Olympic Mens Football

[ovechkin8]

Just a matter of eight weeks away I think. Pity its held in such a poluuted environment which will benefit no athlete.

I know the tourney is held with disdain here in the UK by many but for most countries its an oppurtunity to blood their promising kid s& see how they fare.

Many a youngster in recent times from 1996 has gone on from the tournament to find fame & fortune.

The groups are:
Group A Argentina Ivory Coast Australia & Serbia
Group B Holland Nigeria Japan USA
Group C Brazil China Belgium NZ
Group D Italy Cameroon Honduras South Korea

The holders are Argentina & previous finals inc.a memorable comeback for Cameroon against Spain in 2000 in Athens.

Full details:
www.fifa.com/mensolympic/index.html

Argentina squad is:
Goalkeepers:
Oscar USTARI (Getafe) Sergio ROMERO (AZ Alkmaar)

Defenders:
Pablo ZABALETA (Espanyol), Ezequiel GARAY (Real Madrid, Federico FAZIO (Sevilla), Nicolás BURDISSO (Internazionale)Luciano MONZÓN (Boca Juniors)

Midfielders:
Fernando GAGO (Real Madrid) Ever BANEGA (Valencia) Javier MASCHERANO (Liverpool), Juan Román RIQUELME (Boca Juniors) Angel DI MARÍA (Benfica) José SOSA (Bayern Munich)Diego BUONANOTTE (River Plate)

Forwards:
Lionel MESSI (Barcelona) Ezequiel LAVEZZI (Napoli) Lautaro ACOSTA (Sevilla) Sergio AGÜERO (Atlético Madrid).

Coach is the bearded midfielder of the 80s Checho Batista who will be playing around with some unusual formations for an Argentina side namely 4-2-2-2 the formation used by Brazil in 1970.

Surprise is Acosta recently signed by Sevilla ahead of the likes of Higuain, Zarate, Escudero & Cavenaghi or Denis. There is no real out & out striker ie a number 9 & the front line will be small butvery gifted.

Acosta will play wide right with Messi in a central role & di Maria far more talented(Arsenal bound perhaps) on the left.

Players like Dimichelis & Gonzalo were not allowed to go because clubs like Bayern & Villareal think they are bigger than national associations. Wankers.

And unfortunately Barca are trying to stop Messi too fat chance. If they keep persisting he will move make no mistake about it. They need him far more than he needs them.

Monzon is a talented young left back who Boca are also trying to prevent playing in this case because they fear he will be signed by several top European clubs who are tracking him.

The left back berth seems to be far less of a problem now with the emergence of Monzon & Ansaldi with Insua also at Liverpool.

Funny thing about the 'fixed' draw is China will be in with Brazil & yet again Brazil have an easy group.

[MagicalUnited]

back in my homeland they take the olympics quite seriously.

Cmon Messi and Co!!

[officergroyman]

[glow=BLACK,6,600]COME ON U.S.A.[/glow]

[Golden_Boy™]

That's some squad, even if Messi doesn't make it.

[MagicalUnited]

Riquelme!


the king is back! ;D

[Golden_Boy™]

Brazil Squad:

Goalkeepers: Diego Alves (Almeria), Renan (Internacional). Defenders: Ilsinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Rafinha (Shalke), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Alex Silva (Sao Paulo), Breno (Bayern Munich), Thiago Silva (Fluminense).
Midfielders: Anderson (Manchester United), Diego (Werder Bremen); Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Lucas (Liverpool), Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona), Thiago Neves (Fluminense).
Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Jo (Manchester City), Rafael Sobis (Real Betis), Robinho (Real Madrid).

Ronaldinho & Robinho called up by Dunga!

[El Morto La Hoja!]

Jul 5, 2008 11:43:38 GMT -1 MagicalUnited said:

back in my homeland they take the olympics quite seriously.

Cmon Messi and Co!!

Manchester....

[MagicalUnited]

Jul 9, 2008 10:06:45 GMT -1 El Morto La Hoja! said:

Jul 5, 2008 11:43:38 GMT -1 MagicalUnited said:

back in my homeland they take the olympics quite seriously.

Cmon Messi and Co!!

Manchester....

father is Argentinian, despite the fact i was born in Manchester i still consider Argentina as my home

[MagicalUnited]

Jul 8, 2008 22:32:10 GMT -1 Golden_Boy™ said:

Brazil Squad:

Goalkeepers: Diego Alves (Almeria), Renan (Internacional). Defenders: Ilsinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Rafinha (Shalke), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Alex Silva (Sao Paulo), Breno (Bayern Munich), Thiago Silva (Fluminense).
Midfielders: Anderson (Manchester United), Diego (Werder Bremen); Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Lucas (Liverpool), Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona), Thiago Neves (Fluminense).
Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Jo (Manchester City), Rafael Sobis (Real Betis), Robinho (Real Madrid).

