Snak

Aimar no cierra la puerta de River

BUENOS AIRES -- El mediocampista cordobés Pablo César Aimar le volvió a abrir el sábado la puerta a River Plate al manifestar que la "oportunidad de regresar" siempre está, en días en los que parecía que el Payasito no retornaría a la Argentina.

"Estoy de vacaciones largas. Pienso mucho en el futuro y me gustaría volver a la Argentina. La oportunidad de regresar a River siempre está. Es lindo que te llamen de un lugar donde ya estuviste. Eso significa que uno dejó un buen recuerdo", expresó el riocuartense.

El estratega se mostró a gusto con el llamado que recibió e la dirigencia millonaria y lo evidenció desde Chicago, Estados Unidos, donde formará parte de un partido exhibición junto a Lionel Messi y otras figuras del mundo futbolístico.

Por otro lado, el jugador que culminó recientemente un vínculo de cinco años con el Benfica de Portugal agradeció los llamados de Belgrano y Estudiantes, quienes también lo consultaron para contar con sus servicios.

"Valoro mucho el interés de River, así como también los llamados de Belgrano y de Estudiantes. Incluso, sé que hay algo del exterior. Voy a evaluar bien qué es lo que hago en los próximos días. Ya no tomo decisiones por mí solo. Tengo una familia numerosa y la decisión afecta a todos", resaltó.

Agente: "Ramón se va a molestar"

BUENOS AIRES -- El DT Ramón Díaz "se va a molestar" por la demora en la llegada de las incorporaciones para el plantel de River Plate, alertó el sábado su representante, Adrián Castellanos, a dos días de la vuelta al trabajo.
El agente aseguró que el riojano "quiere empezar la pretemporada con la mayoría de los refuerzos" que le solicitó al presidente Daniel Passarella, quien permanece en Europa con la intención de recaudar dinero para satisfacer esos pedidos.

"Si los refuerzos no le llegan, Ramón se va a molestar", enfatizó Castellanos, quien colabora en las gestiones a pedido del entrenador "sin que a River le salga un peso".

Ramón volvió este sábado de sus vacaciones en Miami y el lunes, cuando el plantel retome las prácticas en el predio del club en Ezeiza, no tendrá ninguna cara nueva.

De momento, todas las negociaciones permanecen estacadas, aunque Castellanos aseguró en radio La Red, que la relación entre Díaz y Passarella "está muy bien".

El presidente regresará de Europa el jueves con una proyección de ingresos que será el factor condicionante para el desempeño en el mercado de pases.

En su periplo por el Viejo Continente, Passarella espera recaudar dinero por la venta de Lucas Ocampos al Mónaco en julio del año pasado y un monto por derechos de formación del colombiano Radamel Falcao García, que pasó del Atlético de Madrid al club del principado.

Además, confía en cerrar las transferencias del defensor Eder Alvarez Balanta y el delantero Rogelio Funes Mori.

Con esos ingresos, River deberá cumplir alguno de los pedidos de Ramón: los defensores Martín Demichelis, Iván Pillud y Lucas Orban; los mediocampistas Carlos Carbonero, Osmar Ferreyra (hay acuerdo de palabra) y Jonathan Fabbro más dos delanteros.

Otro tema pendiente para la dirigencia es asegurar la continuidad del volante central Cristian Ledesma, un jugador indispensable para el riojano.

River, con el torneo Inicial y la Copa Sudamericana como objetivos del próximo semestre, retomará los entrenamientos el lunes en Ezeiza y una semana después viajará a Salta para intensificar la pretemporada hasta el miércoles 24.

Canada turns to youth at Gold Cup

OXNARD, California -- With Canada not participating in the CONCACAF hexagonal for World Cup qualifying, the Gold Cup is a perfect competition for interim coach Colin Miller to assess and begin to retool the team for the 2018 qualifying tournament and other competitions. Miller has decided to drop some of the "old guard players" such as 35-year-old midfielder-forward and captain Dwayne De Rosario, Canada´s all-time leading goal-scorer (20 goals in 73 international appearances) and give some younger talent some experience in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The only player over 30-years-old on the 23-man roster is midfielder Julian De Guzman, 32, as the rest of the squad is composed of international veterans and players in their earlier twenties.

Taking over the captaincy will be midfielder Will Johnson, 26, who has earned 32 caps and scored three goals.

