World Cup 2010

I have read that Zanetti and Cambiasso were left off the squad because they have issues with Vernon and Maradona felt he couldn't piss off Veron. If true, it's a shame as Vernon didn't look up to the task physically and was quickly relegated to the bench. There was an injury story but given the way he was playing, it would appear to have been just a way to save face.

I thought Argentina did pretty well to get to the quarterfinals. They have great strikers but pretty much everything else was suspect.

[QUOTE=Easy Go]I have read that Zanetti and Cambiasso were left off the squad because they have issues with Vernon and Maradona felt he couldn't piss off Veron. If true, it's a shame as Vernon didn't look up to the task physically and was quickly relegated to the bench. There was an injury story but given the way he was playing, it would appear to have been just a way to save face.

I thought Argentina did pretty well to get to the quarterfinals. They have great strikers but pretty much everything else was suspect.[/QUOTE]I forgot about the supposed feud between Veron and Zanetti / Cambiasso. That could be the case. Though choosing Veron over those two was a BIG mistake. My guess is that Maradona, for whatever reason, didn't cozy up to them. Not to bash Maradona, but both Cambiasso and Zanetti are consummate professionals and maybe a little too "polished" for Maradona. Also worth noting that there were rumors that Cambiasso is gay, which I don't buy. But, Maradona is a big homophobe.

[QUOTE=Eurotrashy27]What are the chances Maradona stays on as coach?

(or does he fall on his sword)

I would love to be in BA to talk with some Argies about this.[/QUOTE]I think Maradona's contract runs into mid to late 2011 at $100,000US a month. He may want to hang on to his job a little while longer.;) Though also worth pointing out that he could quit any second, and may actually not give a shit about the money. A hard to figure guy. He also owes millions of dollars in back taxes in Italy. Not that he gives a shit about that either.

Gabriel Millito was red hot as Inter Milan closed out their historic season with the treble in Serie A, and had 2 sensational goals in the Champions League Final. He should have been brought in very early in the World Cup to see if he could continue his streak. Higuain was Maradona's man, and other than the easy 3 goals against Korea, I really didn't think he was impressive.

Isn't it a coincidence that we talk and saw so much about players from Inter Milan, Maicon, Zanetti, Ciambiasso, Sneijder, Millito, Julio Cesar, Lucio, Mutieri, Stankovic, Eto'o. I think Inter Milan could have won the World Cup.

[QUOTE=Black Shirt]Gabriel Millito was red hot as Inter Milan closed out their historic season with the treble in Serie A, and had 2 sensational goals in the Champions League Final. He should have been brought in very early in the World Cup to see if he could continue his streak. Higuain was Maradona's man, and other than the easy 3 goals against Korea, I really didn't think he was impressive.

Isn't it a coincidence that we talk and saw so much about players from Inter Milan, Maicon, Zanetti, Ciambiasso, Sneijder, Millito, Julio Cesar, Lucio, Mutieri, Stankovic, Eto'o. I think Inter Milan could have won the World Cup.[/QUOTE]Hey Black Shirt-I agree, but I know you mean Diego Milito, not his brother Gabriel. Diego being another one of those players who are maybe a little too polished for Maradona. Alot of people think that if Messi and Milito were given enough playing time together they would be a dynamic duo.

[QUOTE=Doggboy]I think Maradona's contract runs into mid to late 2011 at $100,000US a month. He may want to hang on to his job a little while longer.;) Though also worth pointing out that he could quit any second, and may actually not give a shit about the money. A hard to figure guy. He also owes millions of dollars in back taxes in Italy. Not that he gives a shit about that either.[/QUOTE]I would love to see the Prima Donna gone, but his head is way too big, both metaphorically and literally.

I was viewing the hand-ball by Luis Suarez of Uruguay of a SURE goal that would have put Ghana ahead with only minutes left in the game, It probably would have been a win to put them in the semi-finals, the first African country to get that far.

Would you agree on a rule change, that upon further review, the refreee can award an automatic goal in cases like this one. Penalty kicks should continue to be awarded for other type of fouls.

[QUOTE=Black Shirt]I was viewing the hand-ball by Luis Suarez of Uruguay of a SURE goal that would have put Ghana ahead with only minutes left in the game, It probably would have been a win to put them in the semi-finals, the first African country to get that far.

