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All eyes were on Argentina/Portugal, billed as the Messi v. Ronaldo clash by just about everyone, but I like to think of it as the inferior version of El Clasico.  Barcelona and Real Madrid are better than Argentina and Portugal in just about every way, mostly thanks to the Spanish internationals playing at the peak of their careers right now.

I don’t mean to snub great players like Ever Banega, Esteban Cambiasso, Joao Moutinho or Raul Meireles, and I am aware the match was a friendly and so the players, mindful of upcoming games, may not have given everything.  And I do not think that only the Spanish contribute to the superiority of the club teams, but Casillas, Valdes, Xavi, Pique, David Villa, Puyol, Xabi Alonso, Ramos, Iniesta, and Pedro would surely find their way into the international set-up of either Portugal or Argentina.  Similarly, I think other Barcelona/Madrid players would do the same, especially Dani Alves, Mesut Ozil, Kaka and Eric Abidal.

While many rightly focus on Messi and Ronaldo as the two centerpieces of their teams, I believe last night’s match was really a battle between the coaches, and I can say that both won, despite the 2-1 scoreline favoring Argentina.  The underwhelming World Cup performances of both Argentina and Portugal were probably due to bizarre selection, and even stranger tactics from Argentina’s and Portugal’s respective managers.

Last night, finally, after an excruciating World Cup where Messi would collect the ball at the halfway line and attempt to create chances/dribble the entire opposition, Lionel was advanced to positions where he could much more effective.  The first goal even looked like one of those vintage Messi moments that have become his trademark of genius: the Argentine, on the right, ran at the (terrified) defenders at pace, cut in left at the top of the eighteen yard box, ran parallel to the goal line while skipping around two challenges, and then, when everyone was expecting a glory-finish, La Pulga split two more defenders with a pass so perfectly weighted that Angel di Maria could tap it around the goalkeeper with his weaker right foot.

If the top left corner of the eighteen yard box is called “La Zona Del Piero” in Italian football, the top right must now be called “La Zona Messi” in Spanish football.

And, finally Cristiano Ronaldo he has stopped being the lone center forward of Portugal.  While he certainly has the attributes of no. 9 finishers (pace, two-footed shooting, heading, goal-hunger bordering on selfishness, quick reactions), I think the new Ronaldo is better behind a forward, even a not-so-thrilling one like Hugo Almeida.  And while CR7 still has the tendency to try huge shots from distance that rarely come off, Ronaldo is more likely to pass with someone in front of him, to involve players like Nani in the buildup, etc.  Portugal look much better for this tactical shift.  The painful long passes to Ronaldo that we all saw towards the end of Portugal/Spain in the World Cup are hopefully things of the past.

The new coaches of Argentina and Portugal, it seemed to me, may have swallowed their egos, their desires to find new ways to field the best players in the world and be hailed for it, and simply did the obvious: they played no. 10 and no. 7 in the positions from which they have profited the most at the club level.  There is no shame in taking lessons from great coaches, and if Paulo Bento and Sergio Batista were inspired by the style of Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, Alex Ferguson, and Jose Mourinho, then two of the best national teams in the world can only benefit.

It’s a strange proposition, encouraging La Albiceleste coach Sergio Batista to study an Italian team containing zero Argentines.  It’s even stranger when you consider that AC Milan’s biggest rivals, crosstown Internazionale Milano, have been possibly the most Argentine team in Europe for the past several seasons.  Perhaps Batista should study how Jose Mourinho and Roberto Mancini got the best out of his Argentine players too, but I think the best example for Batista to follow is that of AC Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri.

AC Milan and Argentina have a very similar team structure: the center backs are superb when fit, the fullbacks are either not world class or over the hill, the goal keeper is decent but not great, there is a clutch host of tough tackling, energetic defensive midfielders, and the most important similarity is an almost ridiculous quantity of world-class forwards.

While most people would point out that AC Milan’s fullbacks – Ignazio Abate and Gianluca Zambrotta – are the weak links for the team, I think that the surplus of strikers is the real problem.  Massimiliano Allegri’s tactics, it seems, have gotten rid of both of these issues, and now AC Milan sits atop Serie A, looking convincingly better than Internazionale.

