Life of a Futbolr - Episode 2- Boca Juniors Nicolas Gaitan w/ FutbolrTV

FutbolrTV sat down w/ #ussf Alberston Academy & USA U-18 YNT player Nicolas Gaitan who recently signed w/ Argentina powerhouse Boca Juniors. Nicolas is son of Alberston Academy Coaching Director Adrian Gaitan. Adrian is also a former USMNT player. With a long family history in soccer we discuss w/ Nicolas the "Life of a Futbolr" in Argentina.

Has Copa America lived up to its billing?

The presumption was that there would be another epic final between Brazil and Argentina but both teams have been left in the dust, both favorites being eliminated on penalty kicks. Other highly ranked Copa American team, Columbia and Chile have been knocked out leaving in their wake, Uruguay, Peru, Paraguay and Venezuela.

Argentina outplayed Uruguay but lost. Brazil dominated Paraguay but lost in penalty kicks. Chile had the better of Venezuela but Venezuela came through with an early goal and a late goal. That kind of result is understandable but FIFA needs to find a resolution to a game other than by penalty kicks.

After 90 minutes in regulation time, there are two 15 minutes half. Rather than resorting to penalty kicks, there should be 15 minute segments decided by sudden death. The penalty shoot-out is too much like a crap shoot and soccer deserves a classier ending to a hard fought contest.

Argentina's Futbol Villas

Al Jazeera takes a look at the under-privilege areas in Argentina that has produced fine international stars including Diego Maradona & Carlos Tevez.

U.S. vs Argentina: Showing True Grit

By Bagga Wilks

The United States is the sole superpower in the world but it is not yet a super-power in the world of football. Nonetheless, in the 2010 World Cup, the United States demonstrated that they can compete on the world stage. Before 78,000 soccer fans at the Meadowlands, for the first half, the United States were bedazzled by the Argentinians led by Lionel Messi who is recognized as the best offensive player in the world.

The first half revealed the limitations of the United States coaching staff and raised the question, can the United States team rise to the level of finesse that the Brazilians and Argentinians are capable of displaying?

Down 1-0 at the end of the first half, the U.S. in the second half made a technical change and resorted to a more attacking formation by bringing in 18 year old Agudelo as a second striker. The results were telling as it made the U.S. not just absorbing the relentless Argentinian movement off the ball but it placed them in a position to threaten in their last third. It is one of those threatening forays that Donovan played a free kick outside of the box that ended with Agudelo equalizing against the Argentinian giants and bringing them down to a manageable size. Triumphantly for the United States, the game ended in a draw.

Edson Buddle sits down w/ Futbolr TV

USMNT Edson Buddle sits down w/ Futbolr TV to talk new team in Bundesliga & Argentina game

Clint Dempsey sits down w/ Futbolr TV

Clint Dempsey sits down w/ Futbolr TV to talk Fulham FC & Argentina Game
www.futbolr.com

#1 Spot

It's clear that between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi you have the top 2 Futbolrs in the world. Now, to pick who is at the top goes deep into debate. You can take into account World Cup, La Liga or Champions League success and still have a strong debate for either side. But, it seems that yesterday during the friendlies both of these magician came out to perform.

Messi, was able to get involved with his effective dribbling and even curled a shot off the outer post of the upper 90 with precision. That might have been spectacular on the other side of the post, but 2 minutes into injury time Leo decided that noone wanted a draw. So he drove into 2 brazil defenders cut to his left at the top of the box and paced a perfect strike out of the reach of Brazil's keeper Viktor. Top Futbolr?

Well, maybe CR7 had watched the Brazil vs. Argentina because he was on a mission to spank the Spanish in front of a lightly attended Portuguese crowd. Ronaldo showed amazing individual effort by taking a ball down the wing at full pace, cutting the ball behind himself in the box losing the defender, feigning the next defender, drawing San Iker out of the goal and placing a perfect chip only for offside Nani to head a ball that was already going in to be disallowed. We all know Ronaldo is a whiner, but I was with him on this one. Not too long after, Cristiano once again took another Spanish defender to the practice pitch with a brilliant spanner and shot that rebounded to set up the first goal of a 4-0 lashing of Spain via Portugal.

