I was in Nashville the past two days with the US National team to watch them train and visit with their coaching staff, and the trip culminated with watching their 1-0 defeat versus Paraguay.
I know that this cliche is used a lot in the game, but it certainly was not a fair result - the US carried the game in regards to possession and scoring chances, and did everything but score.

Short, left-footed, technically gifted Argentines are a hot commodity in the world of football. Beginning with the unrivaled trickery of Diego Maradona twenty years ago to the present day footballing wizard that is Lionel Messi, there is something to the reputation that warrants investigation. A third player in a similar mold has been brought to attention in recent weeks: a superbly gifted.

What do you celebrate 25 years of infamy with? Champagne? Narcotics? Dictators? There are just so many options.

By FRANCO PANIZO

It may have been a draw, but it probably felt like a loss for Argentina.

Argentina kicked off the 43rd edition of the Copa America in unconvincing fashion at home on Friday night, needing a spectacular finish from substitute Sergio Aguero to tie Bolivia, 1-1.

So I'm taking this chance to get a post out before my internet breaks again (this is the first time in a bit I've had any.)

I took the opportunity to watch Tino play his (correct me if I'm wrong) first Argentina game against Nigeria in Abuja mid-week. The line-up fielded by Los Albiceleste was largely second-string, as most of the first teamers were rested with the Copa America in mind.

It seems like only yesterday I was posting my first thoughts via the tongue & cheek MLS Manifesto. The major gripe? As a Kansas City Spurs, err Wiz, err Wizards, err Sporting, supporter, I had grown up watching my heroes plod about in a cavernous and always empty American football stadium, Arrowhead.

Esteban Cambiasso's goal against Serbia and Montenegro during World Cup 2006 was the culmination of an amazing 25-man passing move culminating in the combative midfielder slammed the ball home with aplomb.

This summer, In The Stands will trail through the football archives and bring together the greatest goals and moments in football history as wet your appetite for the upcoming new season.

Argentina has an envious cast of players that most national teams would love to have, but that collection of world-class talent once again failed to perform for the albiceleste.

Argentina tied Colombia, 0-0, on Wednesday night, leaving the albiceleste with two points from two games.

Or rather, 'Argentines in Spain and Portugal,' with a few quick additions, since there wasn't a lot to write home about elsewhere aside from Carlos Tevez's goal in the FA Cup. Ben Shave and David Cartlidge, though, are here to ... Continue reading →

Over the past couple of football seasons in Britain speculation has been rife with regards to league structures. Unpopular attempts to try and have a 39th game in the Premier League and restructure the SPL left me thinking. Does the layout of a league make football better and more exciting or is it simply the football itself that ignites a season.

Everybody is back in action now. Well, not everybody, but almost everybody that is normally televised in America. You know, except the Americans. And the Argentines, I suppose. Still, most everybody is back now. The television schedule is pretty full up again, anyway.

Despite the fact that almost everybody is back, there are no matches this weekend between WCR Top 25 Clubs.

It was billed as Lionel Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo and both men stepped up to the plate to prove that yes these two are most definitely the best player's in the World by a Country mile right now, but it was Messi who clinched it for Argentina at the death when he rolled his spot-kick past the Portugal keeper to give the Argentines a famous 2-1 win in Geneva.

It was an understated weekend last week for Argentines in the world's leagues, and as such I've really only got some words from our contributors, for the most part. This post is late going up, by the way, because after ... Continue reading →

In the ninth episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam, Dan, Dan and Seba talk about River Plate and Olimpo, the league leaders who are also battling against relegation. The non-Argentines also field a question on how they came to support ... Continue reading →

This weekend sees Argentina face the United States of America in a friendly on Saturday, so this week's Argentines Abroad acts as a bit of a prelude to that, in many ways. One player not included in Sergio Batista's squad ... Continue reading →

I wasn't going to write a post on this match, but feel compelled after seeing it live and close to the pitch at the Meadowlands last night. This is one where the box score sort of tells you what happened:
Stats Summary: USA/ARG
Shots 7/13
Shots on goal 4/6
Saves 5/3
Corner Kicks 2/6
Fouls 12/9
Honestly, I didn't even realize that the U.

photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - When head coach Bob Bradley told Timmy Chandler that he'd be entering the U.S. national team's match against Argentina for his international debut, the 20-year-old right back's reaction was not one of a newcomer getting ready to face the best player in the world in Lionel Messi in his first cap.

Saturday night was a great moment for the United States National Team. A scrappy, all-hands-on-deck-performance from the red, white, and blue secured a 1-1 draw with South America powerhouse, Argentina. The U.S. did not dominate, control possession, nor trouble the Argentines for long stretches of the game, but, as the game of soccer goes, found that one magic moment where youngster Juan Agudelo pounced on a spilled save and brought the Americans equalizing euphoria.

Photos by Howard C. Smith/ISIPhotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

Maurice Edu and Jermaine Jones will be returning to starting roles with their respective club teams this weekend, but as far as the U.S. men's national team goes, neither has locked down a starting spot.

By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

The Copa Libertadores group phase winds down over the next week as the final matchday approaches. With six sides through and 20 teams still battling for the 10 available spots into the knockout round, this has become one of the more exciting conclusions to the group stage in recent memory.

