Maradona’s list shows several doubts (Yahoo)

The lack of change for Javier Mascherano as central midfielder, the absence of laterals with the exception of Clemente Rodríguez, and an excess of attackers if the Argentinean team will attack with only two of them in the scheme, these are some of the confusing points of the list of thirty players convoked by the coach Diego Maradona, that he had to present last week to the FIFA for the World Championship and that he will have to reduce to twenty three in a very short time.
In all the polls performed these days by communication media, two of three Argentineans show their disagreement with Maradona’s list, in which, though it is no surprise because it was already insinuated, there are not included players as Javier Zanetti, Fernando Gago or Esteban Cambiasso, three of the most requested, as well as Lisandro López, Mauro Zárate, Pablo Zavaleta or Emiliano Insúa, all outstanding in the European football, meanwhile there is the veteran Martín Palermo, who within a few month will be thirty seven years of age.
Another of the most criticized points by the press and the fans in general is the intent to defend with four central defenders (Nicolás Otamendi, Martín Demichelis, Walter Samuel and Gabriel Heinze), what indicates that Maradona will not use much the laterals as exit for not having experience for it, neither to arrive to the rival area in the attack. The coach himself declared last week that for the offensive “he already counts with his two lateral midfielders, Jonás Gutiérrez and Angel Di María”.
Neither among the substitutes are laterals, with the exception of Clemente Rodríguez (Estudiantes de La Plata), and in change, there are added central defenders, with the surprise of two convoked of the Argentinean leaguer itself, Ariel Garcé (Colón) and Juan Insaurralde (Newells Old Boys), what is very similar to what proclaims the ex central defender and World champion 1986, Oscar Ruggieri, who is advising Maradona though is not officially accepted for the position by the Argentinean Football Association (AFA).
Maradona convinced himself that the best system to play in the defense is with two central defenders after the triumph vs Germany in a friendly match in March in Munich (Argentina won1-0 with the goal of Gonzalo Higuaín) though it does not generate tranquility among the followers. Nicolás Otamendi, who will be the right lateral defender, has short experience in the league playing for Velez Sarsfield and always a central defender.




In change, there had no possibilities laterals as Zavaleta (Manchester City), or Insúa (Liverpool) or even Angeleri (Estudiantes), though in the case of the latter, Maradona waited until the final to see whether he recuperated of a year without playing due to a serious injury.
In the middle of the field, it is worrying that there are many players with similar characteristics. Scarcely Maxi Rodríguez (Liverpool) is able to play for both laterals as substitute, and Jesús Dátolo (Olympiakos) can do it at the left side. Although Juan Mercier (Argentinos Juniors) and Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina) can substitute Mascherano or Verón, in truth both have characteristics more similar to the veteran midfielder of Estudiantes than to that of the Liverpool because they do not characterize so much for the mark but in change, have more display.
In change, it surprises positively the convocation of the young midfielder of Lanus Sebastián Blanco, very ductile with the ball, though he it`s not easy his participation among the twenty three definitive, meanwhile is being confirmed the preference of Maradona by José Sosa (Bayern Munich, in loan with Estudiantes) and Javier Pastore (Palermo).
In the attack, everything was always clearer and the coach is working since a long time with seven forwarders for six places, fighting for the one single available place Ezequiel Lavezzi (Nápoli) and Martín Palermo (Boca Juniors), though the balance is already inclined for the veteran of the Argentinean team.
What is not clear for many is the quantity of forwarders convoked when Maradona insists (at least in his declarations, afterwards it should be seen in the trainings) that he will play with the system 4-4-2 and he even insinuated that he could play with a 4-4-1-1, with Messi behind Higuaín, what would give even more defensive stress for a team already too speculative for the level of attackers it possesses.
It also calls attention that Palermo at his thirty seven years has so much of protagonist in the Argentinean team having forwarders that outstand in Europe such as Lisandro López (elected as best player of the season in France), Mauro Zárate (Lazio), Gonzalo Bergessio (Saint Etienne) or Fernando Cavenaghi (Bordeaux), to mention only some.
Everything indicates that Maradona was faithful to the one who converted the transcendent goal vs Peru in the eliminatories, when the match was expiring and Argentina was practically out of the World Championship and that also Bolatti won points when his goal vs Uruguay in the stadium Centenario of Montevideo generated the automatic classification. Too much prize (specially with the first one) for the whole cycle of work.
On the contrary, also are confused the absences of Zanetti (Inter) and Cambiasso (Inter). In the first because there are not many laterals and his experience in the maximum level could contribute richness in different positions and as an exit from the own goalkeeper, and in the second, though he never was of the coach’s preference, because he was very important in these years in Inter and neither there are many midfielders of importance to substitute Mascherano.
In the case of Fernando Gago (Real Madrid) everything indicates that he paid for not having continuity in his team, added to some actions occurred during the eliminatoies, but undoubtedly it is a great surprise because he was part of the cycle as the first team player at Mascherano’s side and it seemed an indestructible duple.
As goalkeepers, the only doubt was in the convokatory of the third, between Diego Pozo (Colón), who had already participated, or Adrián Gabbarini (Independiente) of an outstanding performance in the Closure contest that is being finishing. Maradona choose the first one and although the second seems in better form, the difference is not substantial.
Moreover the names, it seems that Maradona cannot free himself from polemics not even with the list of thirty players for the World Championship. That is nothing: within a few days he will have to eliminate seven of them for the definitive list. The polemic will continue.