Take a look at the highlights for yourself:

Argentina squeeze 2-1 win over Jamaica

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz fell to late goals by Martin Palermo and Ignacio Canuto as Argentina fought back to a 2-1 win in an international friendly Wednesday at the Jose Minela stadium outside of Burnos Aires.

The Reggae Boyz were on the defensive for much of the game against Argentina playing without most of the European-based players that are expected be in its World Cup squad later this year in South Africa.

Jamaica hushed the stadium when they surprised the host with a header from Ryan Johnson to take the lead early in the second half. Although it was evident that Argentina was the better team, the Reggae Boyz had a few more chances to put the ball in the net.
The Reggae Boyz seem to focus on holding its lead, with most of its players settling back and defending.

Argentina found the equalizer seven minutes from time with a glancing header by Boca Juniors forward Palermo off a free kick. The most heart breaking moment for the Boyz came when Canuto, who came on as a substitute in the final minutes, scored the winner in injury time.

JAMAICA: Dwayne Miller; Shavar Thomas, Lovel Palmer (Dane Richards, 63), Jermaine Taylor, Adrian Reid; Rodolph Austin, Richard Edwards, Navion Boyd (Demar Stewart, 63), Keammar Daley (Jevaughn Watson, 69); Omar Cummings (Jason Johnson, 90) y Ryan Johnson (Devon Hodges, 78).

Argentina: Nelson Ibanez; Gabriel Mercado (Ignacio Canuto, 89), Mariano Echeverria (Matias Caruzzo, 71), Leonel Galeano (Nicolas Gaitan, 54), Fabian Monzon; Patricio Toranzo, Juan Mercier, Walter Acevedo (Jesus Mendez, 60), Federico Insua; Franco Jara (Gabriel Hauche, 46), Martin Palermo.
Referee: Victor Hugo Ribera Chavez (Peru)

WWW.THEREGGAEBOYZ.COM

The new FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi

The Barcelona forward has become the first Argentine to win the award after succeeding Real Madrid's Christiano Ronaldo, in a poll voted for by national team coaches and captains.

The 22-year-old helped Barca to an unprecedented treble of Champions League, La Liga and Spanish Cup last season.

This season the Catalan club have added the Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup and Club World Cup to their roll of honour, beating the Argentine side Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi last Saturday.

Lionel Messi wins the Ballon d'Or as Europe's player of the year

Maradona Suspended by FIFA

Argentina manager Diego Maradona has been banned from football for two months and fined by FIFA as punishment for his rant at journalists following Argentina's qualification for the World Cup finals.Diego Maradona arrives in Zurich for his hearing.

The ban, announced by a FIFA disciplinary committee after a hearing with Maradona, extends to any "football-related activity" and is effective immediately, meaning the Argentina manager is suspended from November 15 to January 15.

Argentina 2-1 Peru: Martin Palermo's last-gasp strike saves Diego Maradona and Argentina

Substitute Martin Palermo's close-range finish deep into injury time earned Argentina an unbelievable last-gasp win over Peru in Buenos Aires just minutes after Diego Maradona's men looked to have suffered yet another World Cup qualifying setback.

Barcelona gives a clinic in Champions League 2009 Final

FC Barcelona were crowned European champions for a third time and the second in four seasons as a vibrant display of pass and move, capped by goals in either half from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi, defeated Manchester United FC in Rome 2-0.
Barcelona, who are the first Spanish side to win the Copa del Rey (domestic cup), Primera Liga (domestic league), and Champions League in the same season, recovered from a aggressive start from Manchester United to show off their own brand of fluent attacking football with Andres Iniesta and Messi at the heart of their play. Wayne Rooney who had a sub par game stated "They are a brilliant team and I think Iniesta is the best player in the world at the moment."