Would you agree on a rule change, that upon further review, the refreee can award an automatic goal in cases like this one. Penalty kicks should continue to be awarded for other type of fouls.[/QUOTE]I think to change the rule would be a knee jerk reaction, and when you think it through would result in a complete mess. There are handballs in the area all the time that result in straight reds and expulsions. Players stick out their arms and elbows to deflect shots frequently. If you were to change the rule it would result in refs having to determine what exactly is an "automatic" goal and what is not. And then having to fine tune an impossible to fine tune criteria.

For me, there never should be an "automatic" goal. The Ghana dude fucked up by clanging the penalty shot off the crossbar. You can look at it as a cruel thing, but I like the "cruelty" in futbol. Only three substitutions. Once you are out of the match-you are out! And the best- the relegation system. If your team finishes at the bottom, you are "relegated" to the next lower division.

Never hear anyone talk about Martin Palermo. It seems he was a clutch player in the work-ups and got the win when Argentina played Greece. I always thought he was one of the best for Argentina. Was surprised Maradona never threw him into the mix Saturday.

[QUOTE=Damman]Never hear anyone talk about Martin Palermo. It seems he was a clutch player in the work-ups and got the win when Argentina played Greece. I always thought he was one of the best for Argentina. Was surprised Maradona never threw him into the mix Saturday.[/QUOTE]The Titan! One of my favorite players being a Boca fan. BUT, Palermo was a controversial choice by Maradona given that he is older and slower as time goes on. He remains a local idol and many of the locals were championing his selection, but the reality is that there were other strikers more deserving of selection than Palermo. Maradona took him to the WC more as a good luck charm, and because he knew he had tons of better strikers to put on the pitch.

All that said, nobody has a better nose for being in the right place at the right time than Palermo. I was at the Monumental during the monsoon, when Palermo scored the goal against Peru that gave the Argentina national team a shot at going to South Africa. Without that goal in the last seconds of the match, Argentina would have been home licking their wounds, and most likely Maradona would be history.

Palermo cracks me up. It usually appears that he is standing around completely overwhelmed by the action swirling around him when the ball suddenly appears at his feat. Looking totally surprised, he gives is a little kick and it trickles into the goal. It appears that he's just a lucky guy but they say that luck favors the well-prepared and it takes a lot more than luck to become the all-time Boca goal scorer.

My guess is that if Argentina had been tied or only down a goal with 10 minutes left, we would have seen him.

[QUOTE=Doggboy]The Titan! One of my favorite players being a Boca fan. BUT, Palermo was a controversial choice by Maradona given that he is older and slower as time goes on. He remains a local idol and many of the locals were championing his selection, but the reality is that there were other strikers more deserving of selection than Palermo. Maradona took him to the WC more as a good luck charm, and because he knew he had tons of better strikers to put on the pitch.

All that said, nobody has a better nose for being in the right place at the right time than Palermo. I was at the Monumental during the monsoon, when Palermo scored the goal against Peru that gave the Argentina national team a shot at going to South Africa. Without that goal in the last seconds of the match, Argentina would have been home licking their wounds, and most likely Maradona would be history.[/QUOTE]Palermo kind of sounds like the Argentine version of George Blanda in American football. Old and tired, but always able to score. Anyway, it is all ancient history now. La Bombonera, what an experience.

Thanks

[QUOTE=Doggboy]For me, there never should be an "automatic" goal. The Ghana dude fucked up by clanging the penalty shot off the crossbar. You can look at it as a cruel thing, but I like the "cruelty" in futbol. Only three substitutions. Once you are out of the match-you are out! And the best- the relegation system. If your team finishes at the bottom, you are "relegated" to the next lower division.[/QUOTE]I agree with Doggboy. A red card and a penalty kick are sufficient. If you can't convert the penalty kick, you probably don't deserve to win.

In rugby we have what we call is a "Penalty Try" that is awarded by the ref when the imminent score, (in rugby's case a try) is averted by the defender. The ref will automatically award the try. It seems to work well.

I'm not advocating this in soccer as I haven't thought about it that much but you could certainly build a tenable argument for this. I don't know the conversion rate for PKs but I would guess it is in the 80 % range + or - 5 % so you can certainly understand the rational for what Suarez did as it is by no means an automatic score.

