Copa America Centenario 2016

[lxmmy]

All of that means nothing with the national team where he has always managed to derp at the most crucial moments.
Some players do great playing for their football clubs...but that's where they should stay.

Well obviously all the players are included in the squad because of their potential at club level. Him, Aguero and Dybala are the only people who I would start in the central role.

 

[OZZYGT]

inb4 Venezuela beats us and tons of "you wish you were Argenzuela now" memes sprout out.

Yep. I actually I would have wanted Argentina to face Mexico. That would have been a great match to watch.

Higuaín is pretty good, though. It's Agüero who should go, thankfully Tévez is out already (based Martino following Sabella's footsteps), but Agüero (just like Di María) always managed to be on an extremely low level in the national team.

People always remember the miss against Germany and against Chile. What they don't seem to remember is that we had TWO clear chances against Germany*, and nothing else. And Chile, well, thanks Di María for getting injured minutes into the final, and Banega missed his penalty as well, so...

*ironically people praise Romero for his one good match in the Selección (against Netherlands), but he totally gave away the goal to Götze.

But you said it: Higuain is pretty good. And I think that's all he is with the national team.

I think Higuain can be an excellent player just like he was with River Plate, then Real and now he's killing it at Napoli. But for some reason, his hustle with Argentina just isn't tough enough.. And he's got no excuse! He is basically the striker by default, no real competition from Agüero (who's always been the number two choice for striker btw) and he has incredible midfielders assisting him with clear passes which he manages to waste! And I'm not even talking about that horrendous penalty vs Chile. More specifically this video below:


My first reaction was "oh well, the play was too fast and he was too late to make the goal; can't be blamed" but if you look closely, at 0:24 specifically, when Messi passed to Lavezzi, Higuian slowed down! That's why he was late to Lavezzi's pass. He probably thought "why should I hustle, the pass isn't for me anyways"; when he realized Lavezzi had to cross he started running fast again, but heh... By that time it was too late....ARG could have been reigning champions by now.

Now that's just a small example of how he just does not hustle! There's so many other games I can recall. He drives me nuts!

Tevez is old, he can be quite selfish and stubborn sometimes, but man that guy is a real pusher! He harasses the full backs when they have the ball and is always running back to help defend if he has to. I just think that Martino should think about alternatives. Dybala is one of them. Argentina isn't certainly lacking in the attacking department.

Well obviously all the players are included in the squad because of their potential at club level. Him, Aguero and Dybala are the only people who I would start in the central role.

Again, doesn't mean anything when playing for the country. If you don't believe me, ask Brazil's David Luiz, Ramires and well, everyone except Neymar, Spain's Diego Costa, Peru's Pizzarro, Poland's Lewandowski, Colombia's Falcao & Jackson Martinez , and the whole team of Belgium while you're at it....

 

[lxmmy]

Yep. I actually I would have wanted Argentina to face Mexico. That would have been a great match to watch.



But you said it: Higuain is pretty good. And I think that's all he is with the national team.

I think Higuain can be an excellent player just like he was with River Plate, then Real and now he's killing it at Napoli. But for some reason, his hustle with Argentina just isn't tough enough.. And he's got no excuse! He is basically the striker by default, no real competition from Agüero (who's always been the number two choice for striker btw) and he has incredible midfielders assisting him with clear passes which he manages to waste! And I'm not even talking about that horrendous penalty vs Chile. More specifically this video below:


My first reaction was "oh well, the play was too fast and he was too late to make the goal; can't be blamed" but if you look closely, at 0:24 specifically, when Messi passed to Lavezzi, Higuian slowed down! That's why he was late to Lavezzi's pass. He probably thought "why should I hustle, the pass isn't for me anyways"; when he realized Lavezzi had to cross he started running fast again, but heh... By that time it was too late....ARG could have been reigning champions by now.

Now that's just a small example of how he just does not hustle! There's so many other games I can recall. He drives me nuts!

Tevez is old, he can be quite selfish and stubborn sometimes, but man that guy is a real pusher! He harasses the full backs when they have the ball and is always running back to help defend if he has to. I just think that Martino should think about alternatives. Dybala is one of them. Argentina isn't certainly lacking in the attacking department.


Again, doesn't mean anything when playing for the country. If you don't believe me, ask Brazil's David Luiz, Ramires and well, everyone except Neymar, Spain's Diego Costa, Peru's Pizzarro, Poland's Lewandowski, Colombia's Falcao & Jackson Martinez , and the whole team of Belgium while you're at it....

Firstly did I say anything about how they perform at international level but I was responding to why Higuain was picked for the national team.

