It will take more than a dodgy piece of shellfish to spike the buildup to the Republic of Ireland's prestige friendly against Argentina. Giovanni Trapattoni, the Ireland manager, ate the offending crustacean before, it has been stressed, he came over to Dublin from Italy and, having been taken to hospital in the small hours of this morning as a precaution, he is touch and go to make it to the dug‑out. The 71-year-old was kept in overnight and he will be assessed in the morning. He was described as stable.
It feels, however, as though there are more substantial fish to fry. The game marks the international reopening of Lansdowne Road as a 21st-century stadium; it will provide the Ireland captain, Robbie Keane, with his 100th cap and it will offer the Republic the chance to finetune their preparations for Euro 2012 qualifying ties against Armenia and Andorra next month.
Argentina, meanwhile, continue to smart from their 4-0 World Cup quarter-final defeat by Germany last month. Many of their players have only just returned to pre-season training. They are keen to blow away the cobwebs and to take out their frustrations on Ireland. Yet above everything, perhaps, hovers the shadow of one man.
Diego Maradona might have been dismissed as Argentina's manager after the World Cup finals, against allegations from him of lies and betrayals, but with the Under-20 coach, Sergio Batista, in caretaker charge and a decision on the appointment unlikely before December, nobody can rule out a dramatic return for the nation's icon. "Diego has never gone away," the Argentina Football Association spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo said last week. "Nobody's name is forbidden, nor the support for anyone assured."
Cue headlines of "Sacked Maradona in frame to succeed himself". And just when Ireland wanted to forget about the perpetrators of handball scandals.
All of Argentina's big names are here, except the Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, who has a throat infection. Lionel Messi arrived at 1.30am today, via Catalonia from China, where his club, Barcelona, have been on tour.
"It would have been easy for him to say, 'I can't be bothered, I'm going to be injured or something'," Batista said. "But he didn't. That says a lot about his character. The other players are the same."
Atlético Madrid's Sergio Agüero, who has a knock, is unlikely to feature but has travelled; Gonzalo Higuaín, the Real Madrid striker, is expected to start while Liverpool's Javier Mascherano will wear the captain's armband. Batista said the fans were in for a "real treat". He said: "The players are still hurting from the elimination against Germany. It is a good opportunity to put that out of our system. We are starting a brand new era."
Batista, a World Cup winner in 1986 as a player and an Olympic champion in 2008 as a coach, wants to be given the responsibility to drive this generation up to the next World Cup in Brazil. He appears to be on trial; he will also be in charge for the friendly fixture against Spain next month. Yet he is one of a handful of candidates whom the AFA will consider when it begins what are expected to be lengthy discussions in October. And then there is Maradona.
There has even been talk in Argentina that politicians have pushed for Maradona's reinstatement, knowing it could be a vote winner in 2011, which is election year, especially if he could deliver the Copa América, which is to be held in Argentina and foreshadows the public going to the polls.
Keane will savour tomorrow night's showpiece, having made his international home debut against Argentina at the old Lansdowne Road in 1998. His 15-month-old son, Robbie, will be the mascot and the striker will feel his late father, also Robbie, looking down with pride.
Trapattoni's reaction to his food poisoning might have raised concerns about his long-term fitness for the job but excitement was the overriding sentiment. It should be some occasion.
Ireland (4-4-2): Given; McShane, Dunne, O'Shea, Kilbane; Fahey, Andrews, Green, Duff; Doyle, Keane.
Argentina (4-3-3): Romero; Burdisso, Demichelis, Samuel, Heinze; Banega, Mascherano, Gago; Di María, Higuaín, Messi.
Comments in chronological order (Total 21 comments)
10 August 2010 11:13PM
First!
It will be an interesting game and a fittingly glamorous tie to open the Aviva Stadium (at least for the national side).
I will be focusing on how Romero gets on in goal. First choice largely as a product of the circumstances of his country possessing a paucity of international class keepers, he has been put on the black list by Gertjan Verbeek ie the players who wish to leave AZ train separately from the rest. With Joey Didulica and Esteban Alvarez (best keeper in u20 WC for Costa Rica), there is no guarantee nor need for Romero to come back into the side. Therefore if he puts on a good display tomorrow night, he will be in the shop window for a move abroad.
10 August 2010 11:35PM
Diego...Simeone
10 August 2010 11:40PM
That's giving the Irish a lot of respect, no disrespect for the boys in green. Drop the useless Gago and get Pastore in, who could help connect midfield with the forwards.
Kilbane vs Messi... ugh
11 August 2010 12:13AM
Some occasion, yeah. But it just isn't the same without Marcela.
11 August 2010 12:20AM
I'm gutted Maradona won't be there. He would have got a brilliant reception in Dublin
11 August 2010 12:45AM
I'm sort of glad that Kevin Foley might not play, we at Wolves need him more. Although he deserves a run of games at international level. I hope Doyle only plays a half as well, give Keogh a half (be a nice end to their pre-seasons as well). I hope Keith Andrews plays well, poor decision by MM to ever sell him.
Of course, happy for Keane as well. However, I always thought that the 17yo who turned up at the Molineux in the late 1990s never really developed into what he could have been; a Ballon D'Or.
Owen managed it in 2001 but he was never as good as Keane imo (touch, vision, link-up play. Although Owen was marginally a better finisher). I don't understand where Keane got lost. Maybe it was the Inter move that derailed him. He recovered at Leeds and did well at Spurs in fits. If he had done the business at Liverpool we could have been talking about a real Irish great up there with McGrath, Brady and Roy Keane (I'm not just talking about playing for Ireland but club achievements as well). Great that he has reached 100 caps but he never quite fulfilled his promise for me.
