What a game. I had such high expectations for Argentina in this game. Ivory coast sure knows how too put up a fight and stay motivated even after 80 minutes. Too bad it wasn't live on Telemundo. I had to wait to see it once it was over. I was looking for:
---- -Angel Di Maria- would this 2007 under 20- world cup champion play a few minutes?
He replaced Lavezzi, a forward on the left. Found El Kun Aguero easily, brilliantly unmarked himself from Ivory Coast defenders. I bet Batista will put him in the starting lineup, instead of Lavezzi.
---- - "Leo" Messi- how destabilizing can he be?
(The first goal opportunity he had, he scored. Enough said. Poor Kun Aguero had about 4 chances, and in 70 minutes wasn't able to score.)
---- - Juan Roman Riquelme- will he slow down the tempo of the game in the last 20 minutes, and not give enough service to the 3 forwards Aguero, Lavezzi, and possibly Di Maria
(By minute 70, Riquelme did slow down the tempo of the game. El Kun and Messi wouldn't get service and El Kun had to go beyond the midfield line to get the ball himself. The forwards too isolated from Riquelme and Mascherano. I agree with Telemundo's narrator, Andres Cantor, that Riquelme needed to be replaced so there would be more connection between the midfield and forwards. Evidently Argentina coach Batista kept him on the field becasue of his experience.)
---- - Lavezzi- great season with Napoli in the Serie A. Will he translate it in the Argentinean national team too?
(I didn't think so. Wasn't able to keep the ball on the left flank. Ineffective passes, wouldn't reach SErgio el Kun Aguero. Two chances to score, missed both of them. His substitute Di Maria, more dangerous in the left, could find El Kun Aguero with his eyes closed.)
---- - "Toque Toque" the beautiful short-passing style of the Argentineans.
(Very little, clear only in minute 10. From the midfield El Kun to Messi, to Zabaleta, to Lavezzi)
What was worrying is the lack of strikers, a Crespo, a Trezeguet type. In the last 20 minutes, the goals could only come from Di Maria, Messi, or El Kun Aguero. If they didn't unmark themselves, the goal opportunity was gone. Di Maria didn't really have someone to cross it to. The other goals could have come from Riquelme's free kicks.
Powerful partnership- Messi and El Kun Aguero
In the first half, El Kun could have scored at least 4 times. Unable to conver any of these chances. In the first 15 minutes, had 2 chances to score.
I expected plenty of goal opportunities by Chelsea's Salomon Kalou. Instead, it looked like it was captain Gervinho who played in the Premiership. He's really in Le Mans, 2nd division team in France's soccer league. Impressive.
Goals: Messi scored in the 43rd minute to give Argentina a 1-0 lead. His teammate Lautaro Acosta turned in the rebound of a shot by Messi for the winning goal in the 85th. Notice the 3 or 4 fouls Mascherano commited on Kalou!
Play by play: source: nbcolympics.com/soccer
First half
2 ZABALETA Pablo Foul committed
2' COULIBALY Kafoumba Foul suffered
2' COULIBALY Kafoumba Corner kick
2' COULIBALY Kafoumba Foul committed
MESSI Lionel Foul suffered
4' RIQUELME Juan Shot on goal
5' N GOSSAN Antoine Foul committed
5' MONZON Luciano Foul suffered
5' COULIBALY Kafoumba Foul committed
5' MESSI Lionel Foul suffered
6' AGUERO Sergio Foul committed
6' ANGOUA Brou Foul suffered
7' AGUERO Sergio Shot on goal
8' MESSI Lionel Foul committed
8' COULIBALY Kafoumba Foul suffered
8' BAGAYOKO Mamadou Foul committed
8' MONZON Luciano Foul suffered
11' COULIBALY Kafoumba Shot on goal
12' RIQUELME Juan Shots
15' WAWA Serge Shots
