After coming to the Argentine national team with a great deal of pomp, Diego Maradona is slowly backing himself into a corner. Although his team won a critical match against Colombia, his two upcoming matches could place him in a situation where not even his legendary feats and god-like status in the austral nation can get him out of.
All the things were in place for Argentina to bounce back from that historic drubbing in La Paz. The home fans were electric despite the temperature being in the upper 40's. Add to that the fact that the River Plate was whipping in a vicious cold wind that would freeze tears. The fans were the ones that made the environment and gave their unconditional love to their team. They were the ones that willed their team to victory although they did so at a price.
Cata-lyst
Even though Argentina found themselves in a grudge match, with a starting goalkeeper making his first-ever cap, and backline that seemed in shambles for most of the game; it was these two that bailed Maradona at the end of the day. Mariano Andújar saved the Argentine goal on various occasions in the first half when Colombia were out-executing their respective gameplan. Then came the second half when on a set piece, the home side would take advantage and Daniel Díaz would save the day for Maradona. Also Maradona will have to send referee Rene Ortube a nice Christmas card after the Bolivian ref did not blow two clear penalty calls that culd have changed the game drastically in favor of the visiting Colombians. The unlikely scoring hero avoiding the worst possible scenarion for Argentina. A draw at home to a team on the ropes like Colombia would have been disastrous. Still the performance that the gave on Saturday, left Maradona's image even more tarnished and the team still with more questions than answers.
The Promised One?
When Diego Maradona took over for Alfio Basile at the end of last year dreams of sugarplums and Jules Rimet trophies danced in the heads of various Argentine football fans as well as the infinite talking heads that cover the national team there. There were dreams of the Albiceleste playing England and Maradona jumping out of a phonebooth with his superhero outfit on. He would grab the ball and once again dribble past nine Englishmen and score on Peter Shilton. That was the dream that many Argentines had. There were also people that had scratched their heads as they remembered how well his first two coaching stints went. People knew that he was a wild card. He was a coach that was on the edge of complete brilliance or complete lunacy. When you start to look at lunacy, maybe the first place to look at is at the top. Julio Grondona should not have followed the whims of certain parts of the Argentine media that are usually defend their arguments with ferocious bellicosity.
Which player would not like to play for El Diego?
He is a living tall tale to many of the Argentine players on this team as they were either too young to truly appreciate his heroics with the national or (as is the case with players like Lionel Messi and Sergio Agüero) they have only seen his goal against England on YouTube. In Argentina, Maradona exceeds any and all sports figures by a country mile. He is adored in Argentina like no other athlete in an other country in the world. There is no doubt that is he is the greatest (whether he is 1, 1A, or 1B is irrelevant); but his antics off the pitch were always overshadowed by his greatness on it.
If there was a player that is respected by this generation of Argentine footballers, Diego is at the top of the list. He was the promise of a new way of leading a group of stars. He was the one that knew how players needed to be coddled. He knew what these players needed. He knew how to get the best out of all of the big names he had at his disposal. He was the Formula One driver they needed to properly drive this Ferrari. He was being marketed as the man with the plan after years of being critical of coaches ever since he ungraciously was removed from the national team back in 1994.
Then came the reality check. At a time when Hope and Change became the clamor all over the world, Maradona took that MO and ran with that. Little did fans know that was a double-edged sword that could affect the team. Maradona was not a coach, he was the players' friend. He was one that allowed them some freedome to express themselves on the pitch. He wanted to have a group of players that played a fluid style of play. He wanted a group of players that were on the small page. To this day they don't know what this style is or what page they should all be on.
What is the message?
All this time, no one has mentioned what is the true problem with the national team. Although history always goes back and talks about the 1986 squad as being Maradona+10, there was one thing that that squad had- unity. Things weren't rosy for that side as they had to get to Mexico '86 via a playoff with Australia. The team was on a horrid run of form but they were able to right the ship eventually. The team was committed to the ultimate goal.
Fast forward 23 years and you see an Argentine side full of names and not players. A team that would be a dream for a Florentino Pérez to have. Messi, Agüero, Tevez, Mascherano, Rodríguez, Verón, Zanetti- on paper, Argentina seems like a fantasy league side. Yet they step onto the pitch and there is no particular direction that the team heads in unison. The coach, the man that should speak for the 23 players on the squad gives only speeches about hell, fire, and brimstone. He is a good cheerleader and is able to appeal to a player's manhood prior to stepping on to any pitch; but that only goes so far. The Albiceleste embody a modern national team- 23 players that get together two days before a match. Either the players do not understand whatever tactical message that Maradona (or Bilardo, or Mancuso) are preaching... or they are always in awe of having El Diego coach and coddle them during every FIFA international break. Argentina has become a circus of sorts. The chaos that Maradona brings to every country The entourage that is his team and his ever-expanding family. The unabashed appearances that little Benjamin (more famous for being Maradona's grandson than Agüero's son) makes all the time when the national team comes out.
Just because he is national team coach now, doesn't mean that Maradona is not a polarizing figure. Despite his consensus iconic status with all fans in Argentina, his diplomacy skills have been sharpened. Right now he is currently fighting way too many battles on various fronts. He is still fighting to get former Albiceleste teammate Oscar Ruggeri to become part of his coaching staff despite the thumbs down from AFA president Julio Grondona and his son.
His most recent battle with River Plate saw his explosive nature emerge once again. The fact that he even mentioned the fact that he would look at the possibility of moving the national team matches to another venue because of the poor state of El Monumental's pitch. In this particular battlel not only did he not win more enemies, he also showed his disdain for the Millionarios. Although he was right in protesting at the fact that River Plate hosted two concerts in a span of 72 hours- three days prior to the Colombia match should have made him mad. To see the pitch painted green in order to cover the bald spots left by the teeny boppers that shreiked at the sight of the Jonas Brothers. These were the remains after the long-awaited Pericos farewell concert. But to criticize River Plate's maintainance was not a smart move. He was right, but there were other avenues that he could have used. Yet he is accustomed to going to the press in his pseudo-populist mentality. That is his weapon. This is the way he gets things done and gains his allies (as well as enemies).
Maradona needs to stop talking about the performance of others. Outside of the 4-0 win against Venezuela, the national team is still at the same level prior to Basile resigning. There have not been any great performances. I am talking about the type of performances that a team with this type of roster should give on a frequent basis.
Maybe it was the opponent... maybe it was the result in La Paz a few days later that skewed game's evaluation. With now almost eight months on the job, a team like this should have an idea as to what they have to play. The fact that this is far from being the case is generating a great deal of doubt in Buenos Aires.
The media is still waiting to hear Maradona talk X's and O's, not Us Against Them. The win against Colombia will mean nothing yet again, if they go to the altitude of Quito and play against a fresh Ecuador side without Javier Mascherano in the midfield. The first big test of the Maradona regime will come in Quito as he will have to show that he has learned from his mistakes and Argentina is truly back on track. If he doesn't, the next few months could be a living nightmare for him. Ecuador looms high up in the Andes and Brazil will eventually lick their lips as they repeat two words over and over again- away game.
The stakes are now high for Maradona. Success could potentially put them on course with destiny. Failure could lead them down the annels of the infamous 1970 team that did not make the World Cup. If that scenario were to ever emerge, this team would be the one Maradona (not Alfio Basile) failed to qualify. So he better start pulling the rabbit or Hand of God out of his hat because people are quickly starting to lose faith in him.
Maradona's Rhetoric Getting Tired Quickly?
(AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
(AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
(AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
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