Boca Move Banega Forward to Number Ten Position

Boca Juniors coach Miguel Angel Russo has begun experimenting with different lineups in anticipation of the FIFA Club World Cup in December, trying to find a team that can take the trophy in Japan.

His first move has been to move Ever Banega forward from his position in front of the back four, into the number ten playmaker position in place of Leandro Gracian. Boca have missed the influence of Juan Riquelme in this position and Gracian has never really stepped up to the plate, despite being the player that Russo originally wanted before Riquelme became available last year.

With no other recognised playmakers in his squad, Russo placed Banega in the position for Boca's away game against Racing Avellaneda at the weekend and the gamble paid off, with Banega performing admirably in Boca's 3-0 victory. He provided the assist for Rodrigo Palacio's goal and looked assured throughout.

Banega seemed to enjoy the chance to play in the playmaker role, saying:

"I felt very comfortable. Luckily, the aid of Sebastian [Battaglia] and of the other players made taking control easier. I tried to play it simple. When I took hold of the ball, I tried to play forward and when we lost it, I returned to give a hand in the recovery".

He does have previous experience of playing as the playmaker of a side, as he spent most of his youth career playing in the position, only moving back to the defensive midfielder role in the last couple of years.

It will be interesting to see whether Russo keeps Banega in this position for the longterm and if so, what this means for the future of Leandro Gracian at Boca.

Differing Fortunes for Super Clasico Hero and Villain

From the moment the final whistle blew to conclude last Sunday's Super Clasico between River Plate and Boca Juniors, the Argentine media have focused on two players: Diego Buonanotte of River Plate and Ever Banega of Boca Juniors; the hero and the villain of the piece.

Buonanotte has been widely praised for his excellent performance in the game, with many expecting the youngster to become a fixture in the 'Number 10' position, replacing the great Ariel Ortega. His manager Daniel Passarella has sung his praises, describing him as "very small, bold and not scared of anything". Those who witnessed the Super Clasico will find it hard to disagree.

One particular moment in the match, which typified Buonanotte's performance, was when he completely humiliated Boca Juniors winger Nery Cardozo with a cheeky nutmeg up against the touchline. This moment has drawn comparisons with the skill that Juan Riquelme used to flummox River defender Mario Yepes back in 2000, but Buonanotte has himself admitted that "the skill of Riquelme was better than mine". Whether it was or not is largely immaterial, as it is a moment that many will look back on as the point at which a star was born, in much the same way as Riquelme seven years previously.

On the other side of the coin, Ever Banega has endured a torrid week, having been sent off for two bookable offences just before half time in last Sunday's game, essentially ruling out the chance of a Boca comeback. His manager Miguel Angel Russo identified Banega's sending off as the key point of the game in post-match interviews, leading the 19 year old to become somewhat of a scapegoat for an anemic Boca performance.

Banega has responded by saying, "I am small, I am 19 years old and I am learning my craft. I commit errors like all the boys". Considering the success he has had in his short career up to this point, there is no doubt that Banega will come back a stronger player from this incident and will learn to avoid the rash challenges that are one of few weak points of his game. He seems to have handled the media pressure admirably and although it may take Boca fans a couple of game to warm to him again, his future is still very bright.

Although they have been the hero and villain of this story, it would not be at all surprising to see Banega and Buonanotte dominating opposition teams in Argentina's midfield for the 2014 World Cup. Both of them definitely have the potential to do so.

Videos:

Buonanotte nutmegs Cardozo


Riquelme nutmegs Yepes

Maradona Speaks

Diego Maradona has spoken in Ole (Spanish link), mainly about Argentina's loss to Brazil in the Copa America final.

He is disappointed that Argentina have once again failed at the crucial point in an international tournament, remarking that they had no "physical nor psychic answers to Brazil". He feels that Argentina need to look at the way European teams like Italy, Germany and Spain play and maybe incorporate some of that into their play if they are to be succesful in future tournaments.

On the retirement of Roberto Ayala from international football, Maradona thinks that he was a great player and that no blame should be attested to him for the Copa America final defeat. He also seems to hint that Ayala felt a lack of support from national team boss Alfio Basile, which is why he has decided to retire.

Maradona states that Juan Riquelme had a great tournament, and that he wishes for Riquelme to stay with Boca Juniors next season, despite various offers from European sides.

He remarks of Lionel Messi, "whenever he touched the ball, it felt that he was going to do something important" and goes on to describe him as a "phenomenon" for whom the sky is the limit. Maradona is also proud that Messi carries round a signed picture of him in his wallet and idolises him.

When asked who else in the Argentina team impressed him during the Copa America, he singles out Javier Mascherano, saying that "Mascherano is always where the ball is" and likening him to Matias Almeyda.

He is then asked what he thought of Ever Banega's performances during the U-20 World Cup, Maradona responds that he was very impressed with the way Banega played. He says that he always seems to know what to do in every situation, although he does perhaps need to calm down a bit.

Finally, when asked who he would support out of Barcelona and Real Madrid next season, he responded that he couldn't seperate them, as he is fans of both Javier Saviola and Fernando Gago at Real and Lionel Messi at Barcelona. He feels Barcelona will prehaps be a little stronger due to the purchase of Thierry Henry.

Thursday Transfer Gossip

First off, PSV Eindhoven have signed Brazilian under-20 international goalkeeper Cassio Ramos from Gremio. Sky Sports report that PSV fought off competition from Benfica to land the keeper.

