..::Football III::..

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Barcelona suffer Iniesta injury blow

Barcelona have confirmed that Andres Iniesta suffered a calf injury in El Clasico but it remains unclear how long he will be ruled out for.

The Spain midfielder had to be withdrawn with just under 20 minutes remaining in Barca's 3-1 La Liga defeat against arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

Iniesta pulled up holding his right leg and signalled to the bench that he was unable to continue."Sunday morning tests have confirmed that Andrés Iniesta has an injured right soleus, and developments will determine when he’ll be able to return to training with the group," read a statement on the club website.

Barca led through Neymar's early goal, but Cristiano Ronaldo pegged them back from the penalty spot and further goals from Pepe and Karim Benzema consigned Luis Enrique's side to their first La Liga defeat of the season.Lionel Messi spurned a golden opportunity to double Barca's lead before Real hit back and Xavi admitted they paid a heavy price for that miss.

"We didn't lose control at all; when they went up they were more comfortable." he said."When we were up 1-0, we should have taken longer possessions. We just missed out on the second goal, and when you miss those in the Bernabeu you pay a hefty price.

"After their second goal, they stayed back and looked for counter-attacks."

Jese ta set una wage blow ekak Animo Iniesta....Carvajal hena kandaya wage calf ekatama slide kala

 

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Cesena 0-1 Inter: Icardi penalty secures points for Nerazzurri

Inter ended a tumultuous week by easing some of the pressure on head coach Walter Mazzarri with a 1-0 win over 10-man Cesena.

The build-up to Sunday's clash had been dominated by headlines surrounding honorary president Massimo Moratti's resignation from his post - reportedly having lost faith in the former Napoli tactician - but a narrow victory over 17th-placed Cesena should see Mazzarri continue to cling on to his job.

Inter's poor start to the campaign saw them go into the weekend in ninth place, and they were given a helping hand when the hosts' goalkeeper, Nicola Leali, was controversially sent off for a coming-together with Rodrigo Palacio.Mauro Icardi scored from the resulting penalty to give Inter the lead and although the visitors failed to add to that advantage - Hugo Campagnaro seeing a late second disallowed for offside - they had more than enough to claim all three points.

Mazzarri had declared an "emergency situation" after the events of Thursday, which saw Moratti's resignation followed by a 0-0 draw with Saint-Etienne in the Europa League.

But although they initially struggled to create clear-cut chances, they eventually began to control the tempo.

There was an element of good fortune about their 32nd-minute opener, though.
Palacio raced on to Hernanes' delightful chipped pass and theatrically fell to ground in expectation of a collision with Leali, earning the goalkeeper a red card before Icardi converted the resulting penalty.

Cesena went close to restoring parity twice in the following three minutes, as Emmanuel Cascione first blazed a half-volley over from around 10 yards, before Samir Handanovic acrobatically palmed away Milan Djuric’s header.

Palacio thought he had made Cesena pay just before the break as he beat Federico Agliardi – Leali's replacement – from a tight angle, only for his celebrations to be cut short by the offside flag.

Inter continued to see more of the ball at the start of the second half, but again Cesena should have drawn level in the 54th minute as an unmarked Guido Marilungo headed over from eight yards.The visitors finally began to click as attacking force after that let-off - Hernanes firing agonisingly wide after a solo run in the 58th minute, before Mateo Kovacic saw his 20-yard effort just miss the target.

They could have made the result more comfortable in the latter stages, as Palacio shot straight at Agliardi when through on goal and then Campagnaro saw his 85th-minute header disallowed for offside.

But Icardi's penalty proved to be enough as Mazzarri's men came away from Stadio Dino Manuzzi with all three points.

ade me kiteka gathi

 

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Ronaldo voted La Liga's best player at LFP awards

Cristiano Ronaldo took the top gong at the LFP awards as La Liga's standout performers from the 2013-14 campaign were revealed on Monday night.

The Real Madrid star was named the best player from last season in Spain's top flight after scoring 31 goals in just 30 league games for the European champions.