The Canadians, who have participated in 10 of 11 previous Gold Cups, have experienced the highest of highs and, at times, disappointment.

They are the only country other than the United States and Mexico to win the continental competition, taking home the trophy with a 2-0 win over invited side Colombia in the final. They reached the knockout round via a coin-toss tie-breaker with the Republic of Korea and stunned three-time defending champion Mexico in the quarterfinals, 2-1, on a goal by Richard Hastings. The Maple Leafs swept the major awards as goalkeeper Craig Forrest earned MVP honors, while Carlo Corazzin won the Golden Boot. The Canadians also finished third at the 2002 tourney and were eliminated in the semifinals by the U.S. in 2007.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Canadians were eliminated from the opening round of the 2011 tournament on Luis Tejada´s stoppage-time goal by eventual semifinalist Panama, 1-1. De Rosario had scored Canada´s lone goal. In fact, De Rosario tallied both of Canada´s goal in three games in that competition. After De Rosario suffered a knee injury last year, the Canadians´ chances of reaching the CONCACAF hexagonal were severely dented.

Goal-scoring long has been the Maple Leafs´ main concern. They certainly can knock the ball around with the best of them, but when it comes time to shoot, outside of De Rosario, finding a consistent scorer has been a challenge.

The players on the team selected by Miller for Gold Cup have recorded 22 international goals in total. Forward Simeon Jackson tops the list with six tallies.

The Maple Leafs kick-off the Gold Cup against Martinique in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Sunday and take on Mexico in Seattle on July 11. They will have any opportunity to exact some sporting revenge on Panama at Sports Authority Field in Denver, Colo. on July 14, the final opening-round Group A encounter.

Johnson earns his captain stripes for Canada

PASADENA, CA -- It is a moment you probably can’t find on Youtube.

Canada’s Will Johnson was pumping his fist in celebration after winning a corner kick in the dying stages of a World Cup qualifying match in Havana in June last year. A 10-man Canada was holding on to a 1-0 lead against Cuba when Johnson made the play that helped wind down the clock and preserve the win last year.

The play doesn’t immediately scream out spectacular but it could be the epitome of the type of player Johnson has become. The 26-year-old has proven to his teammates that he is a trustworthy, hard-working player. His guile and his rapidly increasing offensive output have made him a team leader. Johnson will wear the team captain arm band during the CONCACAF Gold Cup. His first match as captain will be Sunday when Canada takes on Martinique in Group A action at the Rose Bowl at 8 p.m. ET.

“It’s an honor,” Johnson said of becoming Canada’s captain.

“It’s a big responsibility but it is something I enjoy.”
Johnson is no stranger to the Gold Cup. This will be his third consecutive competition. He and his teammates are looking to bounce back from a rough outing during World Cup qualifying. Canada failed to reach the hexagonal round. Johnson and company will have to do it with a crop of young players, eight of them who will be looking to make their debut with the first team.

“We need to establish a new generation of players,” Johnson said. “There is a pool of young guys, they’ve gathered the greatest young talents that we have in the country and put them all together on a team to try to give them an opportunity and some experience for the future.”

And he has a message for his teammates.

“My message is always the same: no matter what we do, we always have to compete," Johnson said. "Just because we are young it doesn’t mean we can’t go out there and compete, fight and win. It all has to start with the right attitude. I take great pride in being a good pro and hopefully that carries over to some of the younger guys.”

Johnson tries to lead by example. He has proven to be a young experienced player, having played on Canada’s Under-20 and U-23 teams. He made his debut with the senior team in 2005. He has 33 caps and three goals, two of them coming in World Cup qualifiers against Saint Lucia and Cuba.

Johnson said he wants to have another shot at trying to help his team reach the World Cup. The Toronto native said that his days of playing in World Cup qualifiers were not over. For now, he plans to try and lead his Gold Cup teammates to favorable results.

He is no stranger to being a standout on the field while helping his club reach desired results. After he was traded by Real Salt Lake, Johnson has contributed to the Portland Timbers´ growth within Major League Soccer this season a year after the team entered the league as an expansion franchise in 2012.

“I’ve landed in a great situation in Portland – a fantastic soccer city with fans that are second-to-none in North America,” said Johnson, who also is Portland’s captain.

Johnson said he is living a similar situation with Canada, a squad that is trying to set an identity as it tries to mesh younger players with a handful of veterans.

