Jaun Roman Riqueleme has been fun to watch in Venezuela.
The absent Kaka may be the world’s most elegant midfield genius but the 29-year old Riquelme is the most leisurely. The return of the strolling playmaker has made Argentina the best team in the Copa America. By far.
With the impish Messi in matador mode, and Tevez using his strength so cleverly, and Riquelme floating forward to slot goal after goal, coach Alfio Basile’s men must terrify the workmanlike Brazilians.
Sure, it’s usually close when Brazil and Argentina meet and always fierce. But big defenders Juan and Alex, a new partnership, could be destroyed without the protection of suspended skipper Gilberto Silva.
In their first two games against USA and Colombia, Argentina conceded the first goal but won 4-1 and 4-2.
OK, their equaliser against Colombia was a ridiculous penalty decision by the referee after Messi and an opponent went for a 50-50 ball in the box with their feet a bit high. Amazingly, the ref gave it and Crespo whacked in his 35th goal for Argentina but injured a thigh muscle and has not been seen since. Riquelme ducked to head in Zanetti’s cross for 2-1, and then sent a free-kick flying over the wall and bouncing down into the far corner for 3-1. Castillo got a header for 3-2. Then Tevez came on for Messi and Melito’s shot hit a defender and looped in for 4-2.
When Mascherano scored his first international goal in the quarter-final against Paraguay, Argentina’s substitutes catapulted off the bench to celebrate wildly and at the end Roque Santa Cruz made sure he got Mascherano’s shirt.That was the only goal of the game, a low right foot shot placed so sweetly that it went in off the post.
Mexico beat Paraguay 6-0 to reach the semi-final .
The Peru-Argentina semi was 0-0 at half-time and then Tevez came on for |Milito and within 90 seconds he set up Riquelme, who hit a left-foot shot that howled past the keeper for 1-0. Then Riquelme’s pass found Messi, who nutmegged the keeper for 2-0. Mascherano tapped in when the keeper saved a Messi shot, and then Tevez broke on the right and Riquelme’s run took him through a wrecked defence to slot sweetly for 4-0.
A marvellous second half performance by Argentina, with Tevez involved in three of the goals.
When Brazil met Uruguay in the semi-final, right back Maicon scored an early goal, Forlan equalised, Julio Baptista scuffed in with his ankle from five yards. Then Abreu stabbed in for 2-2 after 70 and there were no more goals and Roma keeper Doni cheated in the penalty shootout, moving three yards off his line to make the save that put Brazil into Sunday’s final.
In the other semi, Argentina now met Mexico, who contained them well and frustrated them for half an hour, prompting Veron to make a silly tackle and get a yellow card.
On 44, Riquelme’s perfectly floated free-kick was heading for the keepers chest when Heinze appeared and volleyed past him. A hammer blow just before half-time – nice to strike it, very damaging to feel it.
In the first hour, nine out of ten Mexican attacks were stopped by Mascherano, who was flanked by Cambiasso on his left and Veron on his right, with Riquelme floating forward behind Tevez and Messi.
On 61, Heinze found Cambiasso on the left and he played the ball back to Heinze, who whacked it diagonally forward to Tevez, who hooked the ball behind the left back to Messi.
The little master killed the ball imperiously with his left foot and, in a nanosecond, chipped a shot sharply up, and the keeper, who was five yards off his line, went flailing backwards, clawing at a ball that arced over him and bounced into the corner of the net two feet from the stanchion on the far side.
A strike of astonishing audacity : almost impossible to improve on the placement of the shot, wholly impossible to have hit the ball any earlier, since Messi’s first touch had put the ball only three feet away from his foot, if that. He can work in tiny spaces because, being short and super-nimble, he can stop very suddenly, as he did here. Most players would have accelerated and blasted the ball but Messi stopped dead and did the sort of thing players do for a laugh in a practice game when they are winning 7-3.
Messi did it in a semi-final and that ended the game with half an hour still on the clock.
The lad is a good defender as well. Seconds after scoring that wonder-goal he pinched the ball off a green shirt and set up Riquelme, who was blocked in the box by a great recovery tackle.
The ref gave Tevez an absurdly soft penalty when he ran into Marquez and Riquelme picked up the ball and kissed it and placed it and stood with hands on hips, as he does. As the keeper dived to his left, the maestro dinked it beautifully down the middle for 3-0.
The Mexicans had grafted, passed well, fought for every ball. But as soon as they tired, Argentina picked them off.
I like this Argentina team and not just for their cohesive teamwork and individual artistry. Tevez, Heinze and Messi, particularly, are so big-hearted.
At its best, as in 1978, Argentina’s football is 33% high-speed running and dribbling, 33% sharp passing and flicks, and 33% getting on the end of crosses and free-kicks.
Menotti’s Argentina played football like no other national team : more varied than the Europeans, and more dynamic and spectacular than the other South Americans.
So what we have in Maracaibo on Sunday is an Argentina somewhere near their best against a Brazil somewhere near their most pedestrian, coached by Dunga, their USA 94 skipper, who won the World Cup in a dull team with four midfield workhorses. This Copa America suggests that Dunga is truly the son and heir of Carlos Alberto Perreira.
Vagner Love doesn’t do much except win free-kicks, and for Robinho, who has been prolific in this tournament, a good attack is one in which he has the ball three times. Robinho will never be more than 50% of Messi. Compared to Robinho, who is perpetual motion, Messi is a minimalist master : very, very incisive.
The Brazilians know that Mascherano bites your legs, and if I was Robinho I’d put shinpads down the back of my socks as well, as Maradona used to do.
Argentina have won five out of five and scored 16 goals and Brazil will fear being humiliated. Always remember that the biggest component of the Latin personality is pride, just as the biggest component of the American personality is salesmanship.
So far, the Copa America has been the tournament of Messi and Riquelme. Most punters will feel that Brazil cannot beat Argentina on Sunday. Only Argentina can beat Argentina.
And if Riquelme scores the winner, The Sun headline will be :You’re the Juan that I want.
Admittedly, I’m not good at predicting Sun headlines. I’ve only got one right and that was obvious after Liverpool beat Bolton 2-0 in the Littlewoods cup final and the same player scored both goals.
I smiled on Monday morning when I saw it in big bold type : McManaman of the match .
Sky Sports coverage on Sunday : from 9.30pm