The Ballon d'Or holder becomes only the second player to win the prize since its inception in 2008-09, with Lionel Messi having won all five of the previous titles.
"I have to thank my team-mates, Real Madrid, my family... it is a very good moment in my career," Ronaldo, also named best forward of the season, said at the awards ceremony in Madrid.

"For me, the important thing is to win collective prizes, but I like the individual ones, too. I work every day, in training, to continue adding more to this."As well as the best player and best forward awards, Ronaldo made it a hat-trick by scooping the prize for best goal of the campaign for his strike against Valencia in week 36.

Diego Simeone was honoured as best coach after guiding Atletico Madrid to the title in a remarkable season which also saw them reach the Champions League final."I want to share this with my players, without whom none of this would be possible," said the Argentine. "Thanks to Koke, Gabi, Miranda, Courtois... and everyone who made it possible to win the title."

Keylor Navas, now of Madrid, picked up the best goalkeeper accolade for his stunning season with Levante. Sergio Ramos scooped the best defender award and Luka Modric was best defensive midfielder on a successful night for Carlo Ancelotti's players.

Barcelona's Andres Iniesta was best attacking midfielder, while Carlos Bacca (best South American) and Yacine Brahimi (best African) were also recognised. Rafinha Alcantara was named the revelation of the campaign.

The awards for the best players and coach were voted for by the three team captains of each side in the division, though they were not allowed to vote for players from their own club. La Liga coaches chose the revelation award, while internet polls were responsible for the best goal, best African and best South American prizes.

 

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Congratulations CR7!​

 

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'He prepares every detail' - Rakitic full of praise for meticulous Luis Enrique

Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has hailed the meticulous attention to detail of head coach Luis Enrique.

The Catalans have enjoyed a strong start to the season under their new boss, although they suffered their first La Liga defeat of the season at the weekend as Real Madrid triumphed 3-1 in El Clasico.

Luis Enrique came in for criticism from some quarters for his tactical decisions during the match, including the choice to leave Rakitic on the bench in favour of Xavi, but the Croatia international is adamant his head coach is a master when it comes to preparing the best system for every game."Luis Enrique has very clear ideas, he prepares every detail," he told Uefa's official website.

Rakitic went on to admit he is eager to learn from the likes of Xavi and Sergio Busquets during his time at Camp Nou."Wearing this shirt is a dream come true, every kid dreams about coming here. I want to learn from them, as players and as people. They have won everything," he continued.

"I know that I have things to learn and I am always looking to take a step forward. You can show your potential if you feel happy and at home - I have felt that way since I came to Barcelona."Finally, the former Sevilla man admitted he will always feel indebted to Swiss champions Basel, where he began his professional career.

"I will never forget my beginnings at Basel, I have that club in my heart," the 26-year-old added.

 

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Ghana rule out appointing former Nigeria boss Keshi

The Ghana Football Association has ruled out appointing Stephen Keshi as national team coach after he expressed his desire to take the job.Keshi was sacked as coach of Nigeria earlier this month, having stayed on in the role on a non-contract basis since the World Cup.

The 52-year-old went on record to say he would relish the prospect of replacing Kwesi Appiah, whose Ghana tenure ended by mutual consent last month.

GFA vice-president Fred Crentsil has reacted by stating that three candidates have already been interviewed for the vacancy and Keshi is not in the running.
"Unfortunately, we are not considering any other names and so Stephen Keshi - who we respect a lot - will not be able to make it," Crentsil told supersport.com."We opened a window for applications and it's been closed for sometime now.

We've even shortlisted and interviewed three coaches and we are in the last stages of sending a report to the FA Executive Committee."Swiss coach Michel Pont, Spaniard Juan Ignacio Martinez and former Chelsea manager Avram Grant are reportedly the three men in contention for the Ghana role.

Keshi had told Happy FM in Ghana: "I would love to coach Ghana. Having the opportunity will be great.

