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Sanchez named in Chile squad
In-demand winger Alexi Sanchez has been named in the Chile squad 4 warm-up internationals ahead of the Copa America.
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti confirmed the club r in talks with Serie A rivals Udinese 2 sign Sanchez, who is a reported target of several other top European sides.
Coach Claudio Borghi has named a squad of 28 for matches against Estonia on June 19 & Paraguay 5 days later, ahead of the Copa America - which starts on July 1 & sees Chile take on Mexico, Peru & Uruguay in Group C.
Squad: Bravo (Real Sociedad), Pinto (Atlas), Garces (Universidad Catolica), Olivares (Colo Colo); Jara (West Brom), Contreras (PAOK), Ponce (Cruz Azul), Vidal (Bayer Leverkusen); Estrada (Montpellier), Romo (Palestino), Medel (Sevilla), Millar (Colo Colo), Carmona (Atalanta), Seymour (Universidad de Chile), Silva (Universidad Catolica), Isla (Udinese), Fierro (Flamengo), Meneses (Universidad Catolica), Fernandez (Sporting Lisbon), Valdivia (Palmeiras), Jimenez (Cesena), Gutierrez (Universidad Catolica); Beausejour (Birmingham), Sanchez (Udinese), Pinilla (Palermo), Paredes (Colo Colo), Suazo (Monterrey), Munoz (Santiago).
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Carlos Tevez vs Sergio Batista
The Copa America in Argentina is a little over a month away, & whilst Buenos Aires will only play host 2 the final, the city's media - which is also the country's media - r gearing up 4 the tournament. Having not won anything since the 1993 Copa in Ecuador, Argentines r desperate 2 end their trophy drought, even though manager Sergio Batista insists preparation 4 the 2014 World Cup is the main priority. The will-they, won't-they saga surrounding Japan's inclusion (they won't, it was finally announced last week; Costa Rica will take part instead) has been the cause of many headlines, but an individual exclusion might also hv a huge bearing on how the tournament pans out.
20 goals & six assists meant tat during 2010-2011, Carlos Tevez was directly involved in nearly 45% of ManC's goals in the Premier League. Tat's even w/o including the others in which he played a part in the build-up w/o playing the final pass. As well as tis, he's added the FA Cup 2 his medal haul & can now boast tat he's won everything there is 2 win in England (he & Pablo Zabaleta having become the 1st Argentine pair 2 win the FA Cup since Ossie Ardiles & Ricky Villa). But barring a miracle of near Biblical scope, he won't be turning out 4 Argentina in the tournament. Why not?
In September, Tevez starred in a 4-1 thrashing of newly-crowned world champions Spain, a win which secured Sergio Batista's place as permanent manager of the seleccion. The problem, 4 Batista, was tat there were frequent mutterings behind the scenes tat 1 or 2 senior players were agitating 4 Diego Maradona 2 be reinstated as manager aft the AFA forced him out in the wake of the catastrophic exit fr the World Cup. Subsequent friendlies against Japan & Brazil saw Tevez included in Batista's 1st squads since being confirmed as permanent manager. Then in late January he named a squad 2 face Portugal in another friendly, & Tevez was dropped.
At the time Batista insisted tat the players who'd been dropped (Gabriel Heinze & Martin Demichelis also didn't get called up 4 the Portugal game) were still very much in contention 4 a place in the squad 4 the Copa America. Those mutterings abt players unhappy with the identity of the new boss were getting louder, though. Tevez had always been a fav of Maradona, even when not playing especially well 4 Argentina under his stewardship, & another absentee was Sergio Aguero - Maradona's son-in-law.
Whilst Batista has since patched things up with Aguero - if indeed they ever were genuinely broken - Tevez has seemed further fr being selected even as his end of season form 4 City has been so brilliant. When Batista recently travelled 2 various cities in Europe, meeting his players 2 discuss their roles in the side, he only sent an assistant 2 Manchester, with instructions 2 only talk 2 Pablo Zabaleta. Tevez, increasingly frustrated (kissing the Argentine flag printed on his shinpad in celebration aft his free kick goal in the penultimate league game against Stoke was a message 2 fans & Batista back in Argentina), broke his silence last week. 'I've tried calling Batista,' he said, 'but he never picks up. And he's never spoken 2 me.'
Batista has since admitted tat he hasn't dealt with Tevez the way he perhaps should hv done, accepting he should hv gone 2 Manchester himself 2 talk 2 the player. He's insisted, however, tat his strike force is already decided; Lionel Messi in the 'false 9' role he's enjoyed 4 Barcelona, with support fr the wings in a 4-3-3, & Gonzalo Higuain as backup or a plan B should the approach need changing. There is, says Batista, simply no place 4 Tevez in tat tactical plan, even though Ezequiel Lavezzi & Angel Di Maria as the wide men in the front 3 hv looked less than impressive. With Aguero now expected 2 be part of the Copa America squad, Tevez seems the only exile, & although Batista insists no-1's discounted fr plans 4 the World Cup qualifying campaign, it's hard 2 see those as more than token words.
Into tis intrigue, of course, we must add the figure who towers over issues affecting the Argentine national team like a man riding an elephant thru a field of dormice. Diego Maradona has waded in2 the debate with all the subtlety & forethought he's known 4, telling journalists shortly aft accepting his multi-million dollar offer 2 manage Al-Wasl in UAE tat a manager, 'would hv 2 be drunk or high not 2 pick Tevez.' In case there's any doubt, yes, we r talking of the same Diego Maradona who didn't call up Javier Zanetti or Esteban Cambiasso 4 last year's World Cup, & thought Jonas Gutierrez would be just fine @ right back.
Tevez, aft expressing his frustration as mentioned abv, has been largely silent on the issue, preferring 2 keep his head down & concentrate on playing. The fact tat he took 2 the Argentine media 4 his dialogue with Batista is probably only becos, as he said, he was unable 2 speak with him 1-on-1. Tevez's form 4 Argentina over the last few years has frequently failed 2 live up 2 wat he's done @ club level (although he was superb in tat demolition of Spain), but 1 thing Maradona had right b4 the World Cup was his popularity, calling Carlitos, 'the player of the people.'
In not calling him up, Batista might be playing a dangerous game, whether or not it's due 2 politics. Win the Copa America & all will be forgiven, but fail 2 win it without Tevez in the team, & pressure fr media & fans will only increase ahead of a 'home continent' World Cup. He may or may not be still with City next season, but in his homeland Tevez's relationship with the national team causes more concern.