Argentina(La Albiceleste)in Brazil……..
Argentina is no stranger to the tournament. This will be their 7th appearance since they won their last Fifa World Cup. The 2 time Fifa World Cup winners will be going for a third trophy in 2014, making it an overall 16th appearance in the competition.
Coming into the competition from the CONMEBOL, the 14 times continental champions topped their group by averaging about 2 goals a game, with a 9-5-2 (W-D-L) record.
The Venom
There is more than enough quality selection when in the attacking department for this team. As great as their offensive line-up is, there is still a man on the team that stands above all the other players on the team, with the exception of height.
Lionel Mesii
The spotlight will be on the 4 time Ballon d’or winner, Lionel Messi. Messi is no stranger to us fans of futbol. Arguably the best player in futbol, this 5’7’’ man has been terrorizing defenders ever since his debut for F.C. Barcelona. You can’t bring down this man without an actual foul. He is tough and shield the ball in his possession. His touch on the ball his precise, his movement is swift, he is a prime playmaker and a goal scorer. He is not afraid to go forward. He is quick on and off the ball. The precision in his shots is elevated when it comes to dead balls. He is a complete attacking machine.
Sergio Aguero is another player that has almost all the attributes of Messi, with a little dilution in precision. As an ex-Atletico Madrid target man, it is with no doubt that this man is a lethal forward. His debut at Manchester City and the end to that season will summarize the quality of this forward.
Aguero and Messi
There is also from Napoli, Gonzalo Higuain and from PSG, Ezequiel Lavezzi. Both of these Argentine players are major contributors to success of their respective clubs. We can’t count out Carlos Tevez, despite being absent from the national side for a while. He is still as potent as he has been through out his career.
The Control and Support
The midfield is composed of world class players who are ready to offer offensive and sometimes defensive support to the team. Angel di Maria will be a midfield player to look for on this team. He will be on the flanks to help to play almost as a supporting striker. (It’s not as if they need one).
di Maria
While di Maria offers support to the forwards, Javier Mascherano will be helping defense from his deep position in the middle. Other midfielders to look for will be Fernando Gago, Erik Lamela, Maxi Rodríguez, Ever Banega and Javier Pastore.
The Bouncers
Defense might be Argentina’s weakness. They might need the service of the veteran Javier Zanetti, had he not retire from international futbol. Defenders that are bound to make their mark on this team should include, Pablo Zabaleta, Hugo Campagnaro, Fabricio Coloccini, Ezequiel Garay and Federico Fernández
So what is it for La Albiceleste? How will they fare?
They are the favorite by miles in Group F. Their chances of joy advancing from this group is very negligible.
As far as the competition is concerned, they will be great going forward, but it will be their defensive flaws that will put them down. They will need to work on their defensive weakness. Formidable opponents will capitalize on this flaw. They are one of the favorites in the competition.
By the look of Group F, they will have enough time to warm up in this competition. But this is futbol, there will be some drama, suspense and surprises. And that is why we will have to be watching to see if Argentina will make their advantage count.
