pekerman justified it by saying he wanted more “fluidity” (in other words, longer passing and more risk taking).
Cambiasso is known for his distaste for risky passes. I am a season ticket holder for Inter Milan where Cambiasso plays and emerged this year as a top flight player (rumor has Man U offering Ruud V. and tons of cash for Cambiasso)
I can’t say I was happy to see Gonzalez get hurt in the 17th minute and Cambiasso get back on the pitch, but OK…. I was!
I did not see the game but I hear that the goal Cambiasso scored game after a 24 pass sequence that the Fifa site labelled “beautiful”. I cannot wait to see it, I imagine that Cambiasso really was an important part of that sequence also before he scored, he always knows what he is going to do with the ball “before” it arrives, and he has the footballing skills to almost always get it done.
Well done Argentina!
That was the goal of the tournament so far for me. The epitome of football. Inter doesn’t need Van Nistleroy flopping around down there. When he manages to stay on his feet long enough, he can tuck in his share of slop goals, but I don’t think he’d do well in Italy. ManU has been looking to dump him. Fergie hates him. That said, Cambiasso is brilliant. I’d love to have him in the Premier League–as long as it’s not Chelsea. Ipswich would be a good fit.
Guys – don’t forget the Italians. They look great as well.
Yes, maybe Italy can be the sleeper while everyone gushes over Brazil and Argentina.
Argentina was spectacular and Italia looked good against Ghana and will certainly do well against the USA.
Brazil have real problems in the attack right now with an embarrassing performance by Ronaldo and Adriano against Croatia.
All in all, even if I was impressed as hell by Argentina yesterday, nothing has taken place to change my mind that England are going to win this tournament.
You must be watching a different England than I’m getting. I would love for England to win to win it, but they’ve been about as unimpressive as possible so far without actually losing.
Yeah, England’s been playing so bad that a commentator actually compared their second match to the way the US played against the Czech Republic. Ouch.
At the risk of being repetitive, this is a marathon not a sprint. Sven is just pacing the boys…. and lest we forget, the Queen’s side has yet to give up a goal.
Let’s not get to excited, the tourney has just begun. It is hard to put things in perspective right now because the competition has not been weeded out for quality yet which is what round 1 exists for. A smart coach like Sven will pace his side and hit the gas in round 2.
I am just as excited as everyone about Argentina’s spectacular performance but it was against Serbia and Montenegro, who are not bad but let’s face it, Argentina had a great game plan to exploit Serbia’s weakness, primarily lack of foot speed. One of Serbia’s best players, Stankovic, plays for Inter (he is a trusted soldier of Inter coach, Mancini). Stankovic while tough and accurate is also slow as molassis (and he is one of Serbia’s best). Inter had Veron and Cambiasso in the midfield with Zanetti behind him, which helped hide Stankovic on D, and still Stankovic was often exposed with inter’s opponents penetrating deep on his side. On Serbia Stankovic is one among many slow guys, none of whom can protect themselves. Serbia are tough and precise but Argentina had a plan that focused on putting Serbia in difficulty by moving the ball fast fast fast and they made Serbia look foolish.
Pekelman more than anybody knows that the Argentine game plan against Serbia will fail miserably against the likes of England and Germany.
So a dose of cold water. This is only round 1!!
That’s a nice theory, but the trouble is many teams have trouble finding the gas if they’re not used to hitting it. This may well be a marathon, but it’s one where one slip against a minnow could get you knocked-out. Spain, Portugal, France, etc etc, are all teams where it could be argued they’ve historically been holding back in order not to peak too soon. No point in hitting your peak on the flight back home.
I personally think Sven has England playing to his personality. Bland and unimpressive, and dangerously light on the gas. Right now, their entire offense consists of a useless Crouch standing around waiting for a cross from Beckham. Owen doesn’t look fit yet, I can’t imagine Rooney will be despite his running around for a half hour the other day.
You can say what you want about the S&M vs Argentina match-up, it was essentially Liverpool against an MLS team when England played. A match that was fairly important that England take all three points from.
I can easily see them playing for a nil-nil against Sweden and losing at the last minute, then Germany beating them 16-13.
Maybe they’d benefit from a visit by the Ecuadorian witch doctor–seemed to work for them.
Let it be said nowhere that I am not willing to slip into the trite and banal to defend my beloved English squad. I know you love em too so perhaps I simply did not live in England long enough to absorb the true English fatalism about their football team
I stand by my opinion and round 2 will start to see if I am right but I admit that a doubt or two creeps into my mind as to whether or not I have my rose coloured glasses on! Especially when I watch Owen play.