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has said he is willing to wait for a year to sign Carlos Tevez if his transfer hasn't been resolved by the close of the August transfer window. The Daily Mirror quote Ferguson as saying "I would imagine it will be done before the deadline, but we would wait for him anyway if we have to. We've gone so far now, there's no point stepping back."

Recreativo have boosted their ranks with the signing of two South American players on loan for next season. Marca (Spanish link) report that Jose Maria Calvo will join the Spanish side from Boca Juniors, with the option of a permanent purchase at the end of the season. Uruguayan under-20 defender Martin Caceres will join from Villarreal, but will return to the El Madrigal at the end of the season.

Finally, having impressed at the under-20 World Cup, Napoli are thought to be interested in Boca Juniors midfielder Ever Banega. Tutto Mercato Web (Italian link) report that Boca have turned down the Italian side's initial approach and that a deal looks unlikely at the moment.

U-20 World Cup - 10 players with big futures

With the U-20 World Cup coming to its conclusion this past weekend, I thought a list of the top ten young Latin American players not currently plying their trade in Europe, but destined for big things would be in order. So here we go:


Maxi Moralez - Argentina/Racing Club

Whilst Sergio Aguero took all the post-tournament plaudits, Maxi Moralez played as big a part as any in Argentina's attacking brilliance during the tournament. The small attacking midfielder is a total livewire, always making runs and wanting the ball at his feet. His pace, coupled with a surprising strength on the ball allowed him to run past opposition players with ease and he showed a keen eye for goal too, netting four goals in Argentina's run to the final.

Ever Banega - Argentina/Boca Juniors

Banega provided the beat to the rhythm of the Argentine play throughout the tournament. Sitting at the back of their midfield, he picked the ball up off of the defense and sprayed passes around all over the field to grateful teammates. He showed great skill on the ball in tight situations, constantly turning players and creating that little bit of space to size up defense splitting passes. Despite his build, he also showed himself to be good in the tackle, winning many unlikely challenges with larger players. His only flaw is a tendency to take players on deep inside his own half, potentially giving the ball away in dangerous areas. He is only 18, so he has plenty of time to eliminate that flaw, and if he does, he is potentially one of best midfielders in the world.

Angel Di Maria - Argentina/Rosario Central

Arsenal are thought to be heavily interested in signing Di Maria and its not hard to see why. A tall, skillful, left footed striker, Di Maria is equally adept in the floor as in the air and his presence proved difficult for many teams to deal with during the tournament. He scored three goals before coming off injured in the semi-final, forcing him to miss the final. He was missed by Argentina in the final, and despite a lack of pace, is sure to have a big future in front of him.

Alexandre Pato - Brazil/Internacional

All of Europe's big clubs are already on the trail of Pato, who, like the Brazilian side around him, somewhat flattered to deceive during the tournament. He showed flashes of his talent, two goals against Korea Republic in the group stages showing that his pace and finishing ability are top notch. Unfortunately for him, he tended to drift in and out of games and rarely lived up to the hype that surrounded him going into the tournament. He is still only 17, and clearly has the correct attributes to be a success, but on this showing a move to Europe this year may be too much too soon for the Brazilian. Long term though, he is a still a great prospect.

Luizao - Brazil/Cruzeiro

It might seem strange to highlight a Brazilian defender as being one to look out for, but Luizao looks set to follow the footsteps of fellow large athletic defenders, such as Alex and Juan, into Europe, and the full national side. He showed a good reading of the game which instantly elevates him above the Roque Junior type defender that has been commonplace in Brazil sides over the years. This coupled with his impressive build definitely make him one to watch out for.

Nicolas Medina - Chile/Universidad de Chile

A lively, skillful forward, Medina was at the heart of the Chile attack that ripped through their first two group stage opponents and did the same to Nigeria in the quarter finals. He was always a threat, looking the most likely against the Argentines and with Osasuna in Spain already sniffing round, it will surely not be long before he is playing in Europe.

Nicolas Larrondo - Chile/Universidad de Chile

Chile were a side that not only attacked well, but also defended superbly throughout the tournament. Larrondo was the most impressive figure in their defense, both technically and from a leadership perspective, always pulling him teammates into position and barking out orders. Without him, it is unlikely they would have made it all the way to the semi-final before conceding a goal.

Patricio Araujo - Mexico/Guadalajara

Although many praised the Mexicans for their expansive play in the final third of the pitch, they were also a defensively sound team, mainly thanks to the organisation skills of captain Araujo at the back. He put in assured performances in every single game they played and it is not coincidence that some of England's top sides are now very interested in taking Araujo to the Premiership.

Alfonso Blanco - Mexico/Pachuca

Blanco played like the typical expectation people have of a Latin American goalkeeper; good shot stoppers, but a little suspect on high balls. However, to describe Blanco as simply a good shot stopper would be criminally unjust. Throughout the tournament he produced a string of world class saves, his acrobatics more akin to the Olympics than a football tournament. If he can tighten up his game on crosses and set plays, then he definitely has the potential to be a world class keeper.

Luis Meija - Panama/Tauro

Another keeper to round off the list. Pretty much everything I said about Alfonso Blanco above applies to Meija, demonstrated mainly through his virtuoso display against Korea DPR in Panama's first game of the tournament. Although the goals against column may not read in his favor, there was only so much Meija could do with such an inadequate defense in front of him. He will be hoping that the Korea performance has been enough to get him noticed by scouts in South America or Europe, as you can't help but feel that another few years in Panama can only hurt his growth as a player.

Overall, the tournament was a great success and I'm sure there will be many scouts returning to Europe with names of players they feel are good enough to make the grade in the top leagues.