Diego Armando Maradona, the newly appointed coach of Argentina has asked Liverpool midfield star Javier Mascherano to be the captain of the Argentine national football team.
Macherano, 24 years old, has decided to accept this great honour.
Mascherano initially expressed some reservations on his capability to become the leader of what is arguably the most talented football team in the world. But Maradona spoke to him again and has managed to convince him to take up the captain’s armband.
This is what Maradona told Radio La Red: “I’ve convinced him. I explained to him what I thought about him and told him what I thought he could give the team. He can transmit much of what he does in the centre of the pitch - we’re not asking him to be a leader immediately.”
Javier Mascherano now replaces the veteran Javier Zanetti as the captain of the Argentine national football team.
Tags News • Midfielders • Argentina • Permalink
What was rumored for a few weeks now, just became official, Diego Armando Maradona, one of the best (in my eyes the very best) players in the world ever, is appointed as the new coach of the Argentinean national soccer team.
To many soccer experts this is a controversial choice, as Maradona doesn’t have much coaching experience like other trainers in Argentina certainly have, but there won’t be many other coaches who can show the skills Maradona had in his glory years.
Maradona who will celebrate his 48th birthday in a few days (30 October), had a very rich, fulfilling and controversial career.
He started out in the first team with Argentinos Juniors only 10 days before his 16th birthday. He played for Azrgentinos Juniors from ’76 till ’81, scoring 116 goals in 166 appearances. Boca Juniors immediately recognized the talent of the young Maradona and offered him a contract to play at the best club of Argentina. In the season ’81-’82, he made 40 appearances, scoring 28 goals.
But the next season, Boca Juniors couldn’t enjoy the fantastic skills of Maradona anymore. One of the top clubs of Europe, FC Barcelona scouted Maradona at the 1982 World Cup in Spain and bought him from Boca Juniors for a world record £5m. In the 2 seasons he played at Barca, he managed to win the Copa del Rey. At one time he almost came close to an end of his career after a brutal tackle. But 14 weeks later he was once again shining on the pitch. In 58 appearances he managed to score 38 times.
Due to frequent disputes with Barcelona’s board members, he demanded a transfer to leave Barcelona.
SSC Napoli came with the best papers in ‘84 and bought him for a new record fee of £6,9m. At Napoli, the real quality of Mardona came to the surface. With Maradona in the team, Napoli entered their best seasons in their existence. Napoli won their only Italian Championships (‘86/’87 and ‘89/’90), a Coppa Italia (‘87), a UEFA Cup (‘89) and an Italian Supercup (‘90). Napoli were also runners-up in the Italian Championship twice, in ‘87/’88 and ‘88/’89, as well as being runners-up in the Coppa Italia in ‘88/’89. Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A in ‘87/’88. In 188 games he scored 81 goals.
After he had to flee Italy due to cocaine and camorra scandals he moved to Sevilla in Spain to try and get to his best play once again. But he wasn’t the Maradona he was before.
When Sevilla wasn’t a success for him he moved back to his home country Argentina to play for the Newell’s Old Boys and the Boca Juniors where he finished his active soccer career in October 30,1997, on his 31st birthday.
To most of the people Maradona became famous due to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. As the captain of the Argentina squad he played every minute of the game, scored 5 goals and made 5 assists.
The game against England gave him the nickname “Hand of God”, where he scored the first goal with his left hand.
The second goal against England still is one of the best goals I’ve ever seen, he managed to outplay almost half of the England squad on his own including the keeper, Peter Shilton. Later this goal was awarded with the title of the ‘Greatest goal in the history of the World Cup’ and ‘Goal of the Century’.
I was only 10 years old back then, but if there’s one player that did get mine and others attention, it has to be Maradona. It seems like he was out of this world with the soccer he was playing then. And until now I didn’t see any other player who did manage to play like this so far.
