From the country that brought you "Maradona, the coach", even greater wisdom has now conceived the Plan for Argentina to Win the World Cupâ„¢: a virtual petition demanding Messi get the perm job Maradona wore to the '86 Final. I love this; the best people's movement since the petition to bring back Family Guy when it got canceled. Click to continue reading...

On Saturday one group of Argentines abroad got off to a very good start in a new campaign José Luis Brown's national Under 17 team beat Honduras 1-0 in the first match of their age group World Cup in Nigeria. Sergio Araujo scored the only goal of the game. Around the world in the [...] Click to continue reading...

It was a mixed week for Argentines in England Pablo Zabaleta was sent off and Carlos Tevez had to toil on his own up front as Manchester City could only draw 1-1 with Wigan Athletic, and Javier Mascherano and Emiliano Insúa's Liverpool lost in circumstances which were either hilarious or exasperating depending on your [. Click to continue reading...

Most of the heavy favourites have already qualified for the World Cup due next summer in South Africa. Previous World Cup winners such as Brazil, Germany, England, Argentina and Italy (also current WC Winners) all booked their spot in South Africa following a long and arduous road. Some teams such as Argentina have struggled while others such as England have cruised, yet the World Cup stage is a different playing field and previous results will not count.

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The clip above is from Diego Maradona's presser following Argentina's WCQ victory on Wednesday night. To say he was more than a bit smug with regard to his side's qualification is something of an understatement. For those of us that don't speak Spanish, let me provide you with a translation courtesy of my guy JP. Click to continue reading...

Fans of a bit of blue will be happy with the news that Argentina has now finally booked their place at South Africa 2010.
It's not just on their famous striped shirts however that the blue will be found but also coming from the mouth of Diego Maradona if his latest press conference is anything to go by. Click to continue reading...

Late Goal From Supersub Bolatti Puts Argies Into World Cup.
Diego lashes out at journalists:
"They can suck it and carry on sucking it," he fumed in the press conference after the dramatic win. "This is for all Argentines, minus the journalists. Click to continue reading...

This is probably the shortest Argentines Abroad update you're ever likely to read, but after leaving it for such a long time before last week I'm eager not to break the habit. Also, with so few leagues playing during the recent international break, Our Man In Mexico, Tom Clark, has effectively written it for me [. Click to continue reading...

The FIFA U-20 world cup has been taking place in Egypt for the past 2 weeks and tonight we will know two semi-finalists. Korea face off with Ghana while Italy play hungary.

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Ghana is the sole remaining African team and they will have a lot of pressure on their shoulders when they play the Koreans.

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Maradona has Argentina on the Verge of the Untinkable
The grueling 18-game round robin CONMEBOL qualifiers are down to the last two match days. Only two teams, Brazil and Paraguay, have secured their pass to their pass to the finals. Two other teams, Peru and Bolivia, have been eliminated. Click to continue reading...

I want to remember Diego like this...superhuman

I remember the days gone by. Â I remember fondly watching the '86 World Cup (yes 1986) and seeing Diego Maradona lead a powerful Argentinian team to victory. Â It was his coronation. Â Diego was the best player in the world (and not like people claiming his countryman Lionel Messi is.

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Diego Maradona has a penchant for showing the world what happens when infinite hubris and infinite ineptitude meet personal benefit.
According to Argentine sports daily Olé Maradona is flying to Europe to face the players that he once had as indisputable in his previous callups and tell them that they will not be a part of the national team in the upcoming friendly against Ghana on September 30th and in the final two matches in World Cup qualifying play against Peru and Uruguay. Click to continue reading...

When things could not be worse for the Argentine football federation, they did. A group of hackers calling themselves KKR were able to access the federation's website and place a picture of head coach Diego Maradona with a Brazilian jersey. Underneath the still they added "a picture is worth a thousand words. Click to continue reading...

After the 1-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago last night, the United States moves into the top spot in the CONCACAF region for 2010 World Cup qualifying.
While in a position to control their own destiny, Soccer America's Paul Kennedy outlines the scenarios that must play out for the US to secure a bid to South Africa. Click to continue reading...

This is the 17" Macbook Pro of over-the-top goal celebrations. Click to continue reading...

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A full slate of World Cup qualifying matches will kick off around the world on Saturday and no match will have more international interest than Brazil vs. Argentina.

Argentina finds itself in the improbable position of fourth place in the South American World Cup qualifying, just a spot away from missing out on automatically qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

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I want big teams to miss out, which helps the USA next year. What to watch for:
1) Argentina gets tested. Currently 4th place in CONMEBOL, they'll first face Brazil at home. Given the recent form of both teams, that's not an easy match even though they've won it the previous two qualifying cycles. Click to continue reading...

Before Maurizio Pellegrino put on a Liverpool shirt in January 2005, no Argentine footballer had ever played for the club. All that has changed with Rafael Benitez in charge as he has brought in a total of six Argentines over these past five years: Mauricio Pellegrino, Gabriel Palletta, Emiliano Insua, Javier Mascehrano, Sebastian Leto and Gerardo Bruna. Click to continue reading...

