An unexpected defeat that complicates the Argentinean future (Yahoo)

If the Argentinean Football Association (AFA) lived in turbulence to design the coach that should arrive until the Copa América in 2011 and if possible, until the World Championship in Brazil 2014, the unexpected defeat and specially, in the way same produced, with the whole dominion of the Japanese team in Saitama, determines a major confusion when it comes to the moment of the decision before the end of the month.

When for many Sergio Batista had the way easy to be ratified, specially because he counts with inestimable backing of the group and of his best player, Lionel Messi, though there were some voices of disagreement among the directives, the Argentinean team showed some worrying signs that may intensify the designation of other coaches that are better installed in the head of the manager, Carlos Bilardo, in charge to elevate “three or four names” to a commission of five directives that will be designed by the president of the AFA, Julio Grondona, among whom there are Alejandro Sabella (Estudiantes, leader of the Aperture Contest) and Miguel Russo (Racing Club), two ex players of his in the eighties.

Batista says, with an acceptable discourse and prized by a good part of the Argentinean football community, that the white/light blue team must return to the practice of a play based in the touch, to low the speed and try to near the players with much technique (as in Spain Xavi, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets perform), based in the geniality of Lionel Messi.

The problem Batista finds is that the Argentinean team comes completely disarticulated since the World Championship and with many technical changes as that of an assistance to Javier Mascherano in the contention of the midfield, and the seek, finally, of two laterals that have this position and not the central backs reconverted into laterals, as Nicolás Burdisso and Gabriel Heinze.

In the first two friendly matches with Batista as coach, the Argentinean team seemed to have found the way, with the entrance of Esteban Cambiasso at Mascherano’s side, and with the return of Javier Zanetti by the right and the possibility to enter of other laterals as Pablo Zabaleta or Emiliano Insúa.

Butt he injuries of the laterals just before the match vs Japan generated a turn back and the new call of Burdisso and Heinze, who added to the uncertainty that generates Martín Demichelis in the back (same as in the passed World Championship), and the weak moment of the goalkeeper Sergio Romero, giving many rebounds of easy balls (as in the goal), did not help the rest of the team that was pressured in all the sectors of the game field and did not find the manner to resolve it because there was lack of players, positions and adequate tactical system.

If to all this is added that in front of the pressure in the mid, Mascherano and Cambiasso had no precision, the laterals have no attack capacity and that Messi had cut the circuit with the forwarders and his partner in that occasion, Andrés D’alessandro did not operate and only returned to have discharge when the talented Javier Pastore entered in the second half, the responses of the Argentinean team were scarce and if reacted in the final it was because as it uses to happen with the groups conducted by Italians, as in this case the Japanese team with Alberto Zaccheroni, the locals were delayed and left much free field thus the rival advances in the field, though afterwards they did not find space to reach the goal.

Batista’s big problem is not to lose, especially because he himself is insisting that he does not want to be judged for his continuity of victories or defeats but for his job, what rounds coherent.

The most difficulties of the interim coach goes through the precision of some of his definitions that in theory are fine but in the practice are not completely seen. For instance, why to copy particularly the game of ball possession of the Spaniards, based on the midfielders, when the Argentinean strong point is in the attack. Or how to make compatible the possession of the ball with ductile players, as Spain and put Mascherano and Cambiasso as two central midfielders, or what to do with so many efficient forwarders that are stars in Europe, if their game would be based in the midfielders. Or why to insist with two central backs as laterals, having taken Christian Ansaldi, of Rubín Kazán, in the substitutes bench.

There are too many interrogatives that add to the general question regarding some tactical concepts that a team should resolve, for instance as how to impose a slower game, of ball possession, vs. a rival that wants to impress his game with a higher speed and who pressures not to let them play or how to benefit having among them a such different player as Lionel Messi who ended dribbling people except when Pastore entered and generated a very good partnership with him.

They will have to play vs Brazil the next 17 of November; a friendly match in Doha, Qatar, and it does not seem one commitment more. They will have to correct many things, to revise many concepts and to evaluate well the convoked, if they do not want to bump.

In the meanwhile, the directives should sharpen the idea and if possible, to define soon the project for the Argentinean football, that today navigates in the confusion in all the lines meanwhile they observe amazing how the rival of Saitama, Japan, is turning out into a potency based on the work and the conceptual clarity of a team that knows what he does.
And the difference between both was seen on the stadium.