Mascherano named new Argentina captain

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has agreed to captain Argentina under new coach Diego Maradona.

"I've convinced him," Maradona told Radio La Red after returning from a six-day trip to Europe during which he visited a number of his top players.

"I explained to him what I thought about him and told him what I thought he could give the team."

Mascherano, 24, initially said he did not feel ready to take on the responsibility.

Maradona is also hoping to make former defender Oscar Ruggeri his assistant despite media reports of opposition from Argentina Football Association president Julio Grondona.

"I don't think Oscar's impossible," said Maradona.

The choice of his assistant has already become a hot topic.

At one stage Maradona said Jose Luis Brown and Sergio Batista, team mates from the 1986 World Cup-winning side, would take on the role. But he then changed his mind, saying the decision was not final.

Ruggeri's recent coaching record would make him a controversial choice.

He resigned at Mexico's Tecos UAG after losing his first six games in 2003, then took charge of Independiente in his homeland before resigning four months later after being jeered and insulted by fans at a home game.

In 2004 he went to Spanish second division club Elche but was fired after 20 games. He returned to Mexico and joined America, the country's richest club, and this time lasted six matches.

Ruggeri's last coaching job was with San Lorenzo in 2006 where he was again fired after poor results including a 7-1 home defeat by Boca Juniors.

Source : http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id...cup2010&cc=4716


looks lik we'll have a new captain as well......mascherano certainly is a suitable choice... ..
but wat have worried me now is the staff.....y in the earth maradona still wanna hired some1 with such bad record in managing his previous team as his assistant?? maradona himself already dun hav much experience in coaching and yet he still hired some1 with such bad record as his assistant???

Finally maradona got his MONSTER

Maradona aims to restore pride

Diego Maradona, making the biggest comeback of his rollercoaster career since the 1994 FIFA World Cup™, was set to take his first training session as Argentina coach at Celtic Park on Monday. Imbuing his protégés with a sense of what it means to wear the Argentina shirt was his priority as he faced his debut against Scotland in a friendly at Hampden Park on Wednesday with minimal coaching experience under his belt.

Looking back at his matches for Argentina, particularly when he inspired them to world glory in 1986, Maradona said: "Today (the players) can have a guide who will tell them what the shirt is about. "I hope (the story) finishes in the same way (in South Africa in 2010). For now we're taking it step by step," he told Argentine reporters on Sunday night following his arrival in Glasgow from Buenos Aires.

Unhappy with the attitude he saw in the team in their last match under former coach Alfio Basile, a 1-0 defeat in a FIFA World Cup qualifier away to Chile, Maradona said: "I haven't got the working time to ask for anything more. I just have to throw the team onto the pitch and the change in attitude is what is going to make this national team change."

Maradona, whose comeback at the 1994 finals in the United States ended prematurely after a second suspension in three years for drug use, had brief, spells as a club coach a decade ago. His appointment to succeed Basile, who resigned after the Chile defeat, was met with more apprehension than joy but his diehard fans believe he can inspire Argentina to a third FIFA World Cup victory.

Looking beyond Wednesday's friendly, Maradona underlined the importance to the side of Lionel Messi and Juan Roman Riquelme despite their absence in Glasgow. "Messi will do a bit of everything. I liked his last match as a passer (of the ball), not always wanting to finish the move himself, carrying the move and making someone else finish. That's the Messi I want," he said.

"The (number) 10? I'll surely give it to Roman, for all he represents, for the team's style, the dead ball (situations), for everything he shows in every match he plays."


cant wait for maradona debut match.....

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Added on November 19, 2008, 10:51 amThere will a delayed broadcast for the match between scotland between argentina

20 Nov 0550 Scotland vs Argentina (Delayed) astro channel 811



This post has been edited by GrandElf: Nov 19 2008, 10:51 AM

ah man delayed broadcast...
6am in the morning...

Classy Maxi winner for Maradona

A Maxi Rodriguez goal after eight minutes against Scotland at Hampden gave Diego Maradona victory in his first game in charge of Argentina.

Allan McGregor made a great save from Argentina skipper Javier Mascherano before Rodriguez finished off a fine move by sliding the ball past the Scotland keeper from close range.

The South Americans, slick and speedy at times, appeared to ease off after their blistering start but still dominated most of the match, leaving the Scots looking for their first friendly win at the national stadium since 1996.

