Comments on: Quarter-Final Preview: Germany v Argentina & Spain v Paraguay

By: Kevin Coleman

Kevin Coleman — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:20:01 +0000

Yeah, I was rooting for Arg but Germany were just on a different level. Very disappointed.

I think I’ll be closer with my Spain prediction, some how!

By: Pegamequemegusta

Pegamequemegusta — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:11:07 +0000

Well I think it’s fair to say we both got the result wrong.

Yeah, I live in Mar del Plata in Argentina, down on the Atlantic.

By: Kevin Coleman

Kevin Coleman — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:12:32 +0000

Ah, I read the other day that Di Maria was going to be dropped for the game, despite what Maradona said about keeping it the same.

Great post, by the way.

Do you live in Argentina? Interesting to see you quoting Eamon Dunphy!

By: Pegamequemegusta

Pegamequemegusta — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 03:19:56 +0000

It will be the same team as faced Mexico, with Di María instead of Verón.

I am going to stubbornly insist on this point that Maradona has in fact done a fantastic job, with orders and tactics, as you say, not just cheerleading. I’d go so far as to say that the only managers who have done such a complete job are Bielsa, arguably, and, er, Jogi Loew.

I wrote a stroppy defence of all this and the Di María question yesterday if you’re interested: http://pegamequemegusta.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/argentina-v-germany-maradona-di-maria-and-savaging-the-german-sausage/

By: Kevin Coleman

Kevin Coleman — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:29:53 +0000

I dwelled on the result for a long time, but considering what Germany did to England I gave them the benefit of the doubt and an eventual 3-2 win. Basically, my head said Germany, I heart said Argentina.

Who will start instead of Veron? I’ve a personal soft spot for him, despite his Utd and Chelsea links, so I always like to see him play.

He has got everything right so far, but how much of that was on unity and less so organisation and orders? Germany is such a huge challenge, much bigger than Mexico, so his ability will come under threat.

By: Pegamequemegusta

Pegamequemegusta — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:11:17 +0000

Nice diagrams, but I don’t like the result! And it looks increasingly as if Verón won’t be starting.

I also disagree that Maradona can be dismissed so out of hand as ‘not a good tactical manager’. Since that unfortunate squad selection, he’s got everything right. Del Bosque, on the other hand, could hardly say the same about himself, having managed to turn Spain into effectively a one-man team.