How did he do this?  As this article points out, a good deal of this has to do with not only utilizing his best players, but by eliminating the weaker ones from the equation.  By narrowing the formation from a 4-3-3 to a 4-3-1-2, Allegri forces play through the middle.  Even if his decent but not incredible fullbacks do bomb forward too much, and leave a wide channel behind them exposed, the three ball-winning midfielders (Gattuso, Ambrosini, Flamini, or Boateng) behind Clarence Seedorf can provide cover.

These tactics allow AC Milan to have a sturdier looking team than the back five would suggest on paper, but more importantly, forces Allegri to make a tough choice up front with his forwards.  The Rossoneri have Ronaldinho, Pato, Robinho, Ibrahimovic and ageless but now injured super sub Inzaghi to call on.  Allegri usually uses Ibrahimovic and a wide forward to work with Seedorf.  Two huge egos ride the bench at the start of almost every match, usually Ronaldinho and one other.

Not only does this system seem to be working against the best in the Serie A, it allows Allegri to call on more firepower when needed and still maintain a non-suicidal formation on the pitch.  The shift from a 4-3-1-2 to a 4-3-3 when losing is far less dangerous move (especially with regards to being caught on the counterattack) than the strategy some coaches are forced to employ: starting in a 4-3-3, conceding, and then having to bring on another forward in a desperate looking 4-2-4.

So what does this have to do with La Albiceleste?  If you wanted to substitute the above names from AC Milan with their Argentine counterparts, I think most of those sentences would still ring true.

Sergio Batista has a similar selection headache, especially up front.  Messi, Tevez, Milito, Aguero, Higuain are all superb when healthy and on form.  So how to best include them all?  Just don’t.  Batista should instead build from the base up, covering for his fullbacks, who, like AC Milan’s, aren’t the best out there.

Without a Dani Alves or Ashley Cole style back, Batista should use all three of his excellent and energetic center midfielders: Valencia’s Ever Banega, Inter’s Esteban Cambiasso and Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano.  If these hardmen aren’t available, there’s always Fiorentina’s Mario Bolatti, or in desperation, Real Madrid bench warmer Fernando Gago.

Three of these players would compensate for the weakness in the fullback position and allow an attacking midfielder like Javier Pastore a lot of freedom to link with Messi and another forward.  Batista should recognize that an inability to dominate the midfield cost Argentina a chance to go far in South Africa 2010.  Mascherano was mostly left on his own, with Cambiasso and Banega not even making Maradona’s final 23.  The effect of such a selection was plain for all to see.  Teams could attack the suspect fullbacks, boss around the midfield, and effectively negate the hugely talented group of forwards Argentina brought to the tournament by starving them of service.

While international football isn’t the same as league play, Batista should look the collection of footballers most similar to his Argentina and study their strengths and weaknesses.  Currently, Allegri is delivering a good lesson at AC Milan – a lesson that should be followed.  It’s time for some Argentine egos to ride the bench, and for the midfield to get grittier.

1. Croatia – Malta

Croatia beat Malta, no surprises there.  The only reason I start with this match is its status as a qualifier.  And to talk about Niko Kranjcar.  Harry Redknapp is unappreciative of the obviously gifted Croatian and the rumors are flying that he’s looking to leave.  I’d urge Mr. Redknapp to reconsider, especially after this performance.

While a brace against Malta is no brace against Spain, Kranjcar is the sort of player that Spurs should learn to manage in order to become more competitive.  He’s got the goods to play for a top team, and a sale to an EPL club would hurt their ambition.  With Lennon still not delivering, and over reliance  on Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart becoming problematic in the face of injuries, why not give Kranjcar a spot as a right sided attacking midfielder?

Next was Argentina against Brazil in Qatar…

2. Argentina – Brazil

Although Argentina won, I have more to say about Brazil, but first – Mr. Messi.  The real positive for Argentina is that Messi can have a so-so night and still decide to run half the length of the pitch before nutmegging his marker with a low shot that beats the keeper.  Sure it was only one goal and the defense didn’t seem to be moving at 100% pace, but a friendly of this nature is never a friendly.  Second, praise for Javier Pastore, who scored a hat trick this weekend but only partially showed why a big club will almost certainly splash out big money for him this summer.  If he gels with the Argentina front three Los Albiceleste will be a horrifying opponent for everyone.