Most of the attention before the game was on Maradona, who returned to Glasgow for the first time since he scored his first goal for Argentina in a 3-1 friendly win at Hampden in 1979.

The former Napoli and Barcelona superstar was given a huge roar of approval from the Tartan Army, mostly for his 'Hand of God' goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.

There was a minute's silence for former Scotland manager Ian McColl and Pedro Pompilio, the President of Boca Juniors and First Vice President of the Argentinian Football Association, who both passed away in recent weeks.

Maradona must have been pleased when the action started as the visitors produced an opening 10 minutes of breathtaking football after which they were ahead and cruising.

Defender Martin Demichelis headed a Joan Gutierrez corner just past the post after a minute.

Five minutes later, with the South Americans in complete control, McGregor was forced into a fabulous save from Mascherano's long-range volley.

Argentina scored the opener with another fine move that split open the Scotland defence.

The tireless Carlos Tevez picked up the ball on the right-hand side of the box, slipping it to Gutierrez, whose short, first-time pass put Rodriguez in and the Atletico Madrid player clinically slid the ball past McGregor from close range.

In the 19th minute, with no change in the pattern of play, Tevez sent Ezequiel Lavezzi through on goal with a slide-rule pass and McGregor had to block the angled shot from close range with his feet.

It looked as if it was going to be a long night for George Burley's side but at the other end moments later, with Scotland's first attempt on goal, James McFadden's shot from a Kris Commons' cross was blocked for a corner by Demichelis, which the visitors survived.

However, Argentina bared their teeth again in the 35th minute when defender Javier Zanetti raced down the right and cut the ball back to Tevez, who had time to take a touch on the edge of the box before blazing over the bar.

Then five minutes from the break, some hesitation from Demichelis inside the Argentina penalty area as he ushered the ball back to his keeper allowed McFadden to rob him but the Birmingham striker's low drive was too weak to bother Juan Pablo Carrizo.

Chris Iwelumo, ineffective in the first 45 minutes, was replaced by Aberdeen striker Lee Miller at the interval and he was given time to ease himself into the game as the visitors failed to replicate their opening salvo.

But in the 51st minute, after Scotland tried unsuccessfully to pass their way out of defence, Lavezzi drove over the bar from just inside the box.

It was indicative of the South Americans' more casual approach to the game, although there was still the occasional shaft of skill to light up proceedings, provided by Tevez in the 58th minute when he burst forward with pace only to once again drive over.

Argentina dropped the tempo and Scotland sensed there was a way back but there appeared to be a lack of cutting edge to the home side's play.

In the 70th minute, Miller passed up a great chance to equalise when he headed a corner from substitute Shaun Maloney, on for Paul Hartley, past the post from around six yards out.

Three minutes later, after McManus had fouled Demichelis 25 yards from goal, Gabriel Heinze curled a free-kick two yards over the bar.

The game petered out and the Scottish fans in the 32,492 crowd left the ground perhaps grateful the visitors had not registered a more convincing win.


Yea....1st win for Maradona......sweet victory......there's also a new leftback making his debut for argentina......emiliano papa....hope he will improved in the future......good perfromance from the argies........



This post has been edited by GrandElf: Nov 20 2008, 08:53 AM

First match and come with first win..
But still too early to judge him...
Let see what will going on....

how Jonas performance at those match?
does him and collochini are regular player for first eleven of Argentina?

i nvr see him play at international level b4...just club only

jonas performance was great......the goal scored by maxi was assist by him.....coloccini didn play tat day.....tat day their CB was heinze n demechelis.......

so he plays at RW...?
who else play at those position..Riquelme?

This post has been edited by THE ZUL: Nov 22 2008, 06:53 PM

nope...jonas play as LW.....RW is maxi rodriguez.....riquelme is playing as CM.......btw our next match will eb against the French.....a real test for maradona.......

hope we will see the best match today...cmon Argentina...

argentina match here
http://onlinetribunn.tr.gg/argentina.htm

Good goal by Gutierrez, but I think the pitch made the ball too bouncy for Mandanda. Gutierrez was a bit lucky in scoring his first international goal.

messi is really on fire.....scoring goal for fun tis season......i have high hope to c Argentina lift a major trophy in the near future........

I missed this match. Coz I tune to other match. So how was the performance? Heard Messi was so great, and yet he revealed that he didn't performed as good as he did at Barca. Wonder why he said like that.