And how was that a horrible miss when he was stretching for it. I have been in many situations like that when it looks quite easy for people watching but when you are risking pulling a groin or hamstring then you aren't going to fully commit to it. And strikers are meant to time their runs so could explain Higuains slowing down because you may know about the offside rule.

 

[OZZYGT]

Firstly did I say anything about how they perform at international level but I was responding to why Higuain was picked for the national team.

Yep, I think everybody knows that. It is OBVIOUS that he was chosen because of his numbers. Does that make it a good decision by Martino though? Absolutely not. So therefore, it is irrelevant how he performs at a club level.

And how was that a horrible miss when he was stretching for it. I have been in many situations like that when it looks quite easy for people watching but when you are risking pulling a groin or hamstring then you aren't going to fully commit to it. And strikers are meant to time their runs so could explain Higuains slowing down because you may know about the offside rule.

Hahaha! You mean to tell me, a striker will time his pace minding the offside rule, when he's about 7 METERS from the Chilean's defense line???
Have you ever played or watched football before??
And what is that load about "pulling a hamstring"!!?? Are you serious? If that's the case then what kind of player are you? Why are you even on the field of you Don't wanna give it all?

 

[lxmmy]

Have you ever played or watched football before??

I think I played enough after playing for District/County for many years and you could say I watch a bit of football.

Copa America isn't regarded as the biggest of tournaments and you are in the middle of the transfer window with many speculation you are going to move to a bigger club then you definitely don't want create a situation where you risk failing a medical so yes they may not give it all.

But thinking about it I'm wrong because I'm talking to a football expert here....

 

[OZZYGT]

I think I played enough after playing for District/County for many years and you could say I watch a bit of football.

Copa America isn't regarded as the biggest of tournaments and you are in the middle of the transfer window with many speculation you are going to move to a bigger club then you definitely don't want create a situation where you risk failing a medical so yes they may not give it all.

But thinking about it I'm wrong because I'm talking to a football expert here....

Oh I'm no "football expert" for sure, but I know a ludicrous statement when I see one.
But hey, maybe it's a thing of cultures; see in Argentina, if you are caught saying to a reporter "I didn't run as fast as I could cause I'm scared of an injury" you might as well leave the country or you'll be stoned to death. Idk how it is in other parts of the world... and let's forget about that point for a bit, just to think that Higuain is thinking about his possible contract money while playing the game, proves my point that he does not hustle enough and thus should not be in the team at all.
Do I need to remind you or show you other players ending with gashes on their head, literally busting their arse, selflessly sacrificing their bodies.to defend their country? If you would ever play for your country, I sure hope you would give it all. But hey, maybe not.

I only wish Higuain and Gago (who thank God is not playing) had Mascherano's spirit. He actually ripped his butt while trying to block Arjen Robben's shot in the last World Cup....

 

[lxmmy]

Oh I'm no "football expert" for sure, but I know a ludicrous statement when I see one.
But hey, maybe it's a thing of cultures; see in Argentina, if you are caught saying to a reporter "I didn't run as fast as I could cause I'm scared of an injury" you might as well leave the country or you'll be stoned to death. Idk how it is in other parts of the world... and let's forget about that point for a bit, just to think that Higuain is thinking about his possible contract money while playing the game, proves my point that he does not hustle enough and thus should not be in the team at all.
Do I need to remind you or show you other players ending with gashes on their head, literally busting their arse to defend their country? I think you know what I mean.

Again you mis-interpret my point. I talked about Higuain timing his run because of the offside rule not because he is risking an injury but when he is stretching for the ball which he knows he won't be able to get to and score then why should he risk an injury for a loss cause.

Absolutely not. So therefore, it is irrelevant how he performs at a club level.

Well it does when he has scored 38 goals last season. So it gives the manager a good reason to pick him because he has scored 38 goals last season.

Literally every footballer in this day and age is thinking about moving to a bigger club and rather not risk an injury in the Copa America to scupper a big money move.

 

[OZZYGT]

Again you mis-interpret my point. I talked about Higuain timing his run because of the offside rule

Yep, And I quoted you on my previous post about how ridiculous is to say that, when he is not even close to the last defender...

not because he is risking an injury

You literally said this:

when you are risking pulling a groin or hamstring then you aren't going to fully commit to it.

Are we talking in circles here? Or are you not remembering what you said 10 minutes ago?

Well it does when he has scored 38 goals last season. So it gives the manager a good reason to pick him because he has scored 38 goals last season.