That being said, Brazil to me looked better on the pitch.  If this were a league fixture I’d say a point a piece would be fair, but since only reputations (in a friendly) were at stake, I doubt many of the players, especially the veterans, will be beating themselves up too much about the loss.

A positive they can take from this is that Ronaldinho is not finished for them.  He was perhaps too much of a fantasia (an attempted back heel goal might have been buried by a swivel and hard shot) but it was his first performance for Brazil since Dunga had decided on the players he would take to the World Cup.

Lastly, Chelsea should take heart from Ramires’ wonderful performances at the center of the pitch.  He was a great marker but also wasn’t a bad when Brazil needed men forward.  If Carlo Ancelotti was watching, he might be considering how to tinker with the Chelsea lineup to get such efforts out of the Brazilian.

3. England – France

England lose and France win; an ancient rivalry marks another event; what else can we take from this?  It certainly seems that Laurent Blanc has go his players singing the national anthem; Fabio Capello doesn’t seem nearly as interested in making his England players display the same patriotic feelings.

As for football matters, the French deserved their victory.  They created more clear chances and looked the senior team, although they, like the Three Lions, had a fresher look about them than the teams of South Africa 2010.  While France’s new faces might be more a matter of long term plan than England’s (which may have been more injury related), the integration has been done more smoothly.

With players who have amassed plenty of club caps but fewer international caps (Adil Rami, Mathieu Valbuena), Les Blues played a more balanced game.  There were no Kieran Gibbs on the pitch for France, a player thrown into England with fewer than 35 Arsenal caps in all competitions, including those tough Carling Cup fixtures!  Instead, the youngsters for France (M’Vila and Sakho) has almost 50 caps in less than a season and a half for Rennes and over 100 for PSG, respectively. Both are considered integral parts of the set up; Gibbs is a fringe presence at Arsenal, especially this season.

Extras:

The Iberian Derby was a total rout.  Sergio Ramos apparently forgot what his teammate Ronaldo can do.  Mourinho seems to have held Ramos in check to great effect for Real Madrid.  Sure, he doesn’t bomb forward to terrorize the opponents as he used to, but Madrid is no longer left exposed to counter attacks.  Perhaps Spain should take a lesson.  Manchester United will be pleased to see Nani’s boast about being a top player wasn’t all talk, either.  As for Spain, the whole world knows how they play.  They seem unwilling to change the (very effective) philosophy.  Top teams with top coaches can exploit this.

With the Copa América draw recently out and international friendlies imminent, now might be a worthwhile time to look at what that tournament might have in store for football fans.  It’s not as well publicized or followed as its European counterpart because most people see it as the international La Liga: a competition basically geared to set up two super teams (Brazil and Argentina) in a final where the brightest talents of world football can tussle.

Recently, the accusation has been true, sort of.  While the past two tournaments has seen Brazil trump Argentina in the final, the whole tournament is a delight for the football fan.  For one, this year’s inclusion of Mexico promises to continue the tradition of El Tricolor surprising the big guns.

In 2007 Mexico deservedly beat Brazil 2-0 and won the group stage, and although Argentina handled them in the semifinals 3-0, the Mexicans still earned some respect from their South American counterparts by winning the third place match against Uruguay.  In 2004, Mexico beat Argentina 1-0 in the group stages, but  Brazil trashed them 4-0 in a pitiful exit.

Another reason to watch is the hopeful coronation of Messi on the world stage.  While the Argentine failed to dominate the 2010 World Cup, this can be largely blamed on the unbelievable tactics employed by Maradona (how many times in South Africa did we see Messi pick up the ball around the halfway line simply because the midfielders lacked the quality to bring the ball forward on their own?).  Hopefully in 2011 Messi can show those who still doubt him (and honestly I’m highly suspicious of the existence of these supposed Messi-doubters) that he is the finest footballer on the planet.

Taking a look at the draw, if all goes expected, another Brazil-Argentina final looks to be on the cards.

It’s difficult to see Argentina not winning their group (Bolivia, Colombia, Japan), especially as all of the matches will be played in front of a home crowd.  On top of that huge motivation, Los Albiceleste will be seeking to avenge themselves against a Japan team that recently beat them 1-0.  All the players will want to make a statement to say that they team that dismantled Spain 4-1 is the real version of Argentina, not the meek squad that was humbled in Japan.