“We need to be able to blend those two pieces of Canadian identity,” Johnson said. “We need to fight and be hard to beat but we also have enough talent that it will come through and produce some results.”

U-20 VM

Uruguay slog som forventet de overhypede Spanierne ud af VM turneringen..

http://www.youtube.com/w…ME_YYdPDmp4


U-20 World Cup: Uruguay eliminates Spain for a spot in the semifinals

Uruguay, with a decisive goal from Felipe Avenatti in extra time, beat Spain 1-0 in the quarterfinals. Uruguay is returning to the semifinals fourteen years after they came in fourth in 1999.

Uruguay´s rival on Wednesday in Trebisonda, for a spot in the final, will be either Iraq or South Korea who face each other on Sunday.

Avenatti´s goal came in the 103rd minute, just five minutes after he had entered the game. Avenatti used his height to head home from a corner and beat Ruben Yanez, Spain´s backup goalie who replaced Daniel Sotres, who suffered a blow to the nose.

It will be the fifth time for Uruguay in the penultimate round of this tournament and the goal now is to make it to their second final following in the footsteps of the runner-up team in Malaysia, in 1997.

The Uruguayan team is showing the huge potential of its young talent, as well as the team that everyone picked to be the winner of this tournament. They are the only team who have won all four of their games.

Spain and Julen Lopetegui again crash into the quarterfinal wall, as they did two years ago in Colombia when they were overtaken in that round by Brazil in a penalty shootout. Spain has not reached the semifinals for a decade when they were runners-up with a young Andres Iniesta.


REVANCHA JUVENIL

URUGUAY 1 vs 0 ESPAÑA

Uruguay pasa a las semifinales del Mundial juvenil Sub20 Turquía 2013. Los celestes tomaron la ventaja tras un gol de Felipe Avenatti en el primer chico del alargue, con un gran golpe de cabeza.

En los 90 minutos reglamentarios, los charrúas buscaron el gol por donde pudieron. Gran conducción de balón de Georgian de Arrascaeta, buena lectura de juego de N. López, buena contención de Cristóforo y Gino en el centro de la cancha. La defensa se destacó por sus constantes cierres y se mostraron muy seguros ante los ataques españoles. Varela por derecha aplastó el juego de Jesé Rodríguez (figura del ataque español, con 5 goles en el campeonato) y también controló a Gerard Deulofeu (delantero del F.C. Barcelona). El nuevo futbolista del Manchester United se retiró acalambrado en los últimos minutos del encuentro y fue sustituído por Velázquez.

Uruguay impuso la garra charrúa, cerró todas las pelotas y todos los ataques. España manejó el balón pero en definitiva fue Uruguay el encargado de cerrar los huecos con una gran defensa y un mediocampo consistente.

Los celestes complicaron en varias ocasiones a los zagueros españoles y las figuras del rival fueron dominadas básicamente por J.M. Giménez, G. Varela y Gianni Rodríguez.

Cabe destacar la gran labor defensiva llevada a cabo por Guillermo De Amores en el arco, tapó cada uno de los remates españoles dirigidos entre los tres palos. Fue figura en el arco, incluso salvó un gol en la misma línea del arco.

Gran partido de Uruguay, merecida victoria.

El mejor jugador celeste fue José María Giménez, destacando su labor defensiva y destacando su gran visión de campo a la hora de lanzar pases largos y ordenados.

Uruguay espera el rival entre Irak o Corea del Sur, que se medirán el domingo por el otro partido de los cuartos de final.

Chile tries against the unpredictable Ghana for a semifinal berth

Two times in previous tournaments they managed to reach the penultimate round, as host in 1987 and in their last appearance, in Canada in 2007.

The semifinals are a historical ceiling that this generation led by Mario Salas wants to break. But before that they must concentrate on their tough match against Ghana, a country that is used to getting good results and knows how to win a title, which they did in Egypt in 2009.

The ´Little Black Stars´ come to this match as one of the surprises of the round by taking down the current runners-up Portugal that had been one of the best teams.

"The game against Ghana will be possibly the most complicated we´ve had in this World Cup. It´s the most important. We should only think about that," said coach Mario Salas in a press conference on Saturday.

The Chileans will again put their trust in striker Nicolas Castillo, the star in the round of 16 match against Croatia (2-0).

Midfielder Bryan Rabello will be returning to the team after being suspended against the Balkans. However, Sebastian Martinez will not be available for accumulation of yellow cards.