"I have not spoken officially to anyone but I will love to lead this team."Of course if I get the chance to coach the team, the target will be the Africa Cup of Nations.The country has not won the title in a long time and I know Ghanaians are desirous of winning the cup.

"But like I said, we have to look at getting the job first. I want to coach the team if the opportunity is there."

 

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Alexis as good as Henry or Van Persie for Arsenal, insists Flamini

Alexis Sanchez is every bit as good as former Arsenal icons Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie, according to Mathieu Flamini.

Alexis has made an impressive start to life at Emirates Stadium since his €38 million summer move from Barcelona, scoring eight goals in 15 appearances in all competitions, including a clinical double against Sunderland on Saturday.

And Flamini believes the Chilean's combination of individual class and willingness to work for the team puts him in the same bracket as Arsenal's very best strikers of the Premier League era.

"From what we have seen so far of him, he is right up there [with Henry and Van Persie]," Flamini told reporters. "He is proving it in every game he plays, not just with his goals but the way he works for the team.

"[Alexis] is a breath of fresh air to play with. He gives so much for the team and not just in an attacking sense. I didn't realise he works so hard off the ball. Not just creating space for others but helping out defensively. He is a top player and has already made a big difference.

"Normally a player with his talent and goals would be satisfied with that but he gives more with his work-rate. When you see someone like him working so hard, it sets an example for all of us to follow."

 

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Madrid were scared of losing Clasico, admits Modric


Luka Modric has admitted Real Madrid feared losing Saturday's La Liga encounter with Barcelona and falling seven points behind in the La Liga title race.

Madrid fell behind to Neymar's early opener but fought back through a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty, Pepe's header and a Karim Benzema strike to run out 3-1 winners and close the gap at the top to just a single point.

"We felt the pressure early on in the game because of the importance of the Clasico. We feared losing the game and letting Barcelona go seven points clear in the title race," Modric told Sportske Novosti.

"But Barcelona also showed in those opening 15 minutes that they will punish you even if you give them very little space. Barcelona are very strong, but they looked powerless because we were great.

"The key was Iker Casillas' save to deny Lionel Messi. It would have been very hard to get back into the game had Barcelona gone 2-0 up. We showed our mental strength and stability by fighting back."

Modric added that he felt it was Madrid's best performance since he joined the club from Tottenham in 2012, before urging his team-mates not to get ahead of themselves with Barca still top of the table."This was Madrid's best performance since I got here. We showed what we can do against top opposition. We showed that nobody can fight us if we make good use of our quality.

"We could have scored even more. But beating a team that hadn't conceded a single goal until this game 3-1 is a great performance. This win is a big boost for us, but we shouldn't get carried away. Barcelona are still one point clear."

 

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Dortmund must not panic - Reus

Borussia Dortmund attacker Marco Reus has urged his under-fire team-mates not to panic, irrespective of the club's disastrous start to the season.

Jurgen Klopp's men have won just two of their opening nine league games and sit 15th in the Bundesliga table following their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Hannover.
"We have to analyse things and stay cool, calm and collected," Reus told the official Bundesliga website."What's going on in your head always has an important role to play. I think we're pretty clear about what we're doing, but we're not exactly brimming with confidence, which is what you're seeing sometimes.

"We need to enjoy our football more and then the goals will eventually come. The problem is we don't have the time. There are fewer games and we don't have many points. We're right down there at the bottom.

"I didn't look at the table after the game. It's not important. The main thing is we focus on ourselves. We have to find a way out. That's all we need to discuss now."
Dortmund will be looking to return to winning ways in Tuesday's DFB-Pokal clash with Sankt Pauli.

 

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Pogba: I play like Yaya Toure

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has likened his playing style to that of Manchester City star Yaya Toure.

The France international signed a new contract with the Serie A champions until 2019 on Friday, having become a key figure for club and country since arriving in Turin after leaving Manchester United on a free transfer two years ago.

Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri said over the weekend that Pogba still has lots of work to do to become one of the best players in the world and he has responded by revealing how he studies many of the game's finest players in his position.