Seems like you're having troubles grasping the concept here. He could have scored 1000 goals, If he chokes with the national team then he should not be called. I'm guessing you don't know the players I mentioned two posts ago? If you look them up, they have terrible performances with their national teams compared to how they perform at club level.

Literally every footballer in this day and age is thinking about moving to a bigger club and rather not risk an injury in the Copa America to scupper a big money move.

Thank you for telling me what every footballer thinks . Just don't tell that to all those unknown players who come into the spotlight and attract the interests of many clubs by playing on international championships like this one. by your logic, Ozil never gave his best at Wolsfburg before Real Madrid picked him up because, "hey Wolsfburg is not worth it". Same thing with Ronaldo at PSV or hell, even Cristiano Ronaldo at Sporting or ANY player at ANY lower class league....

 

[lxmmy]

Thank you for telling me what every footballer thinks . Just don't tell that to all those unknown players who come into the spotlight and attract the interests of many clubs by playing on international championships like this one. by your logic, Ozil never gave his best at Wolsfburg before Real Madrid picked him up because, "hey Wolsfburg is not worth it". Same thing with Ronaldo at PSV or hell, even Cristiano Ronaldo at Sporting or ANY player at ANY lower class league....

One thing is that Ozil never played for Wolfsburg. Again you have misinterpreted me, I have highlighted the Copa America as a cup which many players wouldn't take serious because you look at the teams they are competing against are not very highly seeded in the World rankings.

And please improve your grammar plus I recommend a read over before you post......

Edit: Higuain has scored 26 goals in 59 matches but as you say he "chokes" so he is rubbish even though he has a better goal/game ratio than Aguero and Tevez for Argentina.

 

[Lucas]

My first reaction was "oh well, the play was too fast and he was too late to make the goal; can't be blamed" but if you look closely, at 0:24 specifically, when Messi passed to Lavezzi, Higuian slowed down! That's why he was late to Lavezzi's pass. He probably thought "why should I hustle, the pass isn't for me anyways"; when he realized Lavezzi had to cross he started running fast again, but heh... By that time it was too late....ARG could have been reigning champions by now.

Now that's just a small example of how he just does not hustle! There's so many other games I can recall. He drives me nuts!

Come on, bro. Lavezzi's pass wasn't even that good. I've seen footballers miss much clearer chances than that one. If we criticize Higuaín for his run, we must criticize Lavezzi's for his' as well. We know Messi has a glove on his foot, if Lavezzi had sprinted towards goal Messi would have left him one-on-one with Bravo.

Regarding Tévez, he may "bother" the opponents, but he's useless. Higuaín can actually bother and recover the ball at the same time.

Tévez is quite possibly the most overrated footballer from Argentina, thanks to the media.

 

[OZZYGT]

One thing is that Ozil never played for Wolfsburg.

Werder Bremen, I was waaay off wasn't I?

Again you have misinterpreted me, I have highlighted the Copa America as a cup which many players wouldn't take serious because you look at the teams they are competing against are not very highly seeded in the World rankings.

Since you like to base your knowledge of which team is good and which isn't based on the WORLD RANKINGS
let's recap: Number one? Argentina, #3: Colombia, #5 Chile, #7 Brazil. England was in 10th the last time I checked.... Euro Cup is no harder than Copa America. The only respectable teams in Europe are Germany and Spain...sort of. But well, that's another topic.

And please improve your grammar plus I recommend a read over before you post......

Thanks for the recommendation! Specially since you like to selectively forget your own points and go around circles.

Edit: Higuain has scored 26 goals in 59 matches but as you say he "chokes" so he is rubbish even though he has a better goal/game ratio than Aguero and Tevez for Argentina.

Reading is hard for you isn't it? Didn't I say Agüero is always number two? You DO know that coming in as a substitute in the 78th minute still counts as a 'game played' right? And btw, Tevez is not even in our squad

I like your dedication to defend Higuain. It's just that we are such critics of our national team, that our standards are higher. He does excellent in Italy, but he is simply not the same man with the national team. I agree that he is a beast in Napoli, and so was Diego Costa at Atletico and Cavani in PSG. Some players though, are just not meant for national teams... And believe me I HOPE Higuain proves me wrong, but just like calling Gago for the last World Cup, our coaches seem to call players based on their names and not real dedication.


EDIT:

Tévez is quite possibly the most overrated footballer from Argentina, thanks to the media.

And thanks to the fact that he plays for Boca

 

[Lucas]

It's just that we are such critics of our national team, that our standards are higher.