(I would guess the PK conversion rate for the shootouts is significantly lower due to the pressure type situation and the less specialist takers having to step up. Another comment: The automatic red card for stopping the goal scoring opportunity is a relatively new rule change and I generally think it is good if the ref gets it right - another discussion. This rule change is a relatively minor tinkering and certainly much less so than the introduction of a pentaly goal)

Very often, we see penalties given to players who are not in any position to score, the defender committing the foul through sheer stupidity (Pique of Spain) or by accident. Yes, it is impossible to judge intent. But there are clear cut cases that can be decided by video. NFL has been very successful for a long time now. There is so much at stake in the modern era, even if you want to ignore fairness.

Tennis has also become a much better sport ever since they allow players to challenge the linesman's call through hawkeye. Of course, we had fun with McEnroe's tantrums. FIFA is now bowing to pressure after burying their neck in the sand over whether the ball cross the line. It is so frustrating to see Blatter having to apologize when he was so stubborn just a few weeks ago. Bureaucrats!

The philosophy seems to be that the job of the referee is impossible so he's going to make many bad calls but it will all even out in the end. I doubt that tinkering around the edges will change that essential nature. The only way to make a significant change would be to radically restructure the officiating which is bound to make unanticipated changes that could dramatically alter the game. Nobody is going to be willing to take the risk.

I would prefer to see the governing bodies use post-game replays to dole out suspensions for diving. It's way, way out of hand and it seems like it wouldn't take more than a couple of high-profile examples to change the behavior of the players. Expecting the referee to do it alone doesn't work since he will get it wrong so often it becomes just another random factor in the game.

I agree, I think this is the philosophy in terms of refereeing mistakes evening themselves out - and they probably do over the long haul or over a season. (Although anyone that follows the EPL will talk about Alex Ferguson and how he has massive influence over referees especially at Old Trafford)

BUT, the kind of mistakes we've seen at this world cup are just not acceptable. There has to be a better way and, as stated, football really is the only sport left that doesn't use any technology to aid the human eye and to aid human judgement in making a split second decision which can have massive, massive implications. Rugby, tennis and cricket have all introduced technology I think succesfully without changing the unpredicatability and "fabric" of the game.

[QUOTE=Shagger123]I agree, I think this is the philosophy in terms of refereeing mistakes evening themselves out - and they probably do over the long haul or over a season. (Although anyone that follows the EPL will talk about Alex Ferguson and how he has massive influence over referees especially at Old Trafford)

BUT, the kind of mistakes we've seen at this world cup are just not acceptable. There has to be a better way and, as stated, football really is the only sport left that doesn't use any technology to aid the human eye and to aid human judgement in making a split second decision which can have massive, massive implications. Rugby, tennis and cricket have all introduced technology I think succesfully without changing the unpredicatability and "fabric" of the game.[/QUOTE]I hope they put a linesman / ref behind each goal. That would help out alot with legit goals being disallowed as well as spotting diving / penalties. I think one of the big issues is that the referee in futbol has a tremendous amount of power, and I think FIFA is wary of the problems that might arise if there are disagreements between refs and linesman. Even these days linesman are often timid about making calls and often sit on a judgement unless the ref asks for their opinion.

I'm against replay technology in futbol. It's a "seamless" sport and I hope it remains that way. Then again, I hate the designated hitter, so maybe I'm too old school.

It seems that the Netherlands is starting to grow into the designated title of the "team of destiny". Playing very solid defense and controlling the midfield, they are scoring just enough to win. With the lucky break of playing Uruguay in the SF, they have the easier route to the Final.

The Dutch match winners so far has been Sneijder and Robben, both rejects of Real Madrid, who have gone on to their best club seasons respectively. We have to wait and see if Real Madrid's outrageous spending might go the way Spain's economy has gone. I am going to pick Netherlands as the ultimate winner vs the Spain / Germany winner. It will be interesting to see how Germany will make up for the loss of Muller.

Great match! Two powerhouses put it all on the table and Spain wins out on a header by Puyol. Good move by Del Bosque to finally start Pedro instead of Torres. The defense of Spain was damn near impenetrable.

The Netherlands has looked good, but I have a hard time seeing Spain lose now.

I don't wanna talk about it. Nobody to root for here.

From the outset Spain looked like a precision well coached team with a plan. I thought they dominated the pace and time of possession. Maybe I missed their earlier games but they looked very good. I felt they took Germany out of their game. I think the two of the better team are playing in the finals. I think it is a great match up. New to the sport, but loving it.

I caught this article. Does Maradona really deserve a national statue?

