Maradona's Preliminary Roster Puts Focus On Firepower And Nothing Else
May 12th 2010 04:06
Don't be surprised to see different faces come June
If there was one team roster that everyone couldn't wait to see, it undoubtedly was Maradona's choices for Argentina's national team. As expected, there are several surprises on the list (and off it) leading to question marks all over the place.
Goalkeepers
I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable when it comes to international players but I have never heard of the three goalkeepers called up until now. Doing a little research, I found out that all three had their first cap last year. Not a good omen for supposed favorites.
Defenders
The picture is a bit clearer in defense with familiar faces such as Burdisso, Demichelis, Walter Samuel, Heinze and Coloccini but nothing to cause fear in the hearts of opposing teams.
Midfielders
The situation doesn't improve in midfield where both Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti were left out. If you needed a reassuring presence in front of the defense, those two would be it. Instead, Maradona called up Javier Mascherano, Juan Sebastian Veron and a plethora of attacking midfielders who will probably get reduced in terms of numbers as the list gets trimmed down to the final 23. With so many similar players on the list, you have to wonder what the man is thinking.
Forwards
Finally, if there's one area where Maradona can make no mistake, it's in front. With Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Diego Milito all at his disposal, the manager can do no wrong. However, it's surprising to see Martin Palermo's name among the call-ups.
Looking at Maradona's roster as a whole, one question comes to mind: does the man even know what he's doing? To me, this seems like a team focused on attack but the defensive side isn't too reassuring. One would think that in a group including Nigeria, South Korea and Greece, Argentina would be the clear-cut favorites but now... I'm not too sure.
Full list of call-ups:
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar/Netherlands), Mariano Andujar (Catania/Italy), Diego Pozo (Colon)
Defenders: Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan/Italy), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich/Germany), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan/Italy), Gabriel Heinze (Marseille/France), Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle/England), Juan Manuel Insaurralde (Newell's Old Boys), Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes), Ariel Garce (Colon)
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool/England), Sebastian Blanco (Lanus), Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes), Jesus Datolo (Olympiacos/Greece), Jose Sosa (Estudiantes), Maxi Rodriguez (Liverpool/England), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina/Italy), Juan Mercier (Argentinos Juniors), Angel Di Maria (Benfica/Portugal), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle/England), Javier Pastore (Palermo/Italy)
Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid/Spain), Diego Milito (Inter Milan/Italy), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City/England), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid/Spain), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Spain), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli/Italy)
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