Ghana has often done well at the U-20 World Cup, where they have made it to the quarterfinals in their six appearances. In the past five tournaments they made it to the semifinals four times and three times to the final.

Until now the only time the two teams have meant in a World Cup was in the 1993 U-17 WC, where Ghana won 3-0.

The match will take place at the Ali Sami Yen Arena in Istanbul, the venue for the final to be played on Saturday the 13th. It is the stadium that local club Galatasaray uses.

Tabarez: the explanation that dares not speak its name

Throughout these strange last 18 months of Uruguayan football, Oscar Washington Tabarez has cut a sad, diminished figure. La Celeste’s most successful coach since the 1950s, who first guided his country to a historic modern era breakthrough in South Africa, then bestrode the Copa America like a colossus, putting rival manager after rival manager in his pocket, has become almost unrecognizable; as, all too often, has his team.


But then, all any football team ever amounts to is an extension of its coach’s personality: and the qualities of calm and humility preached by El Maestro, which served the side so well for so long, have been superseded by ultra-conservatism, over-reliance on aging players, and a kind of sleepwalking complacency which has left Uruguay still with much to do in order to return to the World Cup Finals next year.

At times, Tabarez’ decisions (or rather, non-decisions) have been so baffling, so incomprehensible, so inert, that it’s been impossible to avoid asking the question, ‘why?’ What has happened to this once outstanding leader? How can he continually fail to see things which the rest of us can, and have been remarking on with increasing frustration for well over a year now?

Before extra time on Sunday, the cameras zoned in on the Celeste players, together in a circle. In the middle stood El Maestro: talking, cajoling, seeking to motivate them for the task ahead. But for all the world, it appeared as though they weren’t listening, weren’t paying attention; in other words, that he’s lost so much respect amongst them in recent times that they’ve simply tuned him out.

The subsequent introduction of Diego Perez – who, standing on the touchline, looked almost as embarrassed as the rest of his onlooking compatriots – against exhausted Italian opponents there for the taking, yet who were not taken, even after being reduced to ten men, only further reinforced this impression. Respectable though Uruguay’s performances in this tournament may have been, they remain a shadow of the marauding, all for one adventurers they once were; above all, because Tabarez has lost the belief of his players.

Most of the time on these pages, we debate tactics, footballers, managers – but we forget almost entirely about real life. What I’m about to write gives me great discomfort: I do not do it or draw attention to it easily, because someone’s private life is precisely that. Private. Yet very often, private lives become so chaotic that they impact on someone’s ability to do their job – and that, I believe, is very much what has happened in the case of Tabarez: a very public figure.

In November 2011, reports surfaced of a horrifying incident involving Tabarez’ wife, Silvia Martinez, in Carrasco. While out walking, she had apparently been attacked by two men, who threw flammable liquid at her and caused 25% burns to her body. Eleven months beforehand, the former family maid, Natalia Gonzalez, was charged with using Tabarez’ credit cards to steal fully $500,000 over a period of some two years. Gonzalez was thrown into prison, and released only days before the apparent attack on Martinez. Naturally, she therefore became the police’s prime suspect.

Yet after interviewing Gonzalez and Martinez, the authorities appeared to discount the idea that the attack had occurred at all: hinting instead that Tabarez’ wife had caused the burns herself. And Uruguay’s coach would now find his personal life thrust firmly into the public spotlight. Gonzalez claimed that the money had been a gift from El Maestro, with whom she had had an affair; and after initially denying the latter, Tabarez was forced to admit its existence under oath in May 2012.

To make matters worse, scores of amorous text messages sent by Tabarez to Gonzalez during the period of their affair now found their way into the public domain; while Martinez opened a civil case against the former maid, and demanded that the money be repaid. All of this kept El Maestro’s very public embarrassment (not only had he had an affair, but he had originally lied about it, and the woman with whom he had had the liaison was now claiming she had been wrongly imprisoned as a result) continually in the news: something such a quiet, reserved man must have found extremely difficult.

Few coaches in world football have cultivated an image quite in the manner of Oscar Tabarez. How many football managers are devotees of Che Guevara, and have had academic articles published which discuss the economic and sociological reasons behind their nation’s failure to match the glories of the distant past? An eclectic, aesthetic, intellectual man, Tabarez speaks almost in whispers at press conferences: a sense of scholarly detachment always surrounding him.

