Argentina: The Critics' "Choice"

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With Argentina arriving to South Africa in hopes to crown champion, many of the critics and fanatics are hopeful but then criticizing of the Argentina's national team as individualists and they play their own game, not knowing the definition of a team. As the days go by, the team is proving not only their country, but to the world that they have think and pursue the title of world champion. Juan Sebastian Veron, captain of the Argentine team, is one example because as we can see that with Estudiantes de La Plata he demonstrates the camaraderie in the field and helps out those players in need that is why Diego Armando Maradona trusts him in the midfield for the team in the World Cup. With strikers like Lionel Messi, Diego Milito, Gonzalo Higuain, and Sergio Aguero are the strong point of the team because of their capacity of goal in their respective teams. But what I think about is the lack of motivation from the midfield and up.

The lack of motivation is inserted in the defense because most of the rival teams will see that their defense is slow and erratic at moments because of their lack of velocity and leaving spaces. Their win at the 2008 Olympics were not enough to boost up the team morale because it dealt with many young players like Angel DiMaria, but it wasn't enough to have the winning mentality set for South Africa. Germany 2006 was a long time ago, but we can acknowledge that Argentina has his ups and downs ever since. Argentina got disqualified by Germany in the Quarterfinals, but ever since they have yet to prove the world that they have the ambition of glory to win the World Cup. Maradona coach has to prove to their players that with his leadership skills can make the team move forward such as the last time when he was a player back in 1986.

Maradona has shadowed his image little by little when the years went by, but now is his time to shine and the opportunity to flourish as a professional coach is there to knock for him. One thing left for sure for Argentina is the hope of Lionel Messi's ability to make the team move forward to become world champions. But we have to see that Messi is not an everyman player, he is an individual player that has too much in his shoulders that I think he feels as if he is carrying a thousand pounds in his back. Messi is given in the team to create counter attacks on time, but unfortunately he is not used to that while in Barcelona. The concentration demonstrated ultimately from the midfield and offense, Argentina is the most sharp in attacking, but that is if Argentina studies their rivals' moves.

Other than Messi, Argentina needs to reboot their attacks with Carlos Tevez's explosive attention to the counter attacks, Diego Milito's opportunity to despise their defenders and Sergio Aguero's openness to the midfielders and their rival's spaces. With Sergio Romero's precise reflexes, Argentina's goalkeeping will be fine unless Mariano Andujar proves to Maradona that he is in the national team for a reason. Their defense has to be well-proven that with Nicolas Otamendi's international reputation is grown but it can be understandable but with joining forces with Martin Demichelis and Walter Samuel as the central defenders, it will be cautious because both can make different choices when it comes to their rival's counter attacks and their velocity, but aware of the defense's mistake of not making a penalty shot.

The midfield will be simple to add because with Javier Mascherano and Juan Sebastian Veron attentive as both successful midfielders to take their rivals head to head. While Jonas Gutierrez and Angel DiMaria's goal purpose is inscripted to lead for the strikers to score.

In the qualifiers, Argentina came in fourth but barely making it through because of their inability to focus on their defense but concentrated much on the offensive. But as we all can know that with South Africa, this will be Argentina's final test, and with rivals in Group B with South Korea, Nigeria and Greece, if their team is not constructed well, their building will entirely collapse as a national monument.