[url]http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5359076/ce/us/argentine-lawmaker-proposes-monument-diego-maradona?cc=5901&ver=us[/url]

[QUOTE=Big Travel Guy]I don't wanna talk about it. Nobody to root for here.[/QUOTE]Come on, just cheer for a good game. Now to the topic of Mark von Bommel, the Dutch defender who is the ultimate in the category of "ugly footballer". In the Guardian, he was described as one who would chop down his granny if she was anywhere near the ball. The fact that he has only 1 yellow card (for dissent, hahaha) is ludicrous. I would like him to be verbally warn early on and yellow carded subsequently. Anyway who has play soccer hate this type of player who is all about knocking, pushing and holding you rather than going for the ball.

[QUOTE=Black Shirt]Come on, just cheer for a good game. Now to the topic of Mark von Bommel, the Dutch defender who is the ultimate in the category of "ugly footballer". In the Guardian, he was described as one who would chop down his granny if she was anywhere near the ball. The fact that he has only 1 yellow card (for dissent, hahaha) is ludicrous. I would like him to be verbally warn early on and yellow carded subsequently. Anyway who has play soccer hate this type of player who is all about knocking, pushing and holding you rather than going for the ball.[/QUOTE]Here here! What an asshole he is. Between he and diving, whining Robben, I have two good reasons to root for Spain. Sneijder can be a bit of a shitbird too.

I booked a trip a week ago to Montevideo, hoping against hope that I would be there to see Uruguay in the final. Unfortunately, it'll be the third place match Saturday. So, I'll see both matches in Montevideo. Go Spain!

[QUOTE=Doggboy]Here here! What an asshole he is. Between he and diving, whining Robben, I have two good reasons to root for Spain. Sneijder can be a bit of a shitbird too.

I booked a trip a week ago to Montevideo, hoping against hope that I would be there to see Uruguay in the final. Unfortunately, it'll be the third place match Saturday. So, I'll see both matches in Montevideo. Go Spain![/QUOTE]Great, have a good time, especially with the chicas. I was in Milan when Inter won the Champions League in May, it was fun celebrating when a whole city is overjoy.

[QUOTE=Master J]I caught this article. Does Maradona really deserve a national statue?

[url]http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5359076/ce/us/argentine-lawmaker-proposes-monument-diego-maradona?cc=5901&ver=us[/url][/QUOTE]In the 1986 world cup Maradona scored the best goal I have ever seen in a world cup match, was voted player of the tournament and won the world cup with Argentina.

In my very humble opinion the best footballer that there has ever been. So yes a national statue is the least he deserves.

If he was English. He would now be Sir Diego Armando Maradona.

[QUOTE=Flexible Horn]In the 1986 world cup Maradona scored the best goal I have ever seen in a world cup match, was voted player of the tournament and won the world cup with Argentina.

In my very humble opinion the best footballer that there has ever been. So yes a national statue is the least he deserves.

If he was English. He would now be Sir Diego Armando Maradona.[/QUOTE]Yes, it was a fantastic goal although the English defending, (as usual) was crap. Maradona breezed past Peter Reid, Terry Butcher completely unchallenged. Of course, we can say, maybe rightly, that that this was because of his skill, ability to wrong foot defenders or just their shear fear of him.

In the 86 world cup he was absolutely fantastic, the goal against Belguim also was out of this world, and he pretty much made Argentina unbeatable. Not sure if I would put him as the absolute best footballer of all time, definitely top 3 in there with Pele of course, and Cruyff.

[QUOTE=Shagger123]Yes, it was a fantastic goal although the English defending, (as usual) was crap. Maradona breezed past Peter Reid, Terry Butcher completely unchallenged. Of course, we can say, maybe rightly, that that this was because of his skill, ability to wrong foot defenders or just their shear fear of him.[/QUOTE]They didn't want to challenge him, miss, and be made a fool of. So they ended up looking like fools anyway!

[QUOTE=Doggboy]They didn't want to challenge him, miss, and be made a fool of. So they ended up looking like fools anyway![/QUOTE][url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk-kXwjASEE[/url]

I think its Peter Reid and Steve Hodge (Ex Spurs) who Maradona breezes past 1st, well if you know your football these where 2 of the slowest players around, so I don't think there was any chance of a tackle.

I 1st had the privilege of seeing him live in 1980 at Wembley, I came away from that game which I think England won 3-1 knowing I had seen a truely world class player.