Yet the saga involving his former maid, and indeed his wife, is almost completely at odds with this image. It has resulted in very considerable sympathy towards him from much of the Uruguayan public, and certainly its mass media; but naturally, also in much gossip, assumptions being formed, and judgements being cast. El Maestro is, in essence, a deeply private man – but there has been no place for him to hide while all this has been ongoing. It has been a scandal to set Montevidean tongues wagging.

In March, a civil court ordered that Gonzalez and her sister repay the money, and that a house they had bought with the proceeds be given back to Martinez. Yet the story will not go away; a simple search of gossip pages on the internet is testament to that. And more than that: when did the alleged attack on Tabarez’ wife occur? November 2011. When did his team begin its long decline, and when did he begin to exhibit the sense of paralyzed, rabbit in headlights helplessness which he has practically trademarked now? Almost immediately afterwards. It is not even that much of a stretch to conclude that one largely begat the other.

Many will read this and deem that I am making a mountain from a molehill. Certainly, I am unaware that anyone else has drawn such a clear connection between the scandal and the slump in La Celeste’s performances. But to look at Tabarez now is to look at someone who appears to have aged about 20 years in no time; he is a changed man. Perhaps even: a broken one. If so, it is impossible to envisage how he can ever recapture his old brio, his old vitality; and on that basis, it must be inevitable that the team will continue to suffer the consequences should he, as must at this point be assumed, remain at the helm.

In the case of all public figures, the gap between image and reality is often vast; and Tabarez is certainly not the first idol whose feet of clay have been revealed to the watching world. To err is human, to forgive divine; but the real question, which goes to the heart of both his demeanor and his ability to give of his best in this always demanding job, is whether he has forgiven himself.

Ze Final Offensive – Part 2.

http://www.lacelesteblog…funsive.jpg

The Confederations Tournament is over… Uruguay finished fourth by virtue of losing to Italy on penalties. Now the question is, what happens now? Glad you asked. What happens now is that the second part of Uruguay’s final offensive push to get into the 2014 World Cup officially starts.

But before that happens…

August 14 – Japan vs Uruguay

A meaningless friendly unofficially starts the Sky-Blues’ final offensive push. Meaningless is to put it politely, but come to think of it, is it meaningless? Japan gave Italy a bit of scare in their 4-3 Confederations Group loss to Italy. For Uruguay and for Tabárez, this match is picking up where things left off, another “Calcio” style match. Japan’s manager, Alberto Zaccheroni is a Serie-A lifer, he even coached Recoba but more importantly, he is the originator of one of OWT’s favorite tactical formations, the 3-4-3. Whereas Zaccheroni understands this formation as more offensive minded, as the removal of one defender in the back allows you to play with an extra midfielder, Tabárez sees the 3-4-3 as a chance to stick in an extra ball-winner at midfield. While the game will mean nothing when it’s all said and done, this first clash, positions Uruguay for what’s in store for Uruguay’s NT manager and La Celeste. Tense tactical battlegrounds.

September 6 – Peru vs Uruguay

This is it, either Uruguay is all-in or the inevitable gets pushed for a future date, possibly vs Ecuador or Argentina… what is the inevitable? Uruguay’s elimination. This will be the 4th and possibly last showdown between Tabárez and his one time master, Sergio Markarián. Markarián’s origin for getting into coaching is interesting. He saw Uruguay’s loss to Holland at the 1974 World Cup as a call to arms, that Uruguay who couldn’t get out of their own half, were tactically outdated. So he quit his job and undertook the long arduous road of becoming a football manager. Along the way, he coached Tabárez, whose playing career was coming to an end. So there is a bit of “Teacher vs Pupil” angle to this, who will prevail will be determined by who has the better prepared side come September.

Now on to the game… this is where Uruguay, with this squad, with this coach, can prove to the 3.5 million who live in Uruguay and the expat community that lives vicariously through the national team’s exploits that Uruguay is not dead but will fight tooth and nail to get in. Peru is working against not only a 32 year old World Cup drought, but against a sports culture that struggles to find itself in a professional/unprofessional environment. Uruguay despite all their troubles, the year that was 2012, has to win this match. 3 points are up for grab, but the question is can Uruguay pull the upset. And it will be an upset if they manage to win in Lima, against a Peru side that are still mathematically in it. A draw wouldn’t be all that bad here but a win takes away the pressure from having to secure a win in Quito.

