Great to watch that year but not sure they'd have beaten Italy.They should have won it in 2006. That fecking Riquelme sub
2014 was their chance. And the Copas the next two years.
Argentina NT
- Thread starter Infordin
- Start date
2014 was their chance. And the Copas the next two years.
Argentina have lost 7 finals since their last international trophy in 1993
Copa America: 2004, 2007, 2015, 2016
Confederations Cup: 1995, 2005
World Cup: 2014
It's not like they aren't competitive, they just keep tripping on the final hurdle. I don't know if its a mental block or just bad luck.
A lot of these finals (04, 14, 15, 16) were decided on penalties or in extra time and could have easily gone the other way.
Germany ended the world cup run of Argentina 3 times in the last 4 editions, plus the final loss in 1990.
If Germany keeps sucking, they might have a good chance in the next few years.
They are usually defensively solid and have individual quality up front, just what you need for international success.
If Germany keeps sucking, they might have a good chance in the next few years.
They are usually defensively solid and have individual quality up front, just what you need for international success.
It's one of those situations where the quality of squad is so heavily skewed towards attacking players with almost no quality in midfield or defence. Players such as as Icardi, Dybala can't get into the team but their first choice centre back is Funes Mori 
maybe it is time for them to revolutinise football, 2-2-6 is the way forward and see if it worksIt's one of those situations where the quality of squad is so heavily skewed towards attacking players with almost no quality in midfield or defence. Players such as as Icardi, Dybala can't get into the team but their first choice centre back is Funes Mori
A Maradona sized hole that Messi couldn't fill.
Argentina have always had players they, for one reason or another, excluded. Selection has been a big issue for them for as long as I can rememberIt's one of those situations where the quality of squad is so heavily skewed towards attacking players with almost no quality in midfield or defence. Players such as as Icardi, Dybala can't get into the team but their first choice centre back is Funes Mori
Argentina have spent so much time not starting Banega when he's light years ahead of their other midfielders for example.
I don’t follow Argentinian football, but for like a dacade, why couldn’t they produce better midfielders than Enzo and Gago for crying out loud?
Have they won that 3 consecutive finals, the conversation would be different entirely. Now, its just doom and gloom. Messi was part of the problem but the bigger problem lies elsewhere.
They did, just didnt pick em. Politics and poor selection
Was Messi ever really part of the problem?
Out of sheer curiosity, who are you referring to?
Oh yes. Messi is part of the problem for sure. He goes missing in several games for Argentina. Of course being such a great player, he still has moments of brilliance even in his worst matches, but he plays very average football in some games and that makes it quite difficult for a team that revolves around one player.
If's and buts, they didn't and he himself didn't at any point look like dominating anyone of those games which you'd expect from a player that's ragdolled so many club's on the club scene.
In WC 2014, he wasnt contribute much in terms of assists or goals. Some still think Masche was their best player at that WC back then. Same with 2 Copa finals. He couldnt score when it matters the most. Regardless of his teammates inability to score aswell didnt it the yardstick people beat Messi of?
When people said Messi dragged them to 3 finals the same people slagged him off for not contributed much.
Agreed
While I believe that, sometimes, not having your best player in the team can help free up other players and make the team as a whole stronger rather than depending on one player, I'm not sure Argentina will be better off without Messi. Sure, Messi hasn't always played up to his level in international competitions, but it's not as if he was a passenger either. He's always good for creating at least a couple of chances. For me, the question is more of can Argentina find a coach that makes him a piece of the puzzle (albeit a major one), instead of the main engine where everything flows through and whether Messi would be able to adapt to such a role. You only get a player of that kind every 25 years or so, I would try anything I could to make use of his last few years of peak football.
I’m guessing Banega?
Banega wasn’t selected for the World Cup in either 2010 or 2014 despite being much better than some of the midfielders who were.
The standards for Messi are always different. Modric already got 2 individual awards and infinite praise from everywhere for winning 0 World Cup knockout games in regular time before getting pummeled in the final and missing crucial penalties while Messi's much better World Cup in 2014 didn't even get him a top 3 nomination for UEFA Best Player in Europe. Thomas Müller got significantly more votes in 2014.
That's so much nonsense. Messi had a very good world cup in 2014, but he didn't even have the best tournament in his team: Mascherano did. Also, there's a big fault in your reasoning - the best in a given tournament is with respect to the relative performance of the participating players. I'm sure you know this, but you don't seem to have incorporate that into your reasoning.
Keep on being shit even last night?
Yeah, of course Mascherano was better. And Daley Blind had a better tournament than Arjen Robben, too.
It is a transitional team.
Brazil were pretty much full strength and didn't look great either, difficult conditions though.
Brazil really missed D.Costa, the improvisation of Jesus as RW looked off. Richarlison or Lucas looked much better. I think Gabriel needs a change of atmosphere cause his main problem is confidence/game time right now.
Banega, Cambiasso was dropped for one tournament I remember when he was still good
Has Messi retired once and for all or he is coming back?
didn't he have 1 knock out goal contribution in the whole trip to the finals?
Yes, he did, he assisted the only goal in the game against Switzerland. So that's 50% of Argentina's goals in KO phase right there.
ARG 1-0 SUI (aet)
ARG 1-0 BEL
ARG* 0-0 NED (pens)
ARG 0-1 GER (aet)
Over the entire tournament, Messi had 5 direct goal contributions (4 goals and 1 assist; or 6 if you count his cross that led to an own-goal against Bosnia). Argentina as a whole scored 8 goals.
So while that doesn't excuse or justify Messi's subdued performances against Belgium and the Netherlands or his failure to score in the Final, it does place it more into context. also Di María's injury hurt them a lot in attack.
Assisted di Maria against Switzerland in extra time for the winning goal and was awarded motm fwiw. He also converted the penalty against the Dutch as Argentina’s first taker during their semi final penalty shootout. Argies only scored twice during their run to the final though.
Think it’s more like a hiatus, but nothing is confirmed.
The funny thing is that Argentina needs Messi, albeit Leo barely performs for them. They are yet to find a solution.
Was the Di Maria goal an assist though? A simple pass to Angel who then scores a screamer doesn't mean much!
Di Maria should get both the goal and assist on that one!
Erm, if I remember correctly Messi dribbled from the half way line, beat a player or two and then played a good pass to Di Maria. It was a nice finish from Di Maria, but in no way was it a 'screamer'.
Actually that bold part is the funny thing
You're right. Although that's a "screamer" for Messi's standars lol
On second viewing I just noticed that Loris was in goal! Theres a youtube clip of it with an incorrect title.
I agree, Messi played a huge part in the goal.
Renzo Saravia (25) had to deal with Neymar yesterday. He did a pretty good job.
He hasn't been as decisive as Barca for Argentina. Argentina still needs him though.
If you're speaking about the WC then yeah, even if he scored v nigeria or assisted v france, he's been far away from being decisive.
But he's been our best player and the most decisive by a country mile all the time, every WCQ, every tournment since 2012.
Until 2012 he's been really far away from being our best player and being as good as he was in Barcelona, considering he was clearly the best player in the world, he won the UCL in Wembley in 2011 and then he had a terrible Copa America in our own country.
After Sabella took charge, and until 2018 WC, Messi has been decisive in every match Argentina has played.
If you put three defenders on Messi no one will step up in the National Team, if you put three defenders on him playing for Barcelona, Coutinho, Suarez or Dembele will make the diference, thats, basically the problem.