"I think there are lots of players still better than me, but it's not up to me to worry about this sort of comparison," he told Fifa.com. "I try to do my job and be the best I possibly can.

"There are lots of midfielders I admire and watching them helps me improve. I could mention, for example, Yaya Toure, who has a similar size and physique to me but more experience. We have more or less the same playing style, even if he's a bit more attacking than me."Pogba featured at his first World Cup in Brazil earlier this year, playing a key role as France made the quarter-finals before bowing out to eventual winners Germany.

Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps is one of two midfield greats to have worked with Pogba - ex-Juve boss Antonio Conte the other - and the former Manchester United prodigy feels both both have aided his development."I've progressed with both of them. Didier Deschamps, for example, knows me very well and knows how to manage me," he added."He helps me improve every day, whether it's in training or in a match.

"He gives me the desire to give my best. He always gives me good advice and he's very honest with me. As a player, you really appreciate getting trust and encouragement from your coach.

"What he tells me most is to, 'stay focused and keep things simple', the way he used to do so well."

 

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Suarez: Call me a biter or a diver, but not a racist

Barcelona attacker Luis Suarez says he is happy to be labelled a "biter or a diver" but insists he is no racist, despite being banned for eight games in 2011 for abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra while at Liverpool.

The Uruguay star's career has been littered with episodes of indiscipline, with his suspension three years ago proceeded by a 10-game punishment for biting Branislav Ivanovic in April 2013 and a four-month ban from football after chewing on the shoulder of Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.

However, though Suarez has now acknowledged he was wrong to physically attack both players in his new autobiography, he maintains his innocence over the incident involving himself and Evra.

"Call me a biter or a diver, but I'm not a racist. I was banned for eight games and, much worse, got labelled a racist for life. It’s a serious accusation," the Guardian reveals in an extract from the attacker's new book.

"It hurts because of how it affects me, it hurts because my wife had to suffer too through the hearing, watching me getting accused of being someone she knows I’m not, and it hurts because in the future the stain will still be there when my children grow up. It’s a slur on my name that no one can take away.

"Did I use the Spanish word 'negro' in an argument that took place, in Spanish, with Patrice Evra on 15 October 2011 in a game between Liverpool and Manchester United?

"Yes.

"Is the word 'negro' the same in Spanish as it is in English?

"No, absolutely not.

"Am I a racist?

"No, absolutely not.

"I was horrified when I first realised that is what I was being accused of. And I’m still sad and angry to think that this is a stain on my character that will probably be there forever."

The 27-year-old made his official Barcelona debut at the weekend in the 3-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid after serving his four-month ban.

 

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Van Persie happy with Manchester United progress


Robin van Persie believes Manchester United are heading in the right direction after salvaging a draw against Chelsea on Sunday.

The Netherlands international scored in stoppage time at Old Trafford to rescue a point from his side's clash with the Premier League leaders.

Van Persie's late goal extended United's unbeaten run in the league to four matches and ensures they will head into this weekend's Manchester derby on something of a positive note.

And ahead of this season's first meeting with fierce rivals City, Van Persie feels the point proves Louis van Gaal's side can compete with the league's best.

"We all know that this club wants to go for the highest - first place," the Dutchman told the club's official website.

"[Sunday] showed everyone that we can compete with the best in England - I think soon with the best in Europe too. It’s just a process and we are now in the middle of that process.

"It’s getting better every day, we are improving all the time."

Van Persie received a yellow card for removing his shirt after equalising against Chelsea - a move Van Gaal described as a "stupid reaction", and the former Arsenal man revealed emotion got the better of him as he celebrated his first United goal since the end of September.

"I know it’s one of the rules that you have to keep your shirt on but sometimes you forget and everything comes together and the whole place explodes," he added.

"It was one of those fantastic moments and the main thing is that we got something out of this game because we deserved it."

 

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Dortmund situation is critical, says Klopp

Jurgen Klopp has acknowledged that Borussia Dortmund are in a "critical" situation ahead of Tuesday's DFB-Pokal clash with St. Pauli.