Likelihood of a win?

In 2001, Uruguay under a caretaker coach, was able to go into Lima and get a 2-0 win. But since the 2006 Qualifiers, Uruguay hasn’t been able to come back from Lima with more than one point. It was a nil-all draw in 2005 and a 1-0 loss in 2009. Can the tide be reversed? This is where hopefully, somehow the Confederations Cup experience especially in the last two games against Brazil/Italy can come into play. Uruguay will need to be come out like gangbusters if they have any realistic hope of getting into the World Cup.

September 10 – Uruguay vs Colombia

Not an easy match but also not the most difficult match on the docket. Colombia is going to the World Cup. Their campaign improved dramatically under Pekerman – their 4-0 trashing of Uruguay at Barranquilla whether enabled by the heat or not proved they’re not a side to be taken lightly. Yet, coming into Montevideo, to play this match against a team starving for points is not exactly ideal for Colombia. Why? Colombia plays a Clásico with Ecuador just four days before they are to meet Uruguay. Supposing they win or draw against Ecuador, will they have enough energy left over to play against Uruguay? By the same token, Uruguay will be spent from the Peru match. Lets suppose Uruguay come back with at least a draw at Lima. At home, at El Centenario, nervous energy all around, it will be a pressure-cooker environment. A Colombian victory is possible, you never know, but will they put it all on the line? If Colombia stays the course, worries about the home games (they have one last home game against Chile in October), this contest with Uruguay is one game they can allow themselves the luxury of losing.

What if Uruguay win at Lima?

If Uruguay comes back with a win from Lima, and knowing this coaching staff – then expect a draw with Colombia, what that means is that OWT and staff will be more worried about a Colombian Blitzkrieg than trying to get the win. There’s also the Centenario factor, the prolonged qualifier structure employed by CONMEBOL has taken away some of the confounded mysticism from El Centenario. So a draw at home to this side, provided the win is secured at Lima is nothing to be embarrassed about.

October 11 – Ecuador vs Uruguay

Diego Forlán’s 2010 World Cup started in 2009, although we can actually debate whether it was the Quito game or the Paraguay game played in March of 2009, the penalty kick in Quito was the stuff of legends. 4 years later, Forlán is dreadful at the penalty spot. Hoping Uruguay somehow gets fouled and are then given a penalty for Forlán to make would be too much for any Celeste Supporter to take. This game however won’t be a carbon copy of that match in 2009. Ecuador’s high altitude still spells murder in my book. Uruguay’s saving grace is that Tabarez has a full month to figure out which approach to take. A draw would be a good result, a win of course the most ideal result – a loss however given how Ecuador’s campaign has played out thus far is the more likely scenario.

Is a Draw Possible?

Argentina marched into Quito and got the draw – Can Uruguay replicate Argentina’s achievement? It’s possible, Uruguay did just that in the 2002 and 2006 Qualifiers. Uruguay hasn’t lost to Ecuador since the 1998 Qualifiers. Where the coach is most important is determining which games will give you the most positive outcome and which games to avoid. Now, a win in Quito would be fantastic, but if the first two results hold true, a combination of a win/draw at either Lima and Montevideo, do you really need a win here? It depends of course. I would think a draw at Quito is not the worst possible outcome. A loss, provided Uruguay gets at least four points against Peru/Colombia would mean that Uruguay still would have one more chance to get in, against Argentina.

October 15 – Uruguay vs Argentina

With the exception of the 1998 Qualifiers, this last fixture with Argentina has been Uruguay’s saving grace to get into the 5th place spot. In the 2002 Qualifiers, the 1-1 draw was the stuff of conspiracy theories, that Argentina “gave us a hand” – In the 2006 Qualifiers, Argentina then coached by Perkerman lost on an unexpected Recoba tippy-toe goal. The conspiracy theorists probably came to the conclusion this game was also fixed. But was it? I’m not so sure, Messi was a sub back then, Argentina with Riquelme were not the world beaters everyone made them out to be. Uruguay’s loss to Argentina in 2009, shifted the conspiracy theory back to Uruguay, now it was Uruguay who was giving Argentina a “hand” in getting in.

What to expect?

