There are many things that happened in that game, but working backwards from the goal scored by Angel Di Maria, I would like to look at a few of those events.
Angel Di Maria scored from a through pass from Lionel Messi off a Nigerian turn-over while Nigeria was attempting to counter-attack. The pass streamed over 40 yards untouched by a single foot, directly into the path of the dangerous midfielder.
One would have noticed that Argentina was attempting through passes all game long ... they only needed one to get through!
The Nigerian defense at this point had pushed too far up, and was thus unable to stop this goal opportunity. The matter was further compounded by a failure to communicate between Vanzekin and Adeleye. Adeleye could have stretched his hand out to say "STAY" and while attempting to challenge Di Maria ... but things were happening too fast. Vanzekin panicked and was made to look amateurish ... goal for Argentina.
On the Cybereagles forum some of the forummers said that Vanzekin should have stayed put and waited for Adeleye to challenge Di Maria. Di Maria could have scored with a well placed shot, he could have missed, the goalkeeper could have saved the shot or Adeleye could have caught him (very iffy).
That said we did not score any goals, even though Isaac Promise missed two sitters in the 33rd minute ... his reaction time was much too slow.
So what to take away from this game? There is a post on the cybereagles forum that I feel says everything. It is written by a forumer named TXJ and his comments are quite amazing:
txj wrote:
1. When the U-23 team lined up at the Olympics soccer event final, the profile of the players could not have been more different from their Argentine counterparts.
2. At CD Argentina had Ezekiel Garay of Real Madrid, Nigeria had Dele Adeleye from the bench of dutch basement club Sparta Rotterdam. Just over a year ago, he was at Shooting Stars, oscillating between Division 1 and 2.
3. At LB, with the responsibility of marking Messi; yes Lionel Messi of Barcelona, was Okonkwo from Bayelsa United, a right footed player converted to LB.
4. In CM, where Argentina had Riquelme, Gago and Mascherano, arguably the best DM in the world, Nigeria presented Ebenezer Ajilore of Mydjtilland and from the bench at Sparta, Sanni Kaita. A few years ago, Ajilore plied his trade at Ebiede Babes, a Lagos youth club.
5. But as the game unfolded, the confidence of the Nigerian players and the cautious approach their opponents showed, belied the reputation and CV of Argentina's players.
6. This effectively proved two things:
(i) that the club status of the Nigerian players does not accurately reflect their real quality; and that
(ii) a new measure is urgently required to determine the quality of our players; one that is not entirely dependent on the judgement of European club managers whose philosophy of the game and needs, vis a vis their clubs, may not necessarily be in alignment with the development of the average Nigerian player, or the SE.
7. Such a measure will however be determined individually by each coach. It requires that such a coach have both the self confidence and the clarity of ideas to see the Nigerian player in his full context, and the experience (european & s. america) to build his team and develop these players within the context of the modern team game.
8. It in effect means that the SE eligible player could be found in Emeka Ezeugo-coached Churchill Brothers SC of Goa, India; Talata Mafara FC of Sokoto, or AC Milan.
9. A new generation of Nigerian coaches has emerged from the european exodus pioneered by Stephen Keshi. The challenge for Nigerian football administrators is to facilitate a transition from a decadent past to a new era.
10. While the likes of Amodu, Abdullahi, Ikhana and Emordi may have done well at the levels they operated, the truth is that a cursory look at their body of work typically reveals evidence of severe limitations, often from half education on the subject....
1. When the U-23 team lined up at the Olympics soccer event final, the profile of the players could not have been more different from their Argentine counterparts.
2. At CD Argentina had Ezekiel Garay of Real Madrid, Nigeria had Dele Adeleye from the bench of dutch basement club Sparta Rotterdam. Just over a year ago, he was at Shooting Stars, oscillating between Division 1 and 2.
3. At LB, with the responsibility of marking Messi; yes Lionel Messi of Barcelona, was Okonkwo from Bayelsa United, a right footed player converted to LB.
4. In CM, where Argentina had Riquelme, Gago and Mascherano, arguably the best DM in the world, Nigeria presented Ebenezer Ajilore of Mydjtilland and from the bench at Sparta, Sanni Kaita. A few years ago, Ajilore plied his trade at Ebiede Babes, a Lagos youth club.
5. But as the game unfolded, the confidence of the Nigerian players and the cautious approach their opponents showed, belied the reputation and CV of Argentina's players.
6. This effectively proved two things:
(i) that the club status of the Nigerian players does not accurately reflect their real quality; and that
(ii) a new measure is urgently required to determine the quality of our players; one that is not entirely dependent on the judgement of European club managers whose philosophy of the game and needs, vis a vis their clubs, may not necessarily be in alignment with the development of the average Nigerian player, or the SE.
7. Such a measure will however be determined individually by each coach. It requires that such a coach have both the self confidence and the clarity of ideas to see the Nigerian player in his full context, and the experience (european & s. america) to build his team and develop these players within the context of the modern team game.
8. It in effect means that the SE eligible player could be found in Emeka Ezeugo-coached Churchill Brothers SC of Goa, India; Talata Mafara FC of Sokoto, or AC Milan.
9. A new generation of Nigerian coaches has emerged from the european exodus pioneered by Stephen Keshi. The challenge for Nigerian football administrators is to facilitate a transition from a decadent past to a new era.
10. While the likes of Amodu, Abdullahi, Ikhana and Emordi may have done well at the levels they operated, the truth is that a cursory look at their body of work typically reveals evidence of severe limitations, often from half education on the subject....
and I mostly agree!!!
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