at Copa America & MLS
Copa America: Argentina struggled through a pair of underwhelming draws – Bolivia and Columbia - before opening up and qualifying for the knockout round of the tournament. Carlos Tévez started in the first two matches and was then left out of the third. Head coach Sergio Batista was appointed following a disappointing World Cup campaign and clashed with the fiery apache who was left out of subsequent sides for being too vocal in his support of the outgoing Diego Maradona. Julio Grondona, the godfather of Argentine football, chose Batista in part because of his docile nature especially as compared to Maradona. Tévez was included in the squad largely because of his popularity with the Argentine populace. Did Grondona enforce Tévez’s selection for its promotional value and was he (Tévez) given just enough rope to hang himself in those first two matches, so Batista could escape the calls for his inclusion? Some Machiavellian machinations simply par for the course concerning tournaments in Argentina.
MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps have signed a second DP in the form of Gambian striker Mustapha Jarju. Last week there was apparently a conversation in the stands during a training session between their captain Jay DeMerit and club president Bob Lenarduzzi. Jarju has the reputation of being a leader having captained junior national sides and co-captaining the senior side. Did that conversation between DeMerit and Lenarduzzi involve the sharing of the leadership responsibility with the new arrival? With Jay leading from the back and Mustapha from the front? DeMerit seems a reasonable chap, interesting to see how the two big white men get on. At least they can be sure he won’t pick up any red cards – only 1 in his 85 matches according to footballdatabase.eu - as Hassli does enough of that for the whole team.
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