The Signal Iduna Park side have lost their last four matches in the Bundesliga - leaving them hovering above the relegation places - but are overwhelming favourites to reach the third round of the German cup competition.

Klopp's position at BVB is under scrutiny and he conceded that his players might be letting their nerves affect performances, contributing to their shockingly poor results in the Bundesliga.

"The fear of not winning is certainly there," the coach told reporters on Monday. "Sometimes we lack the necessary rest to perform."But we have to work. The preparation has been normal despite the critical situation that we've found ourselves in.

"We know the nature of this competition, that we're out if we lose."A couple of the players are over-worked, but there are no new injuries."

Dortmund's cup clash at second-division side St. Pauli kicks off at 20:30CET on Tuesday.

Next up in the Bundesliga for last season's runners up is a daunting visit to champions and league leaders Bayern Munich.

 

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Mathieu 'surprised' to start at left-back in Clasico

Jeremy Mathieu has confessed he was shocked to be started at left-back for Barcelona's visit to Real Madrid in Saturday's Clasico.

Luis Enrique's men went 1-0 up early in the tie at the Santiago Bernabeu thanks to Neymar, but goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Karim Benzema ensured that the Blancos consigned the visitors to their first Liga defeat of 2014-15.

Mathieu, signed in the summer from Valencia, admitted he did not expect to be fielded on the defence's left flank compared to the centre-back position he is more renowned for playing in.

"I was surprised," the France international told RTL on Sunday. "But it's the coach who decides where I play."

The 30-year-old also pinpointed the way Carlo Ancelotti's men defeated Barca with a combination of speedy attacks and superior set piece prowess."We started well, but we were really exposed on the counterattack, which is Madrid's greatest strength," Mathieu added. "And with their second goal they really hurt us.

"Although we’ve got tall players on the team - like Pique, Busquets and myself - it’s true we’ve got problems from dead-ball situations. We need to work harder at them."

Barca have the week off and are back in action on Saturday with a home tie at Camp Nou against Celta.

 

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Igesund devastated at news of Meyiwa death

Former South Africa and Orlando Pirates coach Gordon Igesund has expressed his sadness at the loss of national team captain Senzo Meyiwa.

Meyiwa was shot just outside Johannesburg on Sunday, and lost his life shortly after being rushed to hospital.

Igesund, who coached Bafana Bafana for two years from June 2012 to earlier this summer, admits he is "lost for words" over the death of a player and a person he held in the highest esteem.

"It's very sad to lose a 27-year-old football player, captain of the country, in such a barbaric way. It's the saddest news ever," Igesund told Goal.

"I'm lost for words and I still cannot believe that he is gone, because he was at the peak of his career and he was a good boy, you know."

Igesund, who handed Meyiwa his first Bafana cap against Swaziland last year, said the Durban-born goalkeeper was "extremely excited" when he was told he would be given his international debut.

"He was extremely excited when I told him he was going to start against Swaziland, and I had to give him his debut because Senzo was pushing and pushing [Kaiser] Chiefs keeper [Itumeleng] Khune to be the country's No.1, and I had to give him a chance," he recalls.

"This is sad; not only for his family or friends but for South Africa as a whole. May his soul rest peace."

 

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R.I.P Senzo!​

 

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'Senzo taught us all to be patient' - Orlando Pirates chairman pays tribute to Meyiwa

Orlando Pirates chairman Dr Irvin Khoza has hailed the influence that goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa had during his nine years with the first team.

Meyiwa died after being shot on Sunday in Vosloorus, with former Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund telling Goal that the entire country had been rocked by the tragedy.

Khoza has now paid tribute to the exemplary patience and professionalism shown by Meyiwa during his career, even when Moeneeb Josephs was the preferred choice ahead of him at the club in the past few seasons.

"It was a reward for hard work [being given a chance to take over from Josephs]. Senzo was patient for nine years. He played second fiddle to Josephs, but he never sulked and he was consistent in his mannerism," Khoza told Goal.

