They are one of South America’s football giants, and they will have a lot to prove. As they are hosting the competition all eyes will be on them and the obligation to win will be a tremendous pressure on the players.
Argentina and Uruguay are the two leading nations of the competition having both won 14 Copa America titles. But this year for Argentina the challenge is higher: if they win, not only will they take the lead over their neighbor but they will end 18 years without a serious title.
Argentina is the only nation to have won three Copa America in a row (1945,1946,1947). It was at the time when Norberto Mendez was leading la Albiceleste attack. He is in fact the tournament’s all-time goalscorer.
After a disappointing World Cup last year, Diego Maradona was replaced by Sergio Batista. As a coach, Batista main achievement has been to win a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics with Argentina. From the moment he took over his former team mate, Batista said he wanted to take full advantage of Lionel Messi by building a team that would copy Barcelona’s style. The Copa America will decide if he will be Argentina’s coach for the next world cup or not.
Batista will count on his captain, Javier Mascherano, to motivate his team. The Barcelona player and recent winner of the Champions League had to face a few critics about his capacity as a player, but his passion for the National Team and his strong headed personality made him a leader in the team.
No doubt that Mascherano will serve as a mentor for his teammate, Lionel Messi. Indeed if Messi is regarded as a genius all over the world, it is not the case in Argentina. It seems that the more he wins in Spain and the further away he becomes from his nation. His performances in the last world cup didn’t help the fans to change their minds.
Argentineans tend to prefer Carlos Tevez. The Manchester City player nearly became a folklore hero in his country. It is said that Batista doesn’t like him and never wanted to call him for the Copa America squad, but he did fearing the public’s backlash.
Neverthless, as it is often the case in South America, football is higher than individuals and winning is higher than football. Therefore, Argentina, with or without Tevez and with or without a good Lionel Messi, has to win this Copa America. If they don’t the consequences might be terrible for some people like Batista and Messi.
The Squad:
(Three outfield players still to be cut from this preliminary squad, Batista due to announce his decision on June 26th.)
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar, HOL), Juan Pablo Carrizo (River Plate, ARG), Mariano Andújar (Catania, ITA).
Defenders: Gabriel Milito (Barcelona, ESP), Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid, ESP), Nicolás Burdisso (Roma, ITA), Javier Zanetti (Inter, ITA), Nicolás Pareja and Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow, RUS), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City, ENG), Luciano Monzón (Boca Juniors, ARG).
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona, ESP), Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht, BEL), Ever Banega (Valencia, ESP), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter, ITA), Javier Pastore (Palermo, ITA), Diego Valeri (Lanús, ARG), Enzo Pérez (Estudiantes de La Plata, ARG), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid, ESP).
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona, ESP), Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid, ESP), Sergio Agüero (Atlético Madrid, ESP), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli, ITA), Carlos Tévez (Manchester City, ENG), Diego Milito (Inter, ITA).
Group stage:
Bolivia on the 1 of June in La Plata
Colombia on the 6 of June in Santa Fe
Costa Rica on the 11 of June in Córdoba
Statistics
FIFA ranking: 5
Appearances in the Copa America: 38
Copa America best: 14 time champions
Last Copa America: lost in the final against Brazil 3-0
