It's been a good long while since I last posted here, but after so many years waiting to write that headline I had to write something. Argentina ended a 28-year wait for a trophy at full international level on Saturday night, and did it in the manner every Argentine fan had dreamed of: in the... Continue Reading →
Who will Argentina turn to as manager after Copa América elimination?
For the sixth time in a row, the final of the Copa América will feature an Argentine manager. Marcelo Bielsa in 2004 and Alfio Basile in 2007 took their homeland to defeats against Brazil, Gerardo Martino was involved for Paraguay in 2011 and Argentina in both 2015 and 2016, and in the latter two, the... Continue Reading →
Why are Argentina crap?
The most frustrating thing about the fact that Argentina have had The Wrong Manager for the last two and a half years is that they never had to lose the right one in the first place. As winter moved towards spring of 2016 down here in the southern hemisphere, Gerardo Martino – frustrated at club... Continue Reading →
International friendly: Argentina v Venezuela formations
Argentina take on Venezuela in Madrid on Friday evening, with Lionel Messi returning to the national side for the first time since they were eliminated at the hands of France in last year's World Cup. The starting XI will feature no fewer than three Martínezes: Defensa y Justicia defender Lisandro, Atlanta United playmaker Gonzalo (replacing... Continue Reading →
Messi back as Lionel Scaloni names Argentina squad to face Venezuela and Morocco
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni announced his latest squad on Thursday, ahead of two friendlies which act as warm ups for the Copa América in Brazil in a few months' time. The headline news is that Lionel Messi's break from international football is coming to an end: some outlets had reported earlier in the week that... Continue Reading →
Lionel Scaloni names Argentina squad to face Guatemala and Colombia
Next month, Argentina will play two friendlies in the United States of America: against Guatemala in Los Angeles on the 7th September, and against Colombia in New Jersey on the 11th. On Friday, interim manager Lionel Scaloni named his squad for the friendlies. Lionel Messi is the most high-profile omission – he's taking a break... Continue Reading →
Did we learn anything from Argentina v Haiti?
On Tuesday, Argentina continued their recent trend of bidding a pre-World Cup farewell to their fans with a friendly against opponents who, with no disrespect to Haiti, or to Canada in 2010 or Trinidad and Tobago in 2014, are not quite on the level of the opponents they'll face in the tournament. Did we learn... Continue Reading →
Argentina’s 2018 World Cup squad announced: Icardi won’t travel, but Dybala will
After months of speculation, Jorge Sampaoli announced Argentina's final 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup at lunchtime on Monday. As expected, there was no place for Mauro Icardi, who Sampaoli is said to feel struggled to integrate with the rest of the group, and who was disappointing when called up for Argentina last year.... Continue Reading →
Argentina 2-0 Italy: highlights
On Friday, Argentina beat Italy 2-0 in a friendly in Manchester, thanks to goals from Éver Banega and Manuel Lanzini – the West Ham United playmaker's first goal for his country, in his third cap. It wasn't a perfect performance, but it left Jorge Sampaoli more satisfied than not, and several players – including Willy Caballero, Fabricio... Continue Reading →
Sampaoli adds five Argentina-based players to his March friendlies squad, including Lautaro Martínez
As expected, on Monday morning the Argentine Football Association published Jorge Sampaoli's final squad list for Argentina's upcoming friendlies against Italy in Manchester on the 23rd, and against Spain in Madrid on the 27th of this month. Having already called up twenty-two players who play their club football abroad, Sampaoli added five 'locals' to the... Continue Reading →
Hasta El Gol Siempre 