Acording to reports in the Italian media, Inter is willing to pay 10 million euros for Velez defender Nicolas Otamendi.

Inter had originally offered 4 million euros.

Telam

El Inter duplicará su oferta inicial por Otamendi para llevárselo en enero

El Inter italiano está dispuesto a desembolsar 10 millones de euros para llevarse a Nicolás Otamendi, el joven defensor de Vélez, en enero próximo, según revelaron hoy distintos medios italianos.

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Jogaram em Montevideo, no estádio Centenário, para um público de 50.000 pessoas, as seleções do Uruguai (25º no ranking da FIFA) e Argentina (6º no ranking da FIFA).
Antes desse jogo, as 2 seleções jogaram:
Copa do Mundo: 2 jogos, 1 vitória para cada lado, 04 gols do Uruguai e 03 gols da Argentina. Click to continue reading...

Fueron dos años que parecieron bastante más. Hoy, uno desde que renucnió Basile. Se lo llama "proceso", "calvario" o sencillamente "eliminatorias". Este es el derrotero argentino en su arduo camino a Sudáfrica 2010, cuando finalmente parece haberse encontrado un arquero (Romero), un reemplazante de Ayala (Demichelis) y un marcador central (Otamendi). Click to continue reading...

After 17 WC qualifying games it all comes down to tonight.

Argentina vs Uruguay. In Montevideo.

In the legendary Centenario stadium.

With both teams needing a good result to qualify to the World Cup.

On the surface it seems that the pressure is really on Uruguay, as they need the win to qualify directly and are playing at home.

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Maradona no le encuentra la vuelta a la conducción de la Selección, prueba (¿prueba?), arma y desarma, convoca y desafecta bajo un concepto difícil de establecer.

Venezuela (4-0): Juan Pablo Carrizo; Javier Zanetti, Marcos Angeleri, Gabriel Heinze; Maxi Rodríguez (m.

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Maradona had the lineup below in today's practice session.

Barring any last minute changes the starting lineup against Uruguay will be:

GK Sergio Romero
D Nicolás Otamendi
D Rolando Schiavi
D Martín Demichelis
D Gabriel Heinze
M Jonás Gutiérrez
M Javier Mascherano
M Juan Sebastián Verón
M Angel Di María
F Gonzalo Higuaín
F Lionel Messi

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Here's a report by TELEFE on the possible starting lineup against Uruguay.

Veron is in. Palermo will be on the bench and Messi will be in the starting lineup no matter what as long as Maradona is the manager.

Demichelis is in. Insua is out.

Maradona will go with 4 central defenders (Demichelis, Schiavi, Otamendi, Heinze) against Uruguay.

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According to a report in Diario AS, Atletico's sporting director will be in Buenos Aires this week to observe Nicolas Otamendi in the WC qualifiers and to also make an offer to Velez for their 21 year old defender.

Velez has reportedly set a transfer price of 9 million dollars for Otamendi.

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It appears that Pipita Higuain will be in the starting lineup against Peru.

A Messi-Higuain partnership is exciting and with the help of Aimar and Di Maria, Argentina's attack will get a boost. There is goal scoring potential with those players on the field.

Hopefully, the national team will get back to scoring goals and winning on Saturday.

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ATLETICO DE MADRID has sent its Football Director Garcia Pitarchto South America to follow (spy) Argentina in its two World Cupqualifiers. The main player on the list is 21 year old VELEZ centraldefender NICOLAS OTAMENDI (below), although a defensivewinger is also a position that needs strengthening. Click to continue reading...

Will Palermo be in the starting lineup?
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The practice sessions have begun for Saturday's must win WC qualifier against Peru.

Maradona called up Estudiantes central midfielder Rodrigo Braña because Mascherano arrived from Liverpool with muscular fatigue and it is not known yet if Masche will be fit for the Peru game.

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Maradona gave the call up list of Argentina based players today and they are:

G Diego Pozo (Colón)

D Nicolás Otamendi (Vélez Sarsfield)
D Rolando Schiavi (Newell's Old Boys)
D Luciano Monzón (Boca Juniors)

M Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes de La Plata)
M Enzo Pérez (Estudiantes de La Plata)
M Mario Bolatti (Huracán)
M Federico Insúa (Boca Juniors)

F Martín Palermo (Boca Juniors)

This is the complete call up for the last two WC qualifiers:

GK Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar)
GK Mariano Andújar (Catania)
GK Diego Pozo (Colón)

D Martín Demichelis (Bayern Munich)
D Nicolás Pareja (Deportivo Espanyol)
D Nicolás Otamendi (Vélez Sarasfield)
D Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City)
D Emiliano Insúa (Liverpool)
D Rolando Schiavi (Newell's Old Boys)
D Luciano Monzón (Boca Juniors)
D Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille)

M Jonás Gutiérrez (Newcastle United)
M Javier Mascherano (Liverpool)
M Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes de La Plata)
M Enzo Pérez (Estudiantes de La Plata)
M Angel Di María (Benfica)
M Pablo Aimar (Benfica)
M Mario Bolatti (Huracán)
M Luis González (Olympique Marseille)
M Federico Insúa (Boca Juniors)

F Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
F Ezequiel Lavezzi (Nápoli)
F Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)
F Diego Milito (Inter Milan)
F Martín Palermo (Boca Juniors)
F Sergio Agüero (Atlético de Madrid)
F Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid)

A few thoughts about the last WC qualifying call up list:

The GK's.

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En un partido que sirvió para reunir cordobeses, aplaudir a Maradona y lesionar a cualquiera, Argentina le ganó a Ghana 2-0 con goles de Martín Palermo que pide pista para las eliminatorias.
No es tan complejo el asunto si sobran centros y bajitos y faltan goles y hombres por delante de Messi. Click to continue reading...

So while the national team manager is on vacation in Italy doing whatever it is that he is doing, Carlos Bilardo is taking charge of the call up list and in reality, the national team, for the upcoming friendly against Ghana.

The players called up will be from the domestic league only.

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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...

Diego Maradona's power is being taken away. Carlos Bilardo is being asked to step in and help with player selection.

Julio Grondona had requested Maradona to avail of Bilardo's advise after the Bolivia drubbing but the manager who won Argentina the 1986 World Cup and helped catapult Maradona to the world stage has been marginalized with little input in the selection.

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He leído la mejor reseña y análisis del Argentina vs Brasil, de lado argentino. Una genialidad de redacción, orden de ideas, pero sobre todo de lucidez futbolística y un sentido crítico necesario cuando las cosas no van.

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