I have to disagree. This is the average "standards" of the people and the argentine press:

- Argentina beats 5-0 some lowly rival: "INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE", "AMAZING TEAM".
- Argentina loses 1-0 against some lowly rival: "SHAMEFUL", "WORST TEAM EVER".
- Messi scores a hat-trick: "MESSI BEST PLAYER EVER."
- Messi doesn't score: "WHAT HAPPENED TO MESSI".

I'm guessing it's pretty much the same everywhere, but the standards of our country are downright awful. Best part of it is Hernán Castillo (sports journalist) claiming we should buy champagne ahead of our celebration against Chile in the Copa América final of last year.

You can guess how that went...

And thanks to the fact that he plays for Boca

Quite possibly.

 

[OZZYGT]

Best part of it is Hernán Castillo (sports journalist) claiming we should buy champagne ahead of our celebration against Chile in the Copa América final of last year.

You can guess how that went...



Quite possibly.

But... But... If it wasn't for Higuain, we could have done just that!!

Ok ok I'll drop it

 

[Lucas]

But... But... If it wasn't for Higuain, we could have done just that!!

Ok ok I'll drop it

I understand you are upset, I was upset as well (well, not really, I kind of wanted Chile to win). But we can't blame a player for a few chances missed. Otherwise, Messi should be out of the NT by now. Just like Messi plays very good most of the time, Higuaín plays good most of the time too.

 

[lxmmy]

Euro Cup is no harder than Copa America. The only respectable teams in Europe are Germany and Spain...sort of. But well, that's another topic.

This is one of the most funniest things I have read.

So I have proved Higuain is still the best striker for Argentina statistically and you really want to question the standard of football in the Copa is at the same level of the EURO's.

 

[OZZYGT]

I kind of wanted Chile to win

Looking back, I'm also not too disappointed we lost in penalties to Chile... Partly because the tournament was held..in Chile, and since they hadn't wont that many cups before, it was only right that they won that one. They play with an incredible passion. They totally ran over Spain in the WC and had quite the chance to beat Brazil if it wasn't for that crossbar.

Do you remember the days of Salas/Zamorano? I believe Bati was our striker at that time but I was fascinated with Chile's attack at that time!

 

[sumbrownkid]

Well USA made it to the Semis but the story ends against Argentina. Unless somehow Trump deports them.

 

[OZZYGT]

Well USA made it to the Semis but the story ends against Argentina. Unless somehow Trump deports them.

Relevant
The last phrase translates to 'Truth is, the best they can do is to not let us in'

 

[Lucas]

Peru and Colombia playing now. Wow, Sánchez is kill.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

This game is a hell of a dogfight. I'm honestly shocked nobody has scored yet (at the time of my post).

 

[Lucas]

Colombia advances to the next round through penalties.

Now it's:

- United States vs Argentina or Venezuela
- Colombia vs Chile or Mexico

My predictions:

- United States vs Argentina: Argentina
- Colombia vs Chile: Colombia

 

[DK]

The funny thing is, I had bets on Chile, Colombia and Mexico to either win or reach the final.

 

[OZZYGT]

The funny thing is, I had bets on Chile, Colombia and Mexico to either win or reach the final.

Well one of them will definitely reach the final!

Actually I wouldn't mind it if Mexico won this cup. They are playing excellent football right now and don't seem to panick when things don't go their way. The only ones who seem anxious sometimes are Chicharito and Layun. Everyone else play very organized and as a team. 👍

 

[lxmmy]

I'm gonna predict a Chile-Argentina final with Chile clinching it. Sanchez finding his form again with Vargas who also applies pressure on the back line on the right flank but as long Aranguiz and Vidal can act as the midfield controllers to protect the ragged defence.

 

[CinnamonOD]

Well one of them will definitely reach the final!

Actually I wouldn't mind it if Mexico won this cup. They are playing excellent football right now and don't seem to panick when things don't go their way. The only ones who seem anxious sometimes are Chicharito and Layun. Everyone else play very organized and as a team. 👍

Chicharito is about to break the NT's goal record of 40-something goals so he's trying too hard.

 

[OZZYGT]

Chicharito is about to break the NT's goal record of 40-something goals so he's trying too hard.

Is Giovanni Dos Santos playing too?

 

[lxmmy]

Is Giovanni Dos Santos playing too?

He hasn't been selected.

 

[Lucas]

Argentina through to the final after beating Venezuela 4-1. Higuaín x2, Messi (matching Batistuta's Argentina goalscoring record), and Lamela.

 

[Liquid]

 

[OZZYGT]

Argentina through to the final after beating Venezuela 4-1. Higuaín x2, Messi (matching Batistuta's Argentina goalscoring record), and Lamela.

Semifinal