Doesn't it concern Irish fans that Fahey hasn't kicked on at Blues and that Lawrence is so hit and miss. They're obviously both talented and Ireland lack proper creativity. Must be disappointing that Stephen Ireland has created his self-exile. Even more so considering the trials and tribulations of Steven Reid (injuries) and Andy Reid (fat? lazy?).
11 August 2010 1:32AM
Whatever Irish team lines out will 1. most likely do a decent job, 2. probably won't disgrace themselves and 3. probably get narrowly beaten. We will say that they weren't bad and after all, it was Argentina that narrowly beat us, so we should really be ok for the qualifyers.
Same old story. However, I'm not blaming anyone here. Such is the lot of a small country. I wonder does the team sheet come pre-printed with Kilbanes name and ten other blanks?
11 August 2010 5:17AM
Still coming up with those tenuous handball comparisons? Come on now, the competition's over. Ireland were denied a chance to participate but it's hardly the biggest injustice ever perpetrated. Let's all move on.
11 August 2010 6:24AM
Surely, in managerial terms, it should be Trapattoni's shadow whic h looms over everything else.
Argentina did the best thing they could when they kicked out Maradona. His team selections were somewhat mixed up, especially in the qualifiers (which, let's not forget, Argentina really just scraped through) and some of his actions at the WC were also a bit suspect. Batista should prove to be a much better manager.
Oh, and by the way eutherock, those hand ball comparisons cannot be tenuous - it was plain for all to see that it was hand ball! However, I agree, it's about time these "footie-journos" stopped referring to it.
11 August 2010 7:02AM
Great eulogy/criticism of el diego as manager here
11 August 2010 7:04AM
The rest of the world is hoping that Maradona coaches Argentina again because:
(1) Touchline antics
(2) He'll let Argentina play entertaining, fun football
(3) There'll be lots of goals
(4) Argentina will let the rest of the world win everything
11 August 2010 7:43AM
I keep getting this kind of comment from english friends.. and sure, they are probably right. But I think English football fans are the LAST people to be telling anyone to get over controversial handballs...
Bring back Diego!
11 August 2010 8:07AM
Braddus: I'm Scottish. And yes, bring back Diego
11 August 2010 8:51AM
eutherock
Sincere apologies.. would never mean to insult someone like that on purpose.
11 August 2010 8:57AM
Vasajany
10 Aug 2010, 11:35PM
Depends which one doesn't it?
The one that led Estudiantes to their first title in 25 years (helping to re-establish themselves as one of the powerhouses of Argentine football) and then 18 months later led River Plate to their first championship in 4 years.
Or
The one that played a pivotal role in River Plate's first ever bottom of the table finish (20th of 20 - Apertura 2008) and then walked out of San Lorenzo after 1 year due to lack of success and mounting criticism.
11 August 2010 9:37AM
JohnJohnson...
While Gago hasn't developed in the way one would have hoped a few years back, he's nowhere near as useless as he's often made out to be: in fact, he had a perfectly decent spell playing alongside Xabi Alonso in the Real Madrid first team during the second half of last season (agree that Pastore has arguably greater potential though).
Also, from what I've seen of them both, Diego Perotti is ten times the player Di Maria is: anyone's got any ideas as to why he's not in the squad?
Defence, Walter Samuel apart, doesn't look good: Burdisso is a decent centre-back but no full-back. Heinze should be spared the prolonged humiliation of looking out of his depth at this level. Demichelis...sigh... Garay, Ansaldi, Otamendi, Zabaleta, potentially also Forlin should be given the chance to probe themselves.
11 August 2010 9:38AM
ahem... prove themselves...
11 August 2010 11:36AM
@molefromtheministry
This squad was picked by Diego before he was fired/quit/whatever, that's why there is still no Zanetti and Cambiasso. And some names like Zabaleta, Banega and Insua were later added by Bilardo. Then this team was presented before Batista and he was fine with it, as he didn't want to upset anyone.
He's already said that he wants to give more chances to young players like Pastore, Banega, Garay, Insua, Pareja etc... as they'll be playing in the next world cup.
We'll see what squad he selects for the friendly against Spain next month.
Here's to a good game :)
11 August 2010 12:04PM
The best move Argentina could make was to get rid of Maradona, the main reason why they did not win the world cup.
He had a phenomenal generation at disposal but no tactical idea on how to play.
Cambiasso, Zanetti, Samuel and even Milito are too old for the future of Argentinian football.
It is good to move on now, but at the world cup they all would have been very useful if used at all or more.
Batista should just display the generation that won two under 20 world cups in a row. Same line-up, and build on it.
The generation of Messi, Di Maria, Banega, Aguero, Mascherano, Romero, Higuain, Gago, Pastore with Tevez, Zabaleta, Maxi Rodriguez and Burdisso on top of it.
It should not be too difficult.
No more Veron, Riquelme, Palermo, Heinze, Demichelis, etc., please.
A fresh, balanced and talented side that keep ball possession because they have the same quality of Spain but in a different way (less horizontal play and more vertical play).
Mascherano cannot be the only central midfielder (Gago and/or Banega are needed), fullbacks must be good and fit.
11 August 2010 3:00PM
guest1977, whilst the names you mention in the 'new generation' of Argentinian players are undoubtedly wonderful players, you have a look at that list and wonder where the balance in the team is going to come from. Romero really isn't a great keeper, and of the defensive-minded players the only one who really cuts the mustard is Masch.
Until they find some defenders in the Ayala and Samuel mould then I just don't think they'll have enough to win the World Cup. Especially as it's in Brazil...
11 August 2010 4:27PM
-----------------Carrizo------------------
Zabaleta--Garay--Pareja--Ansaldi
-------Mascherano---Banega--------
Messi---------Pastore---------Perotti
--------------Higauin---------------------
That's a team that should get us to the semis at least.