What if he didn’t play back then? Maybe Belgium, my home country went through to the final. Belgium lost 2-0 against Argentina in the Semi-Final with again 2 goals from Maradona, once again showing his dribbling skills with his second goal.
In the final against West-Germany he managed to give the deciding pass to Jorge Burruchaga to score the winning goal.
The 1990 World Cup final was a replay of the Mexico final 4 years before, only the winner was different this time. West-Germany clinched the title by a penalty in the 85th minute of the game.
Maradona didn’t manage to set his mark on the games due to an ankle injury, which affected his overall form off playing.
In the 1994 World Cup in the USA, Maradona made his comeback in the National squad playing 2 games and scoring his last goal in his World Cup career against Greece. The day after he tested positive on ephedrine and was send back home. A goodbye from the World Cup scene a man of his status didn’t deserve. He should have gone in glory, but history turned out the other way.
There are many video’s of Maradona I can show you, but one of the best to show his extraordinary skills is not the goal against England or Belgium in ’86, or any other action on the pitch during a game, but his warming up in the UEFA Cup Semi-Final against Bayern Munich, at the time he played for Napoli.
The video shows exactly what a superstar he is, every other player is following the normal way of warming-up, but only Maradona can afford to entertain the audience with his juggling skills to do his warm-up.
Enjoy!
Tags Info • News • Trainers • Attackers • Midfielders • Tricks • Argentina • World Championships • Permalink
Nigeria – Belgium 4 – 1
Argentina – Brazil 3 – 0
Bronze medal match: Belgium – Brazil
Gold medal match: Nigeria – Argentina
My prediction:
Belgium will take revenge for the undeserved loss in the first match which they’ve lost against Brazil with 1-0. If they win they also take home the first medal home for Belgium.
The gold medal winner will be Argentina with no doubt. Theyre strong, creative and have lots of stamina.
Tags Argentina • Belgium • Brasil • Nigeria • Olympic Soccer tournament • Permalink
Quarter-final at the Olympic Soccer tournament between Italy and Belgium
What a game, after a bit more than 15 minutes Italy was awarded a penalty and Vermaelen from Belgium was shown the red card. So more than 75 minutes left playing with a player less than the strong Italy side.
But Belgium didn’t showed any fear and went full for the victory, Dembele scores a disputable header that (did or did not) went over the line. And a few minutes before half time, Kevin Miralas scored the 1-2. With a man less situation, Belgium did not only equalized, but went a goal ahead also.
In the second half Haroun got the chance to put Belgium ahead 3-1, but he just missed the header.
Then a few minutes later Italy was denied a second penalty by the referee, and were disallowed the 2-2 on off-side, but this was a correct decision.
Then in the 78th minute Italy again was rewarded a penalty, Rossi scored again to make it 2-2.
But then Dembele came into action with a marvelous goal. Starting the action in the midfield he almost dribbled every Italian on the field, and finished brilliantly to score the winning goal.
Now up to meet Nigeria in the semi-finals and then maybe going for Gold?
Other semi final will be played between Argentina and Brazil.
Brazil won from Cameroon in the extra time, 2-0
Argentina won from Netherlands, also in extra time, 2-1
And Belgium’s opponent in the semi final won from Côte d’Ivoire, 2-0
Tags Results • Argentina • Belgium • Brasil • Nigeria • Olympic Soccer tournament • Permalink
This is Serbia’s first appearance on the Olympics as an independent state. In 1984 they clinched the bronze medal when they still were part of the Yugoslavian team.
1 Vladimir STOJKOVIC
2 Marko JOVANOVIC
3 Aleksandar KOLAROV
4 Gojko KACAR
5 Slobodan RAJKOVIC
6 Predrag PAVLOVIC
7 Milan SMILJANIC
8 Nikola GULAN
9 Djordje RAKIC
10 Stefan BABOVIC
11 Dusko TOSIC
12 Dusan TADIC
13 Ljubomir FEJSA
14 Filip DJORDJEVIC
15 Aleksandar ZIVKOVIC
16 Nenad TOMOVIC
17 Zoran TOSIC
18 Sasa STAMENKOVIC
Key players to keep a close eye on are: Aleksandar Kolarov from Lazio, FC Nantes’ Stefan Babovic and Filip Djordjevic.
