Diego Maradona has announced the squad for Argentina’s next competitive matches, the World Cup 2010 qualifiers at home to Colombia on the 6th of June, and away to Ecuador on the 10th. The purpose of that ‘B’ international on Wednesday night has been revealed – no fewer than nine players from the domestic game have been called up. Interestingly Diego Prediger isn’t one of them, despite Maradona declaring that if he could only call up one of the players from Wednesday’s team, he’d be the one. The others are all among the contenders for our Argentines Abroad Award (including a couple of contenders from the Mexican league). Don’t forget your nominations – you’ve got until Wednesday night to get them in!
Even more interestingly (or just confusingly), neither Gonzalo Higuaín – Real Madrid’s leading goalscorer this season and a man who beat Raúl in a popularity poll of the club’s fans midway through the season – nor Mauro Zárate, who’s been banging them in for Lazio in Serie A – have been named in the list either. The squad in full:
Argentina squad to face Colombia and Ecuador in June 2009:
Juan Pablo Carrizo (Lazio, Italy)
Federico Vilar (Atlante, Mexico)
Mariano Andújar (Estudiantes de La Plata)
Goalkeepers:
Defenders:
Nicolás Otamendi (Vélez Sársfield)
Marco Angeleri (Estudiantes de La Plata)
Juan Forlín (Boca Juniors)
Javier Zanetti (Internazionale, Italy)
Martín Demichelis (Bayern München, Germany)
Gabriel bloody Heinze (Real Madrid, Spain)
Daniel Díaz (Getafe, Spain)
Nicolás Burdisso (Internazionale)
Midfielders:
Christian Giménez (Pachuca, Mexico)
Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes de La Plata)
Sebastián Battaglia (Boca Juniors)
Daniel Montenegro (Independiente)
Javier Mascherano (Liverpool, England)
Fernando Gago (Real Madrid)
Maximiliano Rodríguez (Atlético de Madrid, Spain)
Jonás Gutiérrez (Newcastle United, England)
Forwards:
Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Spain)
Sergio Agüero (Atlético de Madrid)
Carlos Tevez (Manchester United, England)
Diego Milito (Genoa, Italy)
Lisandro López (Porto, Portugal)
Gonzalo Bergessio (San Lorenzo de Almagro)
It’s a slightly larger squad than normal for the qualifiers (26 players), because Maradona plans to use a significantly different side for the match away to Ecuador, which will be played at 2,800 metres in Quito. After the messy result last time out in Bolivia, he’ll want to ensure it doesn’t happen again, even if South Africa next year won’t have any stadia approaching the same altitude. Colombia at home will be the source of some minor demons themselves, of course; it was their 5-0 win in the Monumental in 1993 (still the only World Cup qualifier Argentina have ever lost at home) that led to Diego’s return to the national side.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 
Gabriel bloody Heinze lol !
Don’t see a lot of creativity in that midfield and it also suprises me that Higuain and Zarate don’t get a call up but there is a glut of players in their positions.
lol!
I think Maradona’s team will qualifer for the world cup 2010, but it won’t be champion without Higuaïn and Mauro Zarate, the second player’s after Lionel Messi.
Zarate is better than Veron and Gutierez, and then Higuaïn is better than Aguero and the others except Messi.
o, messi is great at this time bt where is lucho gonzalez n higuin. they r both key player for Arg.
Not for the first time, Lucho González is injured.
And however much I agree that he should be in the team, I wouldn’t say Higuaín can be called a key player for his country until he’s at least made his debut.