Brazil have slightly harder group (Ecuador, Paraguay, Venezuela) considering Paraguay’s bold showing at the World Cup.  No matter how many superstars are injured, overweight, or out of form, Brazil always manages to field one of the most imposing teams in the world.  No Ronaldinho, Kaka, or Luis Fabiano?  Why not play Robinho, Pato, and Nilmar?  If Ramires isn’t playing well with Chelsea, why not select the reinvigorated Felipe Melo?  The point is, whatever team they field, like Argentina, Brazil will be favorites to win their group.

Group C is the most interesting because it includes Uruguay, giant-killers Mexico, the surprisingly decent Chile, and likely whipping boy Peru.  If Diego Forlán plays like he did in South Africa, Uruguay should win the group and make for a great challenge to anyone in the whole tournament.  If the results go as predicted in this hyper-early stage, Uruguay should meet Brazil in the semifinals.  This will probably be Forlán’s last hurrah in a major tournament, so he’ll surely want his countrymen to remember him fondly.  Brazil (presumably) be warned.

But of course, Mexico love to cause trouble and have come runner-up and third place a couple of times each, so don’t count them out of the running just because there are some big guns to contend with.  Lastly, Chile may yet surprise us, given their high FIFA and ELO ranking, but personally I feel the team won’t impress and we’ll see them back in the 20s or 30s in the world ranking by the close of 2011.

Argentina seem to have the easiest path to the final, although if there is an upset in Group C (or even a massive Group B upset, but I strongly doubt Brazil will place in 3rd in their group), Los Albiceleste may face a tough fight before playing the final in El Monumental in Buenos Aires.

A Brazil-Argentina final looks probable, but the inclusion of Mexico and Uruguay give me hope that an upset could happen.  All of the football matches are yet to be played, but international football fans should be salivating at the prospect of some of the matches, even (especially?) if the final is again, Brazil-Argentina.

Who would have expected Germany to score the best goal of the 2010 World Cup so far? Plus, they scored it in such a way that it looked like a goal reminiscent of a Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi highlight reel. But this time, it was Bastian Schweinsteiger who dribbled past four Argentina players and crossed the ball into the box for German defender Arne Friedrich to score an incredible goal.

An incredible goal from an incredible performance by Germany. It’s no wonder that the German team is now favorites to win the 2010 World Cup.

Today’s match-up between Germany and Argentina isn’t simply a World Cup soccer match. It’s also part of the Diego Maradona “show,” where we get a chance to watch this magnetic character to see what he’ll do next either on or off the field.

Watching Argentina, I get a sense that both the players and coaching staff are incredibly proud of their country and are on a mission that is far greater than winning for their club. They seem like very patriotic and focused individuals who are all working to achieve the same goal, victory.

The same can be said of Germany, who always looked so focused and know exactly what they need to do to win a game.

The challenge is that only one team will win today and only one will lose in this game. Which one it will be is a tough call to make.

Before, during and after today’s game between Argentina and Germany, feel free to share your opinions and observations in the comments section below with soccer fans from around the World Cup. Enjoy the game. Let’s hope it’s a classic.

If you live in the South Florida area, I’ll be watching the game at Wowies Sports Grill today in Boca Raton (7036 W. Palmetto Park Road). During the game today, we’ll be giving away one Jabulani ball courtesy of Adidas. I look forward to seeing you there if you can make it.

England’s short stay in South Africa came to an embarrassing end yesterday afternoon. They did not have to endure the heartache of an exit via penalties, but they did get their inevitable controversial moment to hide behind, a moment that will no doubt be used to try and deflect the fact that England have been ten levels below substandard since topping their qualifying group back in October. Whether Lampard’s goal was given or not is irrelevant, England were completely out-thought, out-played and simply out-classed by a young inexperienced German side.

“That goal” has reignited the clamour for the use of technology. Video replays are needed in Football to clear up marginal – matter of fact decisions – such as did the ball cross the line, however only two people out of the millions watching failed to see the ball bounce behind the line in Bloemfontein. If the technology was in place yesterday no referee with more than half a functioning eye would’ve needed to refer to the video referee. It is one of the most horrendous errors I have seen made and hope that Jorge Larrionda and his stooges are sent home just as swiftly as the England squad have been.