Serbia will be close to qualify for the next round, but it all depends what the result will be against Ivory Coast. The 2nd place will be a decided between Serbia and Ivory Coast
Tags Côte d'Ivoire • Argentina • Australia • Serbia • Olympic Soccer tournament • Permalink
With their qualification to this year’s Olympics, Côte d’Ivoire made history, because this actually is the first time they will actually participate at the Olympic Soccer Tournament.
But if you see what good players Côte d’Ivoire delivered the last year, it’s no surprise that this team can actually mean something in China.
1 Vincent ANGBAN
2 Serge WAWA
3 Ousmane Viera DIARRASSOUBA
4 Souleymane BAMBA
5 Brou ANGOUA
6 Herve KAMBOU
7 Kafoumba COULIBALY
8 Salomon KALOU
9 Franck DJA DJEDJE
10 Emmanuel KONE
11 Anthony MOURA
12 Mamadou BAGAYOKO
13 Abraham GUIE-GUIE
14 GERVINHO
15 Ladji TAMLA
16 Christian OKOUA
17 Antoine N GOSSAN
18 Sekou CISSE
Players to watch for are Chelsea’s Salomon Kanou and Nice’s midfielder Kafoumba Coulibally.
Gervinho, or Gervais Yao Kouassi from Le Mans could also be a key player in the team.
Tags Côte d'Ivoire • Argentina • Australia • Serbia • Olympic Soccer tournament • Permalink
Australia isn’t that big of a soccer country it seems, but they’ve managed to qualify for every Olympic tournament since Seoul in 1988.
Australian “Olyroos” squad for the Olympics:
1 Adam FEDERICI
2 Jade NORTH
3 Adrian LEIJER
4 Mark MILLIGAN
5 Matthew SPIRANOVIC
6 Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY
7 Neil KILKENNY
8 Stuart MUSIALIK
9 Mark BRIDGE
10 Archie THOMPSON
11 David CARNEY
12 Trent McCLENAHAN
13 Ruben ZADKOVICH
14 James TROISI
15 Kristian SARKIES
16 Billy CELESKI
17 Nikita RUKAVYTSYA
18 Tando VELAPHI
Players to watch for: Adelaide United’s Kristian Sarkies and Sydney FC’s forward Mark Bridge.
In a group with defending winner Argentina, Ivory Coast and Serbia, they have very strong competitors and have to play above their level to go through to the next round.
Personally I don’t think they can do it, but if they survive the group stage, anything is possible.
Tags Côte d'Ivoire • Argentina • Australia • Serbia • Olympic Soccer tournament • Permalink
Argentina, the 2004 Olympic Champions are in China to defend their title.
They’ll try this with the following squad:
1 Oscar USTARI
2 Ezequiel GARAY
3 Luciano MONZON
4 Pablo ZABALETA
5 Fernando GAGO
6 Federico FAZIO
7 Jose SOSA
8 Ever BANEGA
9 Ezequiel LAVEZZI
10 Juan RIQUELME
11 Angel DI MARIA
12 Nicolas PAREJA
13 Lautaro ACOSTA
14 Javier MASCHERANO
15 Lionel MESSI
16 Sergio AGUERO
17 Diego BUONANOTTE
18 Sergio ROMERO
Key Players for Argentina will be Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano, Boca Juniors’ Juan Riquelme, Athletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero and of course Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
I think Argentina will be the team to beat to get the Gold medal, they have a very well balanced team, with young enthusiasm and experience from players like Riquelme.
Tags Côte d'Ivoire • Argentina • Australia • Serbia • Olympic Soccer tournament • Permalink
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