"He was part of the team's celebrations when we scored, even in the dressing room, and around other players.

"There was that potential we didn't see in him... that he had leadership qualities in him. So, we want to thank [South Africa boss] Shakes Mashaba for exposing that to the whole country and to the whole world."

The emotionally drained Khoza admitted that it will be difficult to move on from this tragic passing of Meyiwa.

"It is going to be difficult to move on because Senzo took time to mature. He took time to get his position in the national team. A lot of players sulk when they don't get their chance to play, but he did not. He infused that spirit in his team-mates.

"So, Senzo has taught us that we need to patient, and I hope that this is going to be one of the attributes that will be emulated by his predecessors and his team-mates going forward."

 

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Evra to miss a month for Juventus

Juventus left-back Patrice Evra has been sidelined for a month with a hamstring strain.

The French defender sat out Sunday's 2-0 win over Palermo, having suffered the injury in training ahead of the Serie A clash.

And coach Massimiliano Allegri will now have to do without the experienced player for upcoming crunch matches against Olympiakos in the Champions League and Lazio in Serie A."Patrice Evra was absent from the group [training on Monday] following the injury he sustained late last week," a club statement read.

"The Frenchman underwent medical tests earlier today which revealed a strain of the biceps femoris muscle [hamstring] in his left thigh, and he is estimated to return to action in 30 days."

Evra has made six appearances since moving to Turin from Manchester United in the summer.

 

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Lukaku: Eto'o wants to help me become world's best

Romelu Lukaku is delighted at being able to play alongside Samuel Eto'o at Everton and says the veteran wants to help him become one of the best striker's in the world.

Former Barcelona and Inter star Eto'o scored twice in Sunday's 3-1 win over strugglers Burnley, including an impressive long-range strike late on to make sure of Everton's victory.

Club-record signing Lukaku was also on target at Turf Moor, and the 21-year-old says he is learning so much from working with three-time Champions League winner Eto'o.

"I wasn't surprised to see Samuel score one like [his second]. When he took the touch I was thinking 'goal'," Lukaku told the club's official website.

"He has scored so many throughout his career and it's a pleasure to be working with him. He wants to help me become one of the best.

"I feel very lucky to be able to work with someone I grew up watching. I have been blessed to work with some great strikers and now I am working with another one. Hopefully I can become one of the best."

 

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Tevez returns to Argentina squad

Juventus striker Carlos Tevez has been handed his first Argentina call-up for three years after being named in the squad for their forthcoming friendlies.

The former Manchester City forward has been in the international wilderness since 2011, when he made an appearance in the Copa America quarter-final defeat to Uruguay.

However, Gerardo Martino, who took over as head coach of the Albiceleste following their World Cup final defeat this summer, stated earlier this month that "the doors were open" to Tevez to return to the squad should he prove his worth at
club level.

And the former Barcelona boss has finally rewarded the 30-year-old striker with a return to the squad to face Portugal and Croatia, after his eight goals in 10 games for Juventus so far in 2014-15.

Captain Lionel Messi is also included in what is otherwise a largely-expected squad, along with Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, Manchester United star Angel Di Maria and Barcelona's Javier Mascherano.

Willy Caballero is handed a place despite his lack of game time for City this season, while Tottenham's Erik Lamela is included to cap a fine few days following his outstanding rabona goal in the Europa League.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria), Willy Caballero (Manchester City), Nahuel Guzman (Tigres)

Defenders: Nicolas Otamendi (Valencia), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Federico Fazio (Tottenham), Federico Fernandez (Swansea), Ezequiel Garay (Zenit), Facundo Roncaglia (Genoa), Cristian Ansaldi (Atletico Madrid)

Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Ever Banega (Sevilla), Robert Pareyra (Juventus), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Angel Di Maria (Manchester United), Erik Lamela (Tottenham), Javier Pastore (Paris Saint-Germain), Enzo Perez (Benfica), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Carlos Tevez (Juventus), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City).