I feel obliged to start this article by paying tribute to all you Gooners from outside the UK, who wake up at insane times, and mould the Arsenal fixture list around you’re lives. I have never had to adjust my routine to watch a game of football, but tonight that changed as Mexico took on Argentina with a kick off time of 4am.
The reason why? because our very own starlet Carlos Vela had been selected to play for his native Mexico, This would prove to be his 5 straight cap, as he established himself in the national team aged just 19. Many had talked this fixture up as a game between two individuals, Vela and Argenine Lionel Messi.
Earlier in the week Carlos took the time to praise Barcelona’s Messi, was well as talk about the honours that come with representing his country. This game would probably be one of, if not his biggest test in football so far, as he was handed the number 11 jersey, and started in the position Arsene Wenger plans to use him, as a central striker.
He would do battle against Inter Milan’s Nicola Burdisso, and highly rated Deportivo stopper Fabrizio Collocini. An interesting test for Vela who appeared relaxed and confident ahead of kick off.
Mexico started the brighter of the two teams, and with the added support from the crowd began to move the ball confidently. The first chance came as Andres Guadardo whipped a superb ball in, which was deflected behind for a corner. It was wasted and Argentina broke rapidly up the other end, with Aguero’s goal bound shot being flicked off the line.
Vela then should have been celebrating a goal, as he raced onto Guardado’s through ball with electric pace, before steadying himself, rounding the goalkeeper and then from a tight angle just slotting an inch wide. A difficult and potentially important miss.
Messi’s jinking feet had won Argentina a free kick wide to the left. The outcome would render Vela’s earlier miss as vital, as Maxi Rodriguez’s lofted ball was side footed come by Nicola Burdisso with just 10 minutes on the clock. New coach Sven-Göran Eriksson was watching on the stands, and he frequently made notes no doubt citing their defensive issues.
He then had even more to note down, as a flowing passing move from Argentina resulted in number two 7 minutes later. Messi twisted and turned away, before finding Cruz on the left wing. His low drive was side footed beyond Sanchez by Lionel Messi. If it was a battle between Vela and the Barca man, Lionel was edging ahead.
After a bright yet fruitless spell for Vela and his team, the Argie prowess would see them 3-0 up inside the first half an hour. Messi’s deflected shot was stabbed home from a yard out by Maxi Rodriguez, with more static defending being the cause for complaint.
Carlos then turned provider for the game’s next chance, working an opening for Polado who took his time before blazing wide. Messi was then booked for a late tackle, setting up a long range free kick for Carlos Salcido. After a spectacular run up he smashed into the wall.
The ball found its way out to Vela on the right wing this time, who flashed the ball across the goal before showing some class and neat lay offs to his team mates. His input had been one of the highlights for Mexico in a difficult first half.
Half Time – Mexico 0-3 Argentina
The Mexicans had a point to prove during the second half, and in all honesty did not deserve to be behind by any margin. Vela was dropping quite deep, maybe still reeling from his earlier miss which had that have gone in, the result could have been so very different.
Guardado tricked his way down the left, before floating a deep ball into the area towards the arriving Vela. He had over run but attempted a bicycle kick, however he failed to make contact and collapsed in a heap.
During the second half various changes were made by both sides, one of the most important ones would prove to be Naelson. As he latched on the end of a through pass, before flicking a low effort into the far corner. 3-1 and an interesting final 30 minutes in prospect.
The physical element to Mexico’s play had seen them dominate the game, and push Argentina on the back foot as the game progressed. However just as it seemed they were back in the fixture, some more brilliance from Messi saw off the late charge.
His delicate ball inside the area, found the run of Sergio Aguero who slotted beyond Sanchez for 4-1. Despite the goal Mexico kept going, and tried to force more goals, as Borgetti came close following a deflected ball from Naelson. A difficult and frustrating nights work for Carlos Vela ended as he missed a free header from 4 yards out.
It finished 4-1, and although the result was a difficult and harsh one, it will stand them in good stead for their World Cup qualifiers next month.
Article By – J.Sanderson
I don’t really get to sleep in on weekends anymore during the season, if I’m lucky Arsenal will be the late game…9 AM. Otherwise it’s 7 AM, sometimes earlier (your noon games are absolutely killer). I think if I ever do move to Europe and have football on at normal times, I’m going to be so confused.
Thanks for the recap!
Thanks. Why the hell did i miss this match.
damnnnnnn, watching football at 7am thats harsh man!
No problem for the updates mate
ti have to watch champions league games at 6;30
On the west coast of the usa I have to be up at 4.30am to watch an 12.30pm game. It’s a killer but what can you do?
Oh quit complaining. In South Africa we were only an hour or two ahead of England, but here in Australia, Champions League games are at 5:30AM before December, and 4:30 leading up to the final. Unlike the English, we actually enjoy our noon-time Premier League games, in that they start at 9:45pm, here. Most games are at 1pm, and some at 3am.
So quit complaining ;).
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CL games are 4:30 AM for me, PL matches range from Midnight to 3 o’clock.
thanks for the report mate. How comfortable did he look as a striker? What type of striker do you think he will end up as – a deeper lying Bergkamp type or a finisher like Eduardo. Did he show anything that would lead you to think he might be successful on the wings?
keep up the great work
Spot on jammathon!!! Haven’t missed a single game last season, eventhough I had to get up at ridiculous hours (3am, 5am and so on)…p.s. I’m in Melbourne
As far as Vela is concerned, I am looking forward to seeing him next season. I just hope he gets some playing time
No problem, he showed some neat touches, and made some movements like Eduardo. I wanted to see him in the box more.. ready to finish, but he liked to drop off and link the midfield, like Bergkamp did.