16' ANGOUA Brou Foul committed
16' AGUERO Sergio Foul suffered
17' ZABALETA Pablo Shots
18' GERVINHO Shots
19' DIARRASSOUBA Ousm. Viera Foul committed
19' LAVEZZI Ezequiel Foul suffered
19' GERVINHO Shot on goal
24' KALOU Salomon Corner kick
25' N GOSSAN Antoine Foul committed
25' LAVEZZI Ezequiel Foul suffered
28' AGUERO Sergio Shots
30' KALOU Salomon Corner kick
32' GARAY Ezequiel Foul committed on GERVINHO Foul suffered
33' LAVEZZI Ezequiel Shot on goal
33' MASCHERANO Javier Foul committed on KALOU Salomon Foul suffered
34' BAGAYOKO Mamadou Corner kick
35' GAGO Fernando Foul committed
35' COULIBALY Kafoumba Foul suffered
38' GERVINHO Offside
39' DIARRASSOUBA Ousm. Viera Foul committed
39' MESSI Lionel Foul suffered
40' RIQUELME Juan Shot on goal
42' PAREJA Nicolas Foul committed on GERVINHO Foul suffered
43' MESSI Lionel Goal
45 KALOU Salomon Cautions (Yellow card)
46+ BAGAYOKO Mamadou Foul committed
46+ LAVEZZI Ezequiel Foul suffered
Second half
47 LAVEZZI Ezequiel Offside
48' MASCHERANO Javier Foul committed on KALOU Salomon Foul suffered
49' MASCHERANO Javier Foul committed on KALOU Salomon Foul suffered
50' ANGOUA Brou Shots
53' CISSE Sekou Goal
54' KALOU Salomon Foul committed onGAGO Fernando Foul suffered
56' COULIBALY Kafoumba Foul committed
56' GAGO Fernando Foul suffered
56' MONZON Luciano Offside
59' MASCHERANO Javier Foul committed on KALOU Salomon Foul suffered
59' KAMBOU Herve Foul committed
59' MESSI Lionel Foul suffered
59' KAMBOU Herve Cautions (Yellow card)
61' AGUERO Sergio Foul committed
61' COULIBALY Kafoumba Foul suffered
62' AGUERO Sergio Cautions (Yellow card)
63' Argentina change: LAVEZZI Ezequiel Player out, DI MARIA Angel Player in
63' Ivory Coast change: N GOSSAN Antoine Player out, DJA DJEDJE Franck Player in
65' AGUERO Sergio Offside
66' GERVINHO Foul committed on GARAY Ezequiel Foul suffered
70 GERVINHO Foul committed on RIQUELME Juan Foul suffered
70 AGUERO Sergio Shot on goal
70 MESSI Lionel Foul committed
70 CISSE Sekou Foul suffered
71 CISSE Sekou Foul committed
71 MESSI Lionel Foul suffered
71 CISSE Sekou Foul committed
71 ZABALETA Pablo Foul suffered
72 AGUERO Sergio Shots
74 DI MARIA Angel Foul committed
74 Ivory Coast change: CISSE Sekou Player out, MOURA-KOMENAN Anthony Player in
75 MASCHERANO Javier Foul committed
75 KALOU Salomon Foul suffered
75 RIQUELME Juan Cautions (Yellow card)
76 KALOU Salomon Free-kick
78 GERVINHO Shot on goal
79 GERVINHO Shots
80 BAGAYOKO Mamadou Shots
80 Argentina change: AGUERO Sergio Player out, ACOSTA Lautaro Player in
81 DI MARIA Angel Shot on goal
81 DI MARIA Angel Shot on goal
82 KALOU Salomon Offside
85 MOURA-KOMENAN Anthony Shot on goal
86 MONZON Luciano Foul suffered
86 DJA DJEDJE Franck Foul committed
86 MESSI Lionel Shot on goal
86 ACOSTA Lautaro Goal
90 PAREJA Nicolas Foul suffered
90 COULIBALY Kafoumba Foul committed
91 COULIBALY Kafoumba Foul committed
91 MASCHERANO Javier Foul suffered
94 Argentina change: MESSI Lionel Player out, SOSA Jose Player in
Rate the Argentina players in this match:
Goalkeepers USTARI, Oscar Alfredo
Defender MONZON, Luciano Fabián
Defender GARAY, Ezequiel
Defender PAREJA, Nicolás Martín
Defender ZABALETA, Pablo Javier
Midfielder: GAGO, Fernando Rubén
Midfielder: MASCHERANO, Javier Alejandro
Midfielder: RIQUELME, Juan Román
substitute: SOSA, José Ernesto
Forwards: AGÜERO, Sergio Leonel "El Kun"
Forwards: MESSI, Lionel Andrés "Leo" -
Forwards: LAVEZZI, Ezequiel
Substitute: ACOSTA, Lautaro Germán
Substitute: DI MARÍA, Angel Fabián
- What players or plays did you like about this game Argentina 2-1 Ivory Coast? Did you watch it live?