Maradona afuera

Diego Maradona has left his post as Argentina boss after a unanimous vote from the Argentine Football Association.


Diego Maradona was a broken man as Argentina lost in the World Cup quarter-finals
Maradona had been offered a new four-year contract but said he would only continue on condition that his backroom staff remained. He met with AFA president Julio Grondona on Monday, but the differences between the parties could not be resolved.

Grondona revealed details of the talks to the board on Tuesday and AFA spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo has now confirmed Maradona's deal will not be renewed. "There was a big chasm that made it impossible to find an agreement," he said. "We will not renew the contract. For the match against Spain, scheduled for September 7, we may already have the new coach."

A statement on the AFA website added: "The president of the Argentinean Football Association, Mr Julio Grondona, made the members of the executive committee aware of the conversation with Mr Diego Maradona, setting out the points which had come out from the meeting.
"The executive committee unanimously resolved not to renew the contract with Mr Diego Maradona as coach of the Argentina national football team."

Maradona faced heavy criticism during his time in charge of the national side, with the team struggling during qualification for this summer's World Cup before exiting at the quarter-final stage with a 4-0 defeat to Germany. Grondona, though, had defended Maradona's performance in South Africa and suggested last week that he expected him to remain in charge.

Estudiantes boss Alejandro Sabella, Racing Club's Miguel Angel Russo and Sergio Batista - currently in charge of the country's Under-20 side - are believed to be in the running for the position. Simone please!

Espana Victorious

Spain deserves this one. Argentina futobol politics interferes every WC which results in minimal cohesion... we can't even combine the best players from Boca and River for a month to acheive greatness. This is a lesson that league politics should be left at home and bringing the best to represent country results in triumph! Spain showed the world where beautiful playmaking, hard work and a well-knit team takes you. Viva Espana!

2010 World Cup Requiem

Manana it all comes to an end. A month of triumphs, disappointments, and surprises. A month for me and the fellow pirates Gustavo and Ricardo of tons of miles by air and road, sharks, giraffes, dodgy streets, charming people, and a beautiful country.

Kudos South Africa: job well done. All the apocalyptic predictions of crime waves, terrorist attacks, and a developing country too primitive to accommodate the world....WERE JUST WRONG. Take the time to see the country and stop believing years of negative hype. It is a continent of progress with alot of work to do, but it is not a stone age place of primitive, famine ridden people who don't get it. World wake up!

On the field of play not the most scintillating tournament. The superstars did not rise to the occasion: Portuguese Ronaldo, the entire English team, Torres, and Messi to name a few. France provided more entertainment off the field with their soap opera than on with their goal scoring drought and lackluster play. Below is a hodgepodge of awards and observations for 2010 World Cup.

Primetime Player: Diego Forlan. Where did this come from? A disappointment at Manchester United and a solid player at Athletico Madrid, he played liked the man throughout the tournament. Free kicks, volleys, vision to set up his teammates. The guy just didn't quit, and brought all he had. Don't know if he will be in Brazil, but thanks for a great tournament.

Next World Power: All you can say about Germany is wow! A new world order is in the making. A offensive-minded, young, fast juggernaut. Add in the mix that with Turks, German, and Africans it represents a multicultural Germany I see version 2.0 of the 1998 French team. A new way of thinking about Germany and a new generation of style on the field that bombards you with goals.

Undeserved Villain: Luis Suarez of Uruguay. Somehow he becomes the Darth Vader of 2010 for a smart play to give his team a thread of hope. He played by the rules, got penalized, and his team found a way to win. He did not cheat. Asomoah Gyan of Ghana had a penalty for all the fame and glory.... and choked. Stop hating the playa, hate the game.

Biggest Soap Opera: France, why even take out Ireland, get on the plane, come to the beautiful country of South Africa, to play like shit at the World Cup?

Best Dramatic Team in the Right Way: The United States. With grit and guts overcame goal deficits and bad referee calls to bring it in two straight games, and almost a third against Ghana. You can question their technical ability, but not the heart. And Donovan, congrats on stepping up to the spotlight. Hope you can continue it week to week in the Premier League.

Too many moments to collect in one post. But one more game left, and a new nation will join the list of World Cup champions and collect a star for the badge. For me I hope Espana brings La Furia Roja for 90 minutes and takes the trophy home. But if Holland can make the third time in the final a charm, they deserve to be dogpiled by a bevy of blonde bombshell beer girls.

Maradona rearing his head into the final

Great Article (see below)

Years ago, Dutch striker Robin van Persie cleared space in his home for a famous photo to inspire him. It’s from 1986 and shows Argentina’s Diego Maradona clutching the World Cup over his head as he is being carried off the field by teammates.“It is an unbelievable picture,” Van Persie said this week according to Reuters.

“I have [it hanging] in my games room back home. He is on his teammates’ shoulders holding the trophy with a huge smile on his face.“If we win, I would like to make a picture like that.”Van Persie gets his chance Sunday, leading the Netherlands against Spain in the World Cup final here.Van Persie is the son of two artists. His mother is a painter, his father a sculptor. When their artistic talent wasn’t passed down, he took up soccer – “I’m rubbish with my hands,” he’s joked.

Still, it makes sense he’d draw strength from a still picture, that he’d study it, draw in the subtleties for meaning and allow it to push him to dream of his own glory. Rather than recall one of Maradona’s fabulous highlight-reel plays from that World Cup, he cherishes the unique moment in time that a photograph provides. As he described that iconic snap shot, the reality of the stakes seemed to continue to settle in for him. The chance to produce one of those special moments that resonate around the globe is here.