So its an difficult one, i think he is still remebering how to be a striker again
Do you think it’s likely he’ll start more games in a central forward role than Walcott. I feel Walcott will be given freedom of the right wing next year, I feel in games we dont play 4-4-2 he’ll be the the right wing forward in a 4-3-3.
I would expect so, Walcott to replace Hleb on the right?
Yeah sounds like it makes sense. A more direct approach on the wing is needed really and I feel Walcott does that. However I’m not confident he will want us being direct on both wings which is why I wasn’t convinced we’d sign Ben Arfa
For god sakes Carlos vela is a good young player hes a striker hes not a winger hes a natural goal scorer thats why we bought him.Leo messis is just on a different level compared to vela. I reckon vela needs time and experience. If i was Wenger i would loan him to a Newcastle someone in the premeir league where he can play regulary and in two seasons time he will be fully adapted to the prem
I hear you John, but I dont think that’s a good idea, he’s spent 2 years in Spain and played a season in one of the 2 best leagues in the world. Now he’s eligible to play for us Arsene probably feels he’s spent enough time away from the club’s clutches.
He’ll get his chance to adapt, I feel he will play more than expected as well
For me, its either 845pm,11pm or 1am
Champions League would be 330am
I’m in Malaysia
Great update – you are the eyes & ears for most of us who dont believe a word in the tabloids. Many thanks
The more I think about it, the more I see our play slowly turning Barca-esque. By the end of the season I think it could look like:
Fabianski
Sagna Gallas Toure Clichy
———–DM————
—-Fabregas–Nasri——
Walcott/Rocky—-Vela/RVP
—-Ade/Bendtner/EDS—–
Carlos certainly looks a good player!!!!!!!
Anyone c that we had a bid rejected from udinese for cristian zapata for 9 mil???
It’s very funny you brought that up about the fans time differencies. I am from Denmark and that is only 1 hour ahead of the games, so that’s not a big deal, but for the last 1,5 year I have lived in Asia, mostly and currently in the Philippines. The absolute best time for me is the noon games as they are the only “daytime” games at 7pm or 8pm for summer and winter time respectively (they don’t need to change that down here). The Champions League is the absolute killer for me at 2.45am or 3.45am on weekdays … ouch … But I see all games if showed anyway:D
Messi!!!! What a player if only we could of taken him aswell, when we got Fabregas. Amazing to think that there was a better player in the barca youth team than Fabregas. Also heard that Zapata ment to be really gd, gd in the air etc. Sounds like what we need, any1 know much about him? I think we are better of spending money on the defence cos i think we got alot of class attacking players. What do ppl think?
Adebayor agree terms with AC Milan :O
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=724190
Goal.com is disgracful
couldn’t see the game because I had been drunk that night and I was sleeping like a baby during the game, but it seems like we have a really big talent on our hands here…. I think we should send him out on a 6 month loan period in the prem so he can adapt to the high tempo and physical part………
pls tell me noone would like to see adebayor go anyway n we either buy villa or mario gomez i think mario gomez plays sorta like torres. anderson wats the chance mario gomez will join? n villa?
I suddenly feel very skeptical about any quality players joining us this summer, Does anyone else get the vibe that as soon as Arsene Wenger comes knocking clubs start thinking “Oh lets not let him mould world class player from our decent talent in return for F-all money, why not try to bleed the f***er dry?” Man city or Everton offering 8-9mil for Zapata would probably get him..
First half Vela was making some real nice moves, good link up play and 2 decent shots. The first should’ve went in but he pushed the ball a lil too far to the wide and got in a difficult angle,made some real slick passes as well,he looks much better in a central role. He impressed me in the first half. The 2nd half he went pretty quiet,his team mates were not able to feed him the ball as much but he did beat 2 defenders nicely near the 18 yard box and when he jumped up to do that bicycle kick it told me one thing…even though he missed he wasn’t afraid to get in their and do whatever it takes! If he keeps playing like that and working hard with the right attitude he will no doubt be a huge player for us!
For me I dont even care what time is the match. So long as it is Arsenal, I am prepared to watch it. Arsenal for ever and in AW we trust.
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lol i live in australia and watch arsenal play at 12 pm to 5 am. lol im commited to the gunners
I missed 2 games last season, both times cuz i fell asleep when i got home from school and slept right through the match (both CL games in the group stages). Annoyed the crap outa me. Now im done with school and im taking a gap year before university so i aint missing a single game, imwatching everything i can, first team, reserves, U18s. Vela is a good player and im really looking forward to seeing him in the summer friendlies.
More than the time difference its the fact that an incredible number of games are not televised in India which means the only updates i get on a lot of things going on in the world of football(arsenal) is from sites like these.. unfortunately living vicariously goes only so far and every once in a while you feel like kicking something really hard when you cant watch some games. The worst though has to be the fact that tensports has got the license to broadcast the CL and they used to show only 1 game live and 1 delayed at about 12:00 and 3:00 a.m. which generally meant that an arsenal game would not be shown… wankers..
well i guess im just lucky cuz i live in the u.s. and i got to watch the game without having to stay up late!!!=] but thats gonna change when vela starts playin in arsenal!!
with new players like vela and nasri coming into this year’s squad they will team up with young but more experienced players like fabregas, walcott, and van persie
wonderful, where U get the source of information?
ha. i’m happy to see so many people replied to carlos vela and the time difference in games. i live on the west coast of the US and most games are at 4 or 5am. and i’m a younger fellow so i usually get home at 3 or 4 already. so it’s a choice between sleep or getting 3 hours of sleep before i start my day. it’s tough. i saw vela work his way around that goalkeeper and then just slightly miss goal. it definitely got me out of my seat. i’m hoping to see more of that… hopefully with a little better aim next year. in that play he reminded me a bit of theo walcott.
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