When does it become a moral imperative for the government to intervene and head of potential riots?

When it comes to football, specifically Argentinian football. Cristina Fernandez, the PM poured in $155m to head of the debt crisis of the league which had led to a delay of a week in the start of the Apertura.

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Now this is scary. The financials are so bad within the Argentine league that next week's scheduled kickoff has been delayed indefinitely. You know the recent AFL demise began with a suspension of one season and it doesn't look set to recover. I'm not saying it's going to happen but I'm just saying that there is an outside chance it could happen. Click to continue reading...

Zola eyes up top notch talent

The Rumour

West Ham United's determination to strengthen their attack by signing Bayern Munich's Luca Toni and Eidur Gudjohnsen of Barcelona increased as Luis Boa Morte suffered cruciate damage which could rule him out until the new year.

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Friendly matches. They are a bit like marriage. Men pretending to be interested, very little contact and any scoring usually happens by accident. Now and again, the friendly offers up something new and interesting that makes it worthwhile - kind of like when the wife has too much to drink.
Wednesday evening Toronto FC host those wacky Argentines - River Plate, in this year's Carlsberg Cup. Click to continue reading...

Well that's what they say he's going to become, anyway. Javier Pastore, the just-turned-20-year-old hero of Huracán's championship challenge during the Torneo Clausura, was unveiled as the newest signing at Palermo, where he told the press, 'my model is Riquelme.' Elsewhere in Europe, various Argentines played in pre-season friendlies for their clubs, including Javier Mascherano, [. Click to continue reading...

Next season's Argentines Abroad (on which note, the HEGS / MA Award winner will be announced on Thursday) are swelling their ranks in the annual exodus from the banks of the Paraná and Río de la Plata (the rivers of Babyl... I'll stop, shall I? OK). Rodrigo Palacio is finally leaving La Bombonera and Santiago [. Click to continue reading...

The most insane thing about this clip is not the ease with which RSL's Javi Morales lays down arguably one of the longset chips ever on Club America, but the fact that there is an advert for the Jim Rome show in a soccer stadium. Click to continue reading...

If you've not already voted for our Argentines Abroad award, now's the time. Less than 24 hours remaining! Argentina has recently had its own elections, but this week sees the culmination of a far more important one. You've got only six days left to vote, if you haven't already, for your winner in the HEGS / [. Click to continue reading...

By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

South America will see its Copa Libertadores finalists determined this week when the second legs of the semifinals are sorted out with Club Nacional of Montevideo, Uruguay hosting Argentina's Estudiantes de la Plata in the first match-up tonight while tomorrow's all-Brazilian affair has Gremio welcoming Cruzeiro.

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By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

South America will see its Copa Libertadores finalists determined this week when the second legs of the semifinals are sorted out with Club Nacional of Montevideo, Uruguay hosting Argentina's Estudiantes de la Plata in the first match-up tonight while tomorrow's all-Brazilian affair has Gremio welcoming Cruzeiro.

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It's been almost 31 years since Argentina saw themselves in a precarious situation and a shift of venue did all the difference in the world for the eventual world champions back then. A loss to Italy forced the Albiceleste to leave Buenos Aires for Rosario and the confines could not have been better. Click to continue reading...

By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

Copa Libertadores returns to action and its semifinalists will be determined this week as the second legs of he quarterfinals get underway this week with all four matches pretty tight, making the away-goal rule crucial. Brazil has a great chance of having a champion with four of its representatives in the final eight, which would give it its first title since 2006 when Internacional won it.

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By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

Copa Libertadores returns to action and its semifinalists will be determined this week as the second legs of he quarterfinals get underway this week with all four matches pretty tight, making the away-goal rule crucial. Brazil has a great chance of having a champion with four of its representatives in the final eight, which would give it its first title since 2006 when Internacional won it.

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Juan Pietravallo symbolizes what's wrong with RBNY? Perhaps. What about Khano Smith? Is he worth 120K? Probably not. What's certain though is that between those two and Dane Richards there is over $460K in salary cap space just sitting on the bench as if it was waiting for the M60 to LaGuardia to come a whisk it away. Click to continue reading...

Welcome to the Some People Are On The Pitch Confederations Cup 2009 Preview. The tournament starts on Sunday in South Africa and features eight national teams from around the world. While regarded as a minor tournament it has grown in prestige and intensity since its inception in 1992. The coaches will field strong teams and it promises to act as the perfect tonic to football starved fanatics and aficionados of the international game. Click to continue reading...

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By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

With four rounds left, and after almost three years of home-and-away matches among the 10-nation pool of countries in South America, the dust is closely settling on who will make it to South Africa next year and who will stay home and watch it on TV----and there's been little surprise at the outcome.

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By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

With four rounds left, and after almost three years of home-and-away matches among the 10-nation pool of countries in South America, the dust is closely settling on who will make it to South Africa next year and who will stay home and watch it on TV----and there's been little surprise at the outcome.

Click to continue reading...