This coming week on English tv is a documentry about him, where a tv crew followed him for 3 years, he talks about his drug problems, so its warts and all should be interesting.

[QUOTE=Flexible Horn][url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk-kXwjASEE[/url]

This coming week on English tv is a documentry about him, where a tv crew followed him for 3 years, he talks about his drug problems, so its warts and all should be interesting.[/QUOTE]I hope they followed him to Cocodrillo!

[QUOTE=Flexible Horn][url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk-kXwjASEE[/url]

I think its Peter Reid and Steve Hodge (Ex Spurs) who Maradona breezes past 1st, well if you know your football these where 2 of the slowest players around, so I don't think there was any chance of a tackle.

I 1st had the privilege of seeing him live in 1980 at Wembley, I came away from that game which I think England won 3-1 knowing I had seen a truely world class player.

This coming week on English tv is a documentry about him, where a tv crew followed him for 3 years, he talks about his drug problems, so its warts and all should be interesting.[/QUOTE]It was Reid, Butcher, Fenwick that he beat. It may be Hodge at the begining next to Reid. If you remember this England team that acquited itself very well in the last 16\QF of the 86WC was reconstructed after Brian Robson got injured and Ray Wilkins got sent off in the previous games that did not go particularly well. A similar thing happened in 1990 - we didn't start out well - lost Brian Robson to injury, needed a last group game victory over Egypt to assure qualification. Bobby Robson shook the team up, changed formations with Mark Hughes playing as sweeper, Lineker up front on his own with Beardsley just off him. It worked a charm and although I am generally very critical of England we genuinly could have won that one.

Back to the 2010 WC. England were crap, we're an average side, no more, no less - about as good as USA\Mexico etc. Argentina played well against weak and less than average teams and then failed miserably at their first real test. They performed as their qualification campaign suggested. It should be a decent final, I hope Spain pull it off - they have some fantastic unslefish players that play well together as a team and show massive amounts of patience, unlike England where everyone is trying to win it with one swing of the boot.

[QUOTE=Flexible Horn]In the 1986 world cup Maradona scored the best goal I have ever seen in a world cup match, was voted player of the tournament and won the world cup with Argentina.

In my very humble opinion the best footballer that there has ever been. So yes a national statue is the least he deserves.

If he was English. He would now be Sir Diego Armando Maradona.[/QUOTE]Better than Pele? Does his illegal activities influence the decision?

If you understand the Argentinian state of mind, any hero / heroine has to be tragic figure. His story is not quite finish yet, but the clamor for a statue shows the desperate need for people to forget the tragedy of their everyday life. Their illusion of minor success in the World Cup camouflage the fact that Maradona did not use key players he had at his disposal and that Argentina was actually a strong favorite to win it all. Hopefully, we will get a Broadway musical out of it.

[QUOTE=Flexible Horn]In the 1986 world cup Maradona scored the best goal I have ever seen in a world cup match, was voted player of the tournament and won the world cup with Argentina.

In my very humble opinion the best footballer that there has ever been. So yes a national statue is the least he deserves.

If he was English. He would now be Sir Diego Armando Maradona.[/QUOTE]On football merits, he definitely deserve a statue. But the timing is bizzare. Best footballer of all time? It is hard to compare, but Pele's career is far more expansive and his impact in the game much more significant. Pele is Arnold Palmer, and Maradona is Jack Nicklaus in my mind.

[QUOTE=Black Shirt][QUOTE=Flexible Horn]In the 1986 world cup Maradona scored the best goal I have ever seen in a world cup match, was voted player of the tournament and won the world cup with Argentina.

In my very humble opinion the best footballer that there has ever been. So yes a national statue is the least he deserves.

If he was English. He would now be Sir Diego Armando Maradona.[/ QUOTE.

On football merits, he definitely deserve a statue. But the timing is bizzare. Best footballer of all time? It is hard to compare, but Pele's career is far more expansive and his impact in the game much more significant. Pele is Arnold Palmer, and Maradona is Jack Nicklaus in my mind.[/QUOTE]Not a pissing contest Black, but I've met Pele and Maradona and was lucky to see them both perform. Pele, by comparison is by far the most amazing player to ever play the game. Most soccer moves to this day are attributed to him, including the Bicycle kick, which some argue was created by someone else yet popularized by Pele. Pele had and still has the presence of a superstar, he had his flamboyant moments but nothing compared to the embarrassing goob that Maradona has become. Maradona was highly criticized by his own people who asserted that he was not the right man for the job. Was Argentina's success due to the raw talent of the team, or was it Maradona's doing. I think it was the former reason.