Ronaldinho & Robinho called up by Dunga!

Anderson

[El Morto La Hoja!]

Jul 9, 2008 12:54:44 GMT -1 MagicalUnited said:

Jul 9, 2008 10:06:45 GMT -1 El Morto La Hoja! said:

Manchester....

father is Argentinian, despite the fact i was born in Manchester i still consider Argentina as my home

eventhough its not.....

[MagicalUnited]

Jul 9, 2008 12:55:27 GMT -1 El Morto La Hoja! said:

Jul 9, 2008 12:54:44 GMT -1 MagicalUnited said:

father is Argentinian, despite the fact i was born in Manchester i still consider Argentina as my home

eventhough its not.....

i am half Argentinian/half Manc. Wow thats a weird mix lol

[El Morto La Hoja!]

Jul 9, 2008 13:00:51 GMT -1 MagicalUnited said:

Jul 9, 2008 12:55:27 GMT -1 El Morto La Hoja! said:

eventhough its not.....

i am half Argentinian/half Manc. Wow thats a weird mix lol

Do you Tango to the Stone Roses...?

[MagicalUnited]

lol, imagine that.

I wish United had more Argentinians though, only Tevez .

i say sign up Sergio Aguero! ;D

[El Morto La Hoja!]

well you never know, i'm sure they'll have scouts watching the Olympic team.

[ovechkin8]

They could not afford him Mort ! Buy out clause is £35M.

Do you listen to Argentine bands NMR ? Like Bersuit ?

Anyway little hitler Mourinho has prevented Burdisso going. Nicolas Pareja of Anderlecht has been called up.

Burdisso may be joining Villareal in response. FIFA need to step in & punish these clubs. Kudos to Real Madrid who have allowed all their called up players to go.

[Golden_Boy™]

Ronaldinho Going To The Olympics Without Permission

Ronaldinho has decided to go to the Olympic Games with Brazil and will ignore Barcelona's orders for him not to in order to to play in the Champions League qualifiers.

The troubled superstar has vowed to rediscover his fitness and form in order to appear in China even though the Blaugrana have said that he cannot go.

That move will heap more pressure on the club at a time when matters off the pitch are overshadowing all others and Ronaldinho knows that he could gain public sympathy.

"I feel very positive and I am not thinking about anything that is not good," he told a press conference. "I am imagining myself at the Games doing good, playing well and bringing back the gold medal.

"I am going to give special attention to my training and preparation. I am focussed on the work that I will carry out with Professor Paixao.

"I have great confidence that I will go the Olympics in good shape and that is a great motivation to train. I have not played for a long time and I really do miss it.

"That is why I want to work hard and be ready and I am not thinking about if someone is going to stop me or try and block me from going to Beijing."

Ronaldinho has been told by Barcelona that he can leave the club and that has influenced his decision to ignore their demands to not go to the Olympics.

Over the past two seasons, the Brazilian's former and weight have fallen away as he has missed numerous training sessions at Barça after being allowed to choose when he attended team sessions.

Now he is keen to bounce back and a strong showing in China may earn him the move he wants, after seeing his dream move to AC Milan fail to materialise yet.

[Neko Bazu]

Jul 9, 2008 21:06:03 GMT -1 ovechkin8 said:

FIFA need to step in & punish these clubs. Kudos to Real Madrid who have allowed all their called up players to go.

The Olympic games don't fall under FIFA's jurisdiction, so the clubs have no obligation in any way to release players for it.

That said, I do agree that the clubs are morally wrong to prevent it - much as I know the clubs have to look after their own interests, how many players could say no to the opportunity to win an Olympic Gold Medal? (And yes, that warrants the capitalisation!)

[ovechkin8]

I'm sure it is under FIFA jurisdiction in part which should obligate clubs to release players.

That said Real Madrid are not the saints I painted them to be.

They have refused to release Robinho & Heinze who was reserve for Burdisso hence the choice of Pareja.

Schalke are also refusinng to release Rafinha. And of course Dinho is going against Barca's wishes but he'll soon be at AC Milan anyway.

And why should these players not have the chance to win a gold. Tevez & Mascherano rate it as one of their career highlights.

[MagicalUnited]

Burdisso is class

[ovechkin8]

He's combative UNMR dcent threat at set pieces but Gonzalo Rodriguez , Ezequiel Garay are far better & must be in the 2010 team with Dimichelis as a sweeper.

And young Fernando Meza looks to be a superstar defender in the making.

u20s beat Paraguay twice & the u17 drew with Chile but won on penalties.

Salvio(Lanus) was superb & Cristaldo(Velez) looks like a young Ronaldo but plays both as winger & striker.

Also Zucculini was superb as the DM. Masche watch out.