The Mexicans also fell victim to comedy officiating in Johannesburg, Carlos Tevez was so far offside for the Argentines first goal he was in a different time zone. If that was level to the linesman I’d love to see him put up a shelf. Extra salt was poured in the wounds when the goal was replayed on the big screen. All in all it was a day for the officials to forget, which they seem to be able to do with relative ease – apparently there are plus sides for not having a soul.

There were also reports of a fault with the fourth official’s board during the England Germany encounter, on 71 minutes with England needing three goals Emile Heskeys’ number was inadvertently flashed up forcing a bemused Jermaine Defoe off the field. That just capped another forgettable display in England’s wretched history of forgettable displays.

The group stages have concluded and now we can all look forward to good old fashioned knockout Football. What this World Cup has provided us so far has been, well, a bit baffling really, it has provided little in the way of genuine thrills and excitement but a huge amount of intrigue. It has been engrossing and most importantly it has provided some genuine surprises.

Group A was the setting for the demise of the French, no heart, no passion, no cohesion, spats, rows and fallouts equalled one point for Les Bleus and a shameful early flight home. Henry should’vedone the world a favour and kept his hand by his side. Uruguay and Mexico qualified from the group with relative ease, both sides have shown through some assured displays that they are more than capable of having a successful run in this World Cup. It was such a disappointment not to see the South Africans get through, maybe naivety, nerves and a little bit of expectation got the better of them, particularly against the Uruguayans, yet their performances either side of that game were impressive and it was a shame not to see the host nation progress. The South African squad, unlike the French, can hold their heads high.

Argentina somewhat strolled through Group B, winning all three games, as impressive as that looks on paper there do appear to be a few cracks in the Argentinean side, particularly at the back. As yet you couldn’t really put them down as nailed on finalists. South Korea qualified as runners up, they are a well organised outfit and create plenty of openings going forward, they make for a tricky opposition. Elsewhere in Group B Greece were Greece and Nigeria were bitterly disappointing, their campaign will only be remembered for Yakubu’s astonishing miss against the Koreans.

The USA claimed top spot in Group C with virtually the last kick of the group, securing a berth in arguably the easier side of the draw. It was no less than the Americans deserved, particularly after clawing their way back from two nil down in their previous match to claim a vital point. England finished runners up, after being vilified for their part in two drab draws they secured qualification with a One nil victory over Slovenia, England may live to regret not converting more of their chances, they now face a tricky route through the knockouts. Far from being spectacular Algeria and Slovenia ensured that qualification for the US and England was not as comfortable as many imagined it would be.

The ever efficient Germans got their World Cup off to a flying start, breezing past an awful Australian side in a four nil rout. That German efficiency went missing in game two when they fell to a one nil defeat at the hands of Serbia. Group D   like most groups was wide open going into the final round of matches. A one goal victory against the Ghanaians clinched top spot for Joachim Low’s men. Ghana finished second, salvaging some pride for what has been a poor World Cup for the African nations. To be fair there wasn’t much between the three sides that finished below the Germans, the Australians were vastly improved after their first display and the Serbs looked well organised and difficult to beat. It was Ghana’s win in their first game which proved how crucial it is to get points on the board as early as possible.

The Dutch waltzed to 9 points in Group E without even having to get out of second gear. Japan finished a thoroughly deserving second. Denmark and Cameroon were quite frankly awful in what was possibly the dullest group of the tournament. The Indomitable Lions, for me, have been the let down of 2010 so far.

Group F was home to the shock of the Tournament, Italy not only failed to qualify but finished bottom of their group. On the back of two lacklustre draws no one expected the Italians to fall short again in their last match. You have to credit the Slovakians for playing with such belief, it has to be the game of the tournament so far, and in contrast to the French, despite their shocking start the Italians fought all the way in their final game and very nearly pulled off a great escape in the dying seconds. Special mention must go to New Zealand, to finish undefeated in a group containing the Azzurri, Paraguay and Slovakia is some achievement for the All Whites and it is a shame three sides could not progress from Group F because no one would begrudge them 90 more minutes of World Cup Football.