There wasn't a great deal of Argentine action last weekend, which is part of the reason this edition of Argentines Abroad is going online so late. Carlos Tevez hobbled out of Manchester City's Premier League game against Liverpool early on ... Continue reading →

Most Newcastle fans were surprised when both Argentines Coloccini and Gutierrez stayed with Newcastle, when the team was relegated two years ago. Coloccini challenges Wayne Rooney on Tuesday night We didn't think Newcastle could keep Coloccini, who was reported to be on a massive £70K/week at Newcastle, and who can afford a player that expensive [.

By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

Chile's Universidad Catolica, Brazil's Fluminense and Argentina's Velez Sarsfield put themselves in prime position to advance to the quarterfinals with favorable results in this week's first legs of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16 stage.

I wasn't going to write a post on this match, but feel compelled to after seeing it live last night at the Meadowlands. This is one where the box score kinda sorta tells you what happened:
Stats Summary: USA/ARG
Shots 7/13
Shots on goal 4/6
Saves 5/3
Corner Kicks 2/6
Fouls 12/9
Honestly, I didn't even realize that the U.

We've a new correspondent on Argentines Abroad this week, to give us a more in-depth view of Italy's Serie A, in which there was some decent Argentine action this week. In Spain, Sergio Agüero scored yet again for Atlético Madrid, closing ... Continue reading →

This week saw confirmation on Tuesday that two Argentines Carlos Tevez and Pablo Zabaleta will feature in next season's European Cup; at least assuming Tevez stays with Manchester City, who beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 to confirm a top ... Continue reading →

By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

Argentina's Velez Sarsfield and Uruguay's Penarol each have a step into the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores after their shutout wins in the home legs of their quarterfinal ties.

Santos, the lone Brazilian team remaining in the field, got a vital away victory in Colombia, and Mexico's Jaguares needed a little English flavor to equalize at the last minute in this week's other first-leg quarterfinal matches.

- Maxi Rodriguez

It was 2:30 in the afternoon and I was crying.

Mind you, not like the dignified "Crying Indian" who sheds a single tear, or the stereotypical strong-men of old westerns who cleared their throats and sniffled with a quiet poise.

The domestic football season has now come to an end across Europe, and also in Mexico. Argentines have been key to the denouements of leagues and cups across western Europe, so here's the rundown of who's won what from ... Continue reading →

Everybody is back in action now. Well, not everybody, but almost everybody that is normally televised in America. You know, except the Americans. And the Argentines, I suppose. Still, most everybody is back now. The television schedule is pretty full up again, anyway.

Despite the fact that almost everybody is back, there are no matches this weekend between WCR Top 25 Clubs.

Classic Copa América: 1993 Final, 4th of July. Mexico v Argentina, Estadio Monumental, Guayaquil, Ecuador. (Commentating by Phil Schoen. 1st half highlights here)

Argentina's #9, Gabriel Batistuta (aka Batigol) thought he stole the show midway through the second half, however, it was Mexico's Benjamin Galindo who made things even with a cool penalty, smoothly touching it past Sergio Goycochea, a keeper that made his reputation based on his penalty-saving abilities.

By FRANCO PANIZO

It took longer than expected, but Argentina finally had a reason to celebrate.

Argentina recorded its first win of the Copa America, topping Costa Rica, 3-0, on Monday night in the final match of Group A. The victory advanced the albiceleste to the quarterfinals as it finished in second place of the group with five points.

News in the Express that new Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini is hoping the Newcastle captaincy will assist him in regaining his place in the Argentina squad. Fabricio Coloccini - eyeing Argentine return Coloccini was unlucky to be omitted from the Argentine squad for last summer's World Cup but it looked like the Argentines could have [.

Awesome recovery here. Might be the best fake to occur beyond the bedroom of an unhappy marriage this year.

Sorry everyone. Sunday evening and the subsequent couple of days have been busy. Argentines Abroad will be online on Wednesday, but first things first: it's very late on Tuesday night here, and I've still not put the Sunday goals and the ... Continue reading →

Balls Out for the UEFA Champions League

Tues 13 September 2011

Group E:

Chelsea-Leverkusen (Stadium: Stamford Bridge, London): The Blues should win at home, despite not being quite settled: seems like they're still adjusting to new manager Andre Villas-Boas, the Fernando Torres situation is still unclear, especially after AVB sat him for the entire match over the weekend; and it's same old guys at the core of the squad (Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole).

It was another packed weekend in which Argentines around the world had a big say in footballing matters, so here's another dose of Argentines Abroad. Sergio Agüero hit a hat-trick for Manchester City, Fernando Belluschi for Porto and Javier Pastore ... Continue reading →

This week's Argentines Abroad is late, thanks to the midweek round of matches here in Argentina keeping me busy. Better late than never, though. As well as Lionel Messi's hat-trick in Barcelona's 8-0 demolition of Osasuna, we've got videos of ... Continue reading →

With the possible absence of both teams' playmakers, the personnel and tactics chosen by coaches Sigi Schmid and Frank Klopas are particularly important factors for the U.S. Open Cup final (10 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer.)
Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America reports on the coaches and teams that will be on display in tonight's US Open Cup Final.

As Tim Howard returns to his native New Jersey, we look back on one of the finest performances of his professional career for club and country.
On June 4, 2008, the U.S. faced No.1-ranked Argentina in front of nearly 80,000 fans. With the skies opening up, Howard stood tall against Lionel Messi and the talented Argentines, making several fine saves in en route to earning Budweiser Man of the Match honors.