Again, all-in-all, no comparison.

Jack

[QUOTE=Jackjack1]Was Argentina's success due to the raw talent of the team, or was it Maradona's doing. I think it was the former reason.[/QUOTE]Don't forget, this was a team that was on the verge of not qualifying. I could have coached this team as far as they went. When the time came that a true manager was needed, they lost 4-0.

4-0, due to piss poor defense which was the criticism of Maradona's choices all along. We were just bamboozled for a while, but Argentina had the easiest group of all. And then Mexico, the great under achiever.

[QUOTE=Jackjack1][QUOTE=Black Shirt]Not a pissing contest Black, but I've met Pele and Maradona and was lucky to see them both perform. Pele, by comparison is by far the most amazing player to ever play the game. Most soccer moves to this day are attributed to him, including the Bicycle kick, which some argue was created by someone else yet popularized by Pele. Pele had and still has the presence of a superstar, he had his flamboyant moments but nothing compared to the embarrassing goob that Maradona has become. Maradona was highly criticized by his own people who asserted that he was not the right man for the job. Was Argentina's success due to the raw talent of the team, or was it Maradona's doing. I think it was the former reason.

Again, all-in-all, no comparison.

Jack[/QUOTE]He did not last as long, but Maradona was just amazing as Pele. I agree with you all the other points. The statue is deserving as a Argentine soccer player who was one of the best of all time.

Remember, athletes get better as the decades go by. Today, the defenders are just as athletic as the offensive players. Not so, in Pele's days.

[QUOTE=Master J]Better than Pele? Does his illegal activities influence the decision?[/QUOTE]I'm ENGLISH, so more than any other nationality should hate him but I'm a football lover, probably seen over 500 live professional football matches (thats not watching them on tv)

I never did see Pele live but of the footage I have seen I don't think he was as good as Maradona, my opinion, millions agree millions disagree.

If Maradona had never taken drugs he might have been an even better player.

[QUOTE=Flexible Horn]I'm ENGLISH, so more than any other nationality should hate him but I'm a football lover, probably seen over 500 live professional football matches (thats not watching them on tv)

I never did see Pele live but of the footage I have seen I don't think he was as good as Maradona, my opinion, millions agree millions disagree.

If Maradona had never taken drugs he might have been an even better player.[/QUOTE]Interesting debate could go on for ever. One thing in Maradona's favor, I think, is that he alone was the difference between Argentina winning the world cup versus being a contender. I'm not saying he won the World Cup single handedly but without him it would have been far from a ceratainty. Now, Brazil \ Pele in 1970. This was maybe the best team of all time, many world class payers - without Pele they would probably have won anyway. Cruyff? I always rated him highly - unfortunately he never won the WC. 1974 arguably the Dutch were the best team and 1978 he fell out with the Dutch authorities and was not playing for the national side.

[QUOTE=Jackjack1][QUOTE=Black Shirt]Not a pissing contest Black, but I've met Pele and Maradona and was lucky to see them both perform. Pele, by comparison is by far the most amazing player to ever play the game. Most soccer moves to this day are attributed to him, including the Bicycle kick, which some argue was created by someone else yet popularized by Pele. Pele had and still has the presence of a superstar, he had his flamboyant moments but nothing compared to the embarrassing goob that Maradona has become. Maradona was highly criticized by his own people who asserted that he was not the right man for the job. Was Argentina's success due to the raw talent of the team, or was it Maradona's doing. I think it was the former reason.

Again, all-in-all, no comparison.

Jack[/QUOTE]Except for a brief period with the Cosmos, Pele never played club football outside of Brazil. That hurt him some as far as worldwide recognition. As far as comparing personalities with Maradona, we all know Maradona's faults. Pele has had his share of problems as well, with a corruption charge some years ago, failed marriages and a son arrested on drug trafficking charges. He certainly has not been as flamboyantly wacky as Maradona, but he has been far from perfect off the pitch.

As far as Maradona being a decent coach, he just ain't. I hope he decides to get out now and let someone with some experience take over. The real villain though is Grondona and the AFA, who are corrupt as the day is long.