It’s not just the incredible audience that will watch the World Cup final that raises the pressure. Perhaps a billion people around the world will take in the game live, an almost impossible to comprehend group in both size and diversity – everyone from kings to peasants, movie stars to third-world farmers.What’s more germane to the players is how rare it is to just play in a World Cup final. It makes the moment even more profound than any club championship, such as the English Premiere League where Van Persie plays for Arsenal. It’s different than even a Super Bowl, World Series or NBA Finals.The World Cup is played just once every four years.

There is no next year and even holding out hope for a next time is not advisable. Just 11 countries have ever reached the finals and even among that group, the greatest players usually get just one chance during their prime. Van Persie is 26 and this is his second Cup. There may not be a third.LeBron James can keep falling short and know that another chance will come. He can even switch teams in search of a more likely route to the NBA championship.

In soccer it takes the perfect storm of circumstances to just get the chance. Spain, despite generations of immensely talented players and a deep national passion for the sport, has never before reached the final.The Netherlands hasn’t been to the final game in 32 years. The teams that made appearances in 1974 and 1978 are legendary in the Netherlands despite losing both times.

So for Van Persie and his teammates, it’s now or never. And they know it.“It is difficult to cope with the pressure, because you have to fight against the memories of the teams that went before you [and lost],” he said. “They were such great players. They didn’t do it somehow.“But we have the chance to do it now for the first time.”The World Cup is a long, slow, pressure-filled survival test.

The tournament has lasted a full month, was staged in 10 different stadiums scattered across this vast nation. From mining towns to the inner city of Johannesburg to spectacular spots along the coast, it just goes on and on.The most successful players and coaches focus solely on the next game – it takes six just to reach the final. Then, suddenly, they are here, with as many as four days to allow the pressure to crank up.

The forever dream right there for the taking.“I am used to watching other teams in the final,” Van Persie said, who has one goal during the World Cup. “This time I will be in it. This time I will be in the middle.”So Van Persie waits and thinks and his mind flashes back to a wall of his home. Diego Maradona seized that magical moment 24 years ago in Mexico City and got a joyous ride off the pitch. Someone snapped a photograph, where it still inspires dreams of global soccer glory.

My two cents: Another example why many in the world envy Diego,­ and let's face it we'll be lucky to witness another­ charismatic and much loved player/personality in football who makes enenies and friends alike respect him. He has always marched to his own tune and there is much to be said about that. The press can continue insulting­ him, but they should know they are making­ him a bigger legend! Those who critique him have never achieved­ even a small bit of what he has, the love of a nation,­ the whole world! From the villa to Campion. Diego will always be immortal for he raised the cup almost single handedly.

Vamos Espana

Aside from Villa's five goals, the finishing has been suspect and they moved by Paraguay by their foreskin. It's not been convincing fashion, but for the first time in their history, Spain has made it into the semifinals!

Bring on to the Deutscheland. Watching Germany tear through the Argentine midline (no one had done it, but it really should have been exposed earlier) was a simple reminder to that you cannot win a cup without a solid central midfield. With Iniesta, Xavi, and Alonso, running the show and a solid defense to keep Ozil at bay I think the Spaniards will be a menace for the Germans. I really hope they bring it! Tomorrow's winner certainly takes the final against the Netherlands.

Spain 2 Germany 1.

Argentina de luto

Argentina exits the World Cup and in the 90 minutes it took for them to lose, they went from a red-hot with a chance to hoist the Cup to a team that wasn’t worthy. 4-0 in a quarterfinal is unacceptable. I kept waiting for Argentina to break through but it never happened. The German defense was up to the test and they finished most opportunities. Argentina seemed flat, frustrated and could not create chances. Did we have a shot on goal? Worst part of the day was having random strangers offer their condoloences. That's how much we stunk it up.

Sadly Messi went from soccer God to mortal and now the shadow of Maradona is all consuming. Before the match it didn’t matter that he hadn’t scored because he was creating chances and Argentina was winning. After the game, his World Cup performance was a major disappointment because he didn't score and was put in the same bust category with Ronaldo, Kaka, Rooney etc. The Argentine press and fans have been crucifying Messi, subsequent to his incapability of reproducing his marvelous deeds at Barcelona while representing the Albicelestes. I can read it now in the Clarin sure Messi has won almost everything in the last year, but what have you done for us lately?

Well the mourning period is over and we must move on. We have Rio in 2014. Now I root for the Barcelona squad (Spain) and David Villa for the golden boot.

Germany and Argentina collide again. Revancha!

Bad luck for Brasil, but that is futbol and the story of this WC. Now the entire focus is on Argentina vs Germany. Time to bring out the celeste and blanco for Argentina manana. Some of my Brasilian friends have already jumped on board to help knock the Euros out. Toni I hope you really did pick up the Tevez jersey. Wear it proud! El Apache does.

We practiced without Messi yesterday as he is dealing with a slight cold, but not to worry he will show up to play come Saturday. Much has been made of his scoring drought. Let them talk their shit he has been the salt that has seasoned our asado. Messi has played well and is making everyone else on the pitch better. The scary thing is he has not yet shown his true potential. Unleash it manana 10!

The German only plan of attack may as well begin and end with trying to limit Messi. The Germans will have no answer for him even with a fever. They will foul him hard and often. Once he gets on the score sheet he will show why he is the reigning world footballer of the year. There are a lot of expectations for the kid and I am confident he will escape the shadow of Maradona manana. Quaters, Semis and Finals makes legends!

Our only concern will be our back which needs to be shored up, but unlikely to happen by tomorrow. It has been exposed and remains vulnerable so our keeper will have to come to play and make the key saves. The scoring opportunities will be there for Argentina. It will take at least 2 to advance. My Prediction is 2-1 we move to the semis. Tevez and Messi will score.