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Tears for Argentina as Riquelme, Tevez and Messi fall under the spell of Brazil

Once again the big-name players failed to produce the goods for the Albicelestes despite their brilliant form up to the Copa America final. Will pragmatism have to replace style?

by 101greatgoals.com on 30 July 2007

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Riquelme in action against Mexico (Gettyimages.com)

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The Copa America of 2007 was a fine advert for South American football. With 86 goals and scintillating football, undoubtedly the team that contributed the most to the spectacle was Argentina – epitomised by Lionel Messi’s goal against Mexico in the semi-final.

Rarely do Brazil go into a final as second favourites. Yet this Argentinian side had swept all beside them on the way to the final, scoring 16 goals in five games, and the football played by Messi, CarlosTevez, Juan Riquelme and the rest was some of the finest seen in recent years. So why did Argentina bottle it (again)?

In the final they missed the presence of target-man Hernan Crespo. Messi, Tevez and Riquelme were all muscled off the ball throughout the game and they lacked a focal point in attack.

'Is it better to have a team that plays beautiful football but fails to win trophies?'

This generation of Argentinian players seem to go missing in big games. At the last Copa in 2004, the 'Albicelestes' played the best football and lost to an under-strength Brazilian side in the final. And at the 2006 World Cup, the whole world salivated over their stylish football but they failed to progress past Germany in the quarters.

No-one epitomises this sense of anti-climax more than Riquelme. The play-maker who pulled the strings for five games leading up to the final (scoring five goals) froze in the final on the big occasion.

Argentina is split by two football philosophies. Some follow the approach proffered by 1978 World Cup winning coach Cesar Luis Menotti, who was known for playing an expansive, attractive type of football. Others preach the pragmatic, more ruthless style played under Carlos Bilardo, who won the World Cup in 1986.

Current coach Basile, and former coach Pekerman, are both known as 'Menottistas'. Following the win over Peru in the quarters, Basile said: “It’s not just about winning. You can simply win a game, but to win the way we are doing makes me proud.”

Brazil’s 3-0 win has hit hard. Esteban Cambiasso said after the game: “We’re totally ruined. Losing like this hurts your soul.” In the next few years Argentina’s football soul will grapple with one of the most common and unanswerable questions to afflict the beautiful game. Is it better to have a team that plays beautiful football but fails to win trophies or is it all about having a pragmatic team that can close out a game and win tournaments?

Read more and keep up to date with all the latest goals at 101greatgoals.com

Comments (9)

by Redcard on July 16, 2007

Argentina attacked as if they were playing a second class team but against Brazil you cant forget your defense. A defensive error followed by a bad luck goal gave Brazil a 2-goal lead and it was all over. Personally I think it was a stratigic error on part of Argentinas coaching staff.

by Augusto on July 17, 2007

Brazil's loss in WC 82 was bad for the sport. That loss raised the same questions asked now. Brazil was never the same after that. Argentina has not adjusted to this reality yet. As a fan of Brazil, I admire the way the argentinians play, and hope that they will not change and be successful using skills and making football a spectacle that it deserves to be. Unfortunately, Italy succeeded many times with "results style football", and talentless teams know that it is easier to copy that, than to ever achieve the virtuoso performances that brazilians and argentinians can offer.

by dilshadmehar on July 17, 2007

THE ONE AND ONLY REASON- LACK OF CRESPO, THEN ONE MORE, WHY DID THEY FALL IN PRESSURE ALWAYS, AGAINST BRAZIL?

by VICTOR on July 19, 2007

I for one wasnt surprised to see brazil beat Argentina. If we study the latest history of both teams over the years along with Mexico, you will see that argentina always beats mexico, mexico tends to beat brazil while brazil have annihalated argentina in two of the last three finals the've played in germany's confederation cup 4-1, lost on penealties after beign 3-1 up with 7mins remaining and this recent spanking

by Ali Saeed on July 20, 2007

There is no surprise about Brazil winning against Argentina....because they are still the best in soccer

by V Wilson on July 25, 2007

It is truly a crying shame but the beautiful game has become a prisoner to Italian style pragmatism at the same time sacrificing that which is beautiful about the game. Remember 1970 when pragmatism was handed a sound whipping in the World Cup final. NO! NO! NO! I say. Do not let the pragmatists and negative tacticians continue to destroy the game. Soccer is about scoring goals and creating the opportunities to score goals. I am tired of the terrible influence that nations like Italy with their success playing dull pragmatic and overly technical defensive football have had on football. Do we want to see 0-0 or 1-0 results or 3-2 or 4-3 results in a sport where scoring opportunities has been replaced by diving and not one but two defensive holding midfielders destroying the flow and charm of the game? Take back the game to the late sixties or seventies where total football and three attackers was the common tactics. I remember Bundesliga games in the Beckenbauer age that would end 7-5. WOW! now that

by L Asrat on July 27, 2007

There is nothing wrong with Brazil tactics. They played a smart game. What has chnaged in soccer is that it is a game where there is no give; every opportunity is used to be capitalized. Dunga's tactics were better than te offense they encountered and the Argentine offense and coachinf staff should have figured out a way to counter. Soccer is no longer a game of leisure; that i agree with; offenses have a lot to overcome, and I think that is a good challenge.

by Jim on July 28, 2007

Eh, Pardon, are you due for a psychoanalysis treatment?

by Nick on July 28, 2007

Any sport competion is about winning and not about romance or playing the V Wilson way. The tactician job is to put together a winning combination and formulating the right stradegy to match the resources he has at his disposal.