Inter Milan duo Estaban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti have been omitted from Argentina’s provisional 30-man squad for this summer’s FIFA World Cup. This is despite the fact that the two players have been instrumental in taking the side from Milan into the Champions League final against Bavarian giants Bayern Munich.
The duo were also crucial cogs in the machine which led to Inter Milan shutting down Barcelona’s fluid passing game in the semi-finals and knocking the holders out of the competition. Coach Diego Maradona was ruthless in letting go of the two players raising a few more doubts about the suitability of the Argentine legend as a manager for the national side. Argentina stumbled through qualifying, barely squeaking into an automatic place for the world cup and in the favourites list are behind the likes of Brazil and Spain.
Two English based players in the form of Liverpool’s Maxi Rodriguez and Newcastle United’s Fabricio Coloccini have joined fullback Zanetti and midfielder Cambiasso on the rejected list. From the giants of Spanish football, Fernando Gago from Real Madrid and Gabriel Milito of Barcelona FC have also been left out of the squad due to their limited playing time in the first teams of the top two teams in Spain.
Cambiasso has been in sparkling form recently and the Argentine also helped the national side reach the quarterfinals in 2006. He was at the end of one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup as the national team strung double digit passes before scoring.
Zanetti is a veteran of the 1998 and 2002 World Cups and has a record 136 caps for his country.
Inter Milan players have not been totally excluded however. Brother of Gabriel, Diego Milito and defender Walter Samuel has been drafted into the squad along with Bayern defender Martin Demichelis.
Maradona has been somewhat a maverick and has come across as an indecisive coach having called up more than a 100 players during his year and a half in charge. He also said before a friendly against Haiti last time (which Argentina won 4-0) that those players who would impress in this particular game would be given a chance in the squad.
The beneficiaries from that game seem to be Colon defender Ariel Garce as well as midfielder Juan Mercier. Boca Juniors striker Martin Palermo also finds himself in the preliminary World Cup party. The striker is one of 7 forwards who have been selected in the 30-man squad.
Maradona has been accused of not being able to extract the best from FIFA World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi. Regarding him, the Argentina coach said Messi would be given a central role in the thick of things, “"I don't want him stationed on the [right touch] line. All the balls have to pass through him. I'm going to defend with four centre-backs but I'm also going to have full-backs available in case we need to improve coming out of defence."
Through the luck of the draw, Argentina has been placed in-group B together with Greece, Nigeria and South Korea.
Maradona will further have to reduce the thirty-man squad to 23 players by June the 1st.
The key for Argentina does not seem to be the players as Maradona has at his disposal some of the most talented players in the world. The problem and the issue to be solved rest in the coach himself, how he brings balance to the team and whether he will be able to mould a team together. That really would be the challenge.
Argentina squad: Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Diego Pozo (Colon)
Defenders: Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle), Juan Manuel Insaurralde (Newell's Old Boys), Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes), Ariel Garce (Colon)
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Sebastian Blanco (Lanus), Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes), Jesus Datolo (Olympiacos), Jose Sosa (Estudiantes), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Liverpool), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina), Juan Mercier (Argentinos Juniors), Angel Di Maria (Benfica), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle), Javier Pastore (Palermo)
Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), Diego Milito (Inter Milan), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli).
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