It’s a Clásico, anything can happen. If Uruguay don’t get the job done, meaning if they don’t get enough points in the Peru/Colombia/Ecuador matches and need this match to get in, well it would be a crapshoot. Uruguay’s 3-0 loss to Argentina last year was expected, especially since there were no attempts by the coaching staff to rejuvenate the squad. Argentina found the right Messi and the rest is history.

A lot has happened since that match. Messi playing in Bolivia and then being forced by Barcelona to play a meaningless game ruled Messi out for the most important Champions League fixtures. What pressure if any is on Argentina’s coaching staff to play Messi if Argentina is already qualified by the time this match is played? As of today Argentina is in first place, assuming Colombia goes on a tear, wins at home vs Ecuador and Chile, loses or draws with Uruguay and then gets another 3 points vs Chile… does it really matter who finishes first or second? Right now only 3 points separate 1st and 2nd. Argentina’s remaining matches with Paraguay, Peru and then Uruguay while important wouldn’t require a Herculean effort from Messi. A win against Paraguay would give Argentina 3 points, but then 2 Clásicos, one with Peru and Uruguay would really be more about bragging rights than anything else. Does Argentina, given the way Barça over relies on Messi, need to expose Messi to this type of situation? It’s possible Messi comes in as a sub but will he? We’ll find out come October.

If Uruguay need a result here – expect war. Expect chaos, expect the unexpected. Since coming back to Uruguay in 2006, Uruguay’s record against Argentina with OWT as manager has been 0-1-3. Maybe OWT has one last miracle left in his utility belt, maybe not.

If Uruguay concentrate on the Peru/Colombia matches and maybe a draw at either Quito or against Argentina, theres a chance Uruguay holds on to the 5th place spot in one piece. Playing for draws especially against 2 opponents is a risky proposition, but then again, playing with an aging side is also risky in itself. Risk in any field or endeavor requires the possibility of loss. In the last two years we’ve seen the best this Uruguay side is capable of and the worst this Uruguay side can succumb to. Now with the backs against the wall, this team was afforded 5 extra games to work out their problems. It’s time to put up or shut up. History, results, don’t mean anything if you can’t get on the playing field… the worst is yet to come or hope is just around the corner.

CONCACAF Gold Cup Is in Desperate Need of a Revamp

The CONCACAF Gold Cup is held twice too often, interferes with World Cup qualifying and requires a total revamp in order to be taken seriously.

And the 2013 instalment, which begins on Sunday when Canada take on Martinique at the Rose Bowl (Martinique is neither a country nor a FIFA member, and as such this encounter won’t even be recognized as an official match), will mostly feature a collection of B-squads assembled by national associations you get the feeling would rather be doing anything else with their summers.

After all, the Gold Cup only really matters every four years, before the confederation’s gruelling World Cup campaign has progressed to its second stage.

But like most badly run organizations, CONCACAF is of the mind that “more is better” when, in fact, a “less is more” approach would serve to enhance the product.

What we have as a result is a biennial tournament that is next to meaningless in the pre-World Cup year; a fundraising exercise for a confederation known more for envelopes stuffed with money than competitive football.

All that said, there are still good teams—good players—throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean, and in the Gold Cups staged in the post-World Cup year they tend to produce some entertaining international competition.

Still, the tournament is in need of a major overhaul, and in moving toward a more consistently eye-catching, credible event, CONCACAF would do well to look south for a bit of help.

CONMEBOL’s Copa America, while a fascinating competition, also has its shortcomings.

For starters, it could certainly do with more lucrative sponsorships and a broader television audience, and then there is the format quandary caused by a 10-team organization that requires the invitation of two outside competitors to make a more palatable roster of 12.

Linking up with CONCACAF would solve both of these problems in one fell swoop. In the United States and Mexico, the region offers eager sponsors and hundreds of millions of potential viewers, and there are enough teams of quality to turn a combined tournament into a 16-team affair.

By piggy-backing on South America it would be able to sell the idea of a credible competition. With only a handful of its members permitted into the combined tournament it would be required to hold a qualification phase, which would only be a good thing.

Already the idea of such an event has taken root with a proposed CONCACAF-CONMEBOL competition (known as the Copa America Centenario, in recognition of CONMEBOL’s 100-year anniversary) set to take place in 2016.

Here’s hoping it kicks off a trend, because the alternative is the pointless affair about to barge into our summer over the next three weeks.

wow............


ja det var sgu noget af en KO.....

https://www.youtube.com/…UBhhTm5JMzw