This post has been edited by matyrze: Feb 12 2009, 01:07 PM

Watched the match, Messi played good as usual, but not his best performance, even though he did score a goal in the end. Maybe he's expecting more from his team mates like Aguerro whom didnt do as good. I think this new team under Maradona would take some time to build chemistry but they're on the way there.

France played good also, they keep the ball most on the first half. Should they get the penalty before Gutierrez scored, could have changed the course of the game.

Anyway, im glad Argentina won the game. I hope they can win World Cup next year, its been way overdue since 1986.

Maradona tells striker Crespo to leave Inter


Argentina boss Diego Maradona has named Hernan Crespo in his provisional squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, but told the striker he should leave Inter Milan if he wants to stay a part of his plans.
Click here

Crespo has been a peripheral figure at the San Siro since the arrival of boss Jose Mourinho in the summer and Maradona revealed he has advised the 33-year-old to quit Inter in the summer or risk losing his place in the national team.

"Crespo does not play in Inter and I have told him to leave the club in June," Maradona revealed. "I told him: 'Get out of there and play, Hernan. Put me in an awkward position.'"

Maradona named two new names in his 26-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia at the end of the month, with defender Juan Forlin and goalkeeper Federico Vilar called up.

Forlin, 20, had been named in a domestic-based training squad in December, but will join the national team for the first time ahead of Venezuela's visit to Buenos Aires on March 28.

"When I was told that I had a chance to join the national squad I was very proud," Forlin told TyC sports television network.

"I want to work closely with the boss and I will play wherever he needs me to."

Following Juan Roman Riquelme's decision to quit the national team earlier this week, Maradona admitted he has endured arguably the toughest week of his time in charge of the national team.

Riquelme revealed on Tuesday that he would not play for Argentina again while Maradona was in charge, claiming his decision had been prompted by a "difference in principals" with his national team boss.

The Boca Juniors playmaker also said he had been disappointed Maradona had not contacted him last month when he was left out of the squad that played France in a friendly.

"I do not regret anything at all. I sleep great," Maradona told Clarin newspaper.

"I know I did things correctly, but it makes me sad that I will not be able to count on Riquelme.

"Everything is so weird. I do not know what he was told. I called him five times, I phoned him from my home. I left him several messages and he never answered."

Maradona has since admitted it is a blow to lose Riqueleme's influential talents in midfield, but has put his confidence in Independiente's Daniel Montenegro to fill his shoes.

He added: "I like having a playmaker and Riquelme fitted that role perfectly, but we have Montenegro. He will wear the number 10 shirt."

Maradona denied he thought of leaving his post during this week's controversy, saying the talent of his squad ensured he would remain.

"It is very hard to be the national squad boss, but I never though of resigning," he said.

"Why not? Because of (Javier) Mascherano, (Martin) Demichelis, (Sergio Aguero) Kun, Leo (Messi), (Juan) Carrizo, (Javier) Zanetti and (Emiliano) Papa.

"Nobody will force me to leave because I have my players. It took me so long to get this job and I enjoy it because I know that I have a team of men.

"The fact that one soldier has fallen does not mean the whole team does not still stand strong."

Argentina currently sit third in the South American World Cup qualification table, seven points behind leaders Paraguay.

They host Venezuela in Buenos Aires on March 28 before travelling to La Paz to play Bolivia three days later.

Argentina squad: Juan Carrizo (Lazio), Mariano Andujar (Estudiantes La Plata), Federico Vilar (Atlante); Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Emiliano Papa (Velez Sarsfield), Gabriel Heinze (Real Madrid), Daniel Diaz (Getafe), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), Juan Forlin (Boca Juniors), Marcos Angeleri (Estudiantes La Plata), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich); Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle United), Sebastian Battaglia (Boca Juniors), Luis Gonzalez (Porto), Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes La Plata), Angel Di Maria (Benfica), Daniel Montenegro (Independiente); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), Carlos Tevez (Manchester United), Lisandro Lopez (Porto), Diego Milito (Genoa), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli).


The international match is back......hope that we will do well against venezuela and bolivia in our qualifying game.......

This post has been edited by GrandElf: Mar 19 2009, 09:54 AM

Why want to speak about Crespo. Just give Lavezzi more chances laa.

becoz crespo is still deadly in front of goal......after the retirement of batistuta, he is our top scorer for argentina......n u can c he still effective in front of goal when he came on for inter tat day in a serie a match n score in tat match........maybe maradona wanna give him somemore chances........

5-1 now to bolivia