Brazil finished top of the pile in Group G with Portugal qualifying as runners up. The Ivory Coast were another African disappointment and the North Koreans went from terrific to terrible in three games. Brazil look strong, their two defensive midfielders play a priceless role and have so far been fantastic, if their more creative colleagues hit form then the boys from Brazil will be the team to beat.

In the final group Chile continued to wave the South American flag proudly. They played with the freedom and expression expected from Group favourites Spain. The Spanish did not buck the trend of struggling European sides, leaving qualification to the last game after a less than convincing start, but they did manage to turn things around and claim top spot. Switzerland were their normal no nonsense selves, set up not to lose and not to be pleasing on the eye. I would like to say the Hondurans did more than just make up the numbers, sadly I can’t.

As the World Cup heads into stage two a lot of teams will try to forget their struggles in the group stages. This is the business end of the tournament and it’s game one as far as they are concerned, if you slip up now you don’t get another chance to set things right. There is still no real favourite, results wise it has been one of the most unpredictable World Cups so far, one thing we know is that every side is beatable. The form book was thrown out of the window during the group stages, and there’s no indication that will change in the knockouts.

The girls from Wowies dressed up in body paint and bikinis this past weekend to celebrate the debut of the 2010 World Cup.

The girls, all of whom are bartenders at Wowies Sports Grill in Boca Raton, Florida, dressed in the colors of some of the top teams in the tournament including Argentina, Germany, Mexico, USA and Serbia. Plus, the party continued with two Brazilian Carnival dancers who were backed by a Brazilian drum band.

To see any of the Wowies girls as well as 54 live World Cup games, visit Wowies at 7036 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33433. More information at http://www.worldcupbuzz.com/wowies The sports bar opens at 9:30am each day during the World Cup.

So they almost didn’t make it, but in the end won the last two games to make sure they would be part of the World Cup party. It all came down to the final match to get through though. They had to win in Montevideo for the first time in 33 years to make sure they finished 4th in the South American group. Argentina scrambling to finish 4th? Behind those giants of South American football Chile and Paraguay.

Maradona used 102 different players in his first 14 months and the players who didn’t make the squad are probably the biggest surprises of any of the finalised 23 man squads in the competition. No Cambiasso and Zanetti, both imperious for Internazionale this season. No Coloccini or Milito in central defence and no place for Real Madrid’s midfield tyro Gago. Surely 5 excellent players, but deemed surplus to requirements for Maradona in South Africa.

So, the manager cuts 5 players which most people would imagine should be in the Argentinian squad and a relationship with Juan Roman Riquelme that is non-existent at best. A qualifying campaign that almost ended in disaster, a tactical mess that sees the manager play 4 centre backs in defence and an inability to get Lionel Messi to replicate his domestic form. So why do they worry me so. I’ve got this nagging feeling that everything is going to click in to place come June 11th.

All common sense points to Argentina continuing the widely chaotic form into the World Cup. I doubt Maradona will change from his rigid 4-4-2 formation to let Messi play as he is used to in Barcelona’s 4-3-3 style, but then again, should Maradona build Argentina around Messi, or alternatively should the Worlds best player be able to adapt to a change in style?

So why do I feel that they could be genuine challengers? What is it that troubles me so? I thought they’d go all the way in 2006, but they fell apart against Germany and limped out of the competition. I’ll be honest, I have a secret admiration for Argentina, I do. I know, as an Englishman, it should be part of my patriotic make up that I should despise them, but I can’t. Maradona, handball aside, is still one of my favourite players ever. I boo Brazil and cheer on one of my countries fiercest footballing rivals.If England don’t win it, I want Argentina to do so. No really.

Yet even through rose tinted spectacles, I still think they were very,very fortunate to get here. Any team who loses a qualifying game 6-1 away from home, is flying by the seat of their pants in regards to being a challenger for the title. Tactically, it doesn’t work, some of the players who haven’t been chosen make me scratch my head and the worlds best player struggles in the system, but still they nag away at me.

They’re in a group that could hold a few surprises, with the effective if dull Greeks, the unfancied Nigerians and the passionate South Koreans. It is a group that could cause them problems, but still I think they’ll have too much to not get through. It’s the one group that I’ll be keeping a keen eye on, purely to see if Argentina can finally make this tactical disaster a beautiful spectacle.

Please leave me your comments and you can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/paulbestall