Algerian National Team News

[Al-khiyal]

Mardi 5 juin 2007 -- Historique. Cet Argentine - Algérie l’est à plus d’un titre. C’est d’abord la première fois que des footballeurs algériens rencontrent les héritiers de Diego Armando Maradona. Ensuite, c’est une inédite apparition algérienne dans le mythique temple de la Catalogne, le Camp Nou, qui a vu défiler des stars et pas des moindres.

Des Argentins comme Maradona, Kempes, Messi, des Brésiliens tels Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho et d’autres. Des Africains, aussi. Eto’o pour le nommer ! Jamais d’Algériens. Les Verts de Cavalli qui rentrent de Praia avec un beau nul face au Cap-Vert, lequel résultat a été enjolivé par l’autre parité qui a sanctionné Guinée - Gambie (2-2) vont sûrement apprécier le cadeau. Piégé ? Peut-être, peut-être pas. La perspective du décisif Algérie - Guinée prévu le 16 juin au 5-Juillet fait que les observateurs émettent des réserves sur la nécessité de croiser le fer face à un adversaire de calibre. L’issue de cette joute, tout ce qu’il y a, il est vrai, d’amicale, peut jouer des tours à Ziani et compagnie. De mauvais comme de bons. Le tout est de savoir si nos Verts seront capables d’assimiler les inévitables leçons d’un test utile. A plus d’un titre.

Ce soir (20h00) au Camp Nou de Barcelone :
Argentine - Algérie
“L’élève et la leçon”

[Al-khiyal]

June 5, 2007 -- A superb second-half performance from Lionel Messi helped Argentina hit back from a goal down to defeat Algeria 4-3 at the Nou Camp in Barcelona.

The Barcelona star scored twice at his home stadium to give Argentina the second win of the Alfio Basile era, but the coach will be unhappy with his team's defensive performance.

Argentina went ahead in the second minute when a foul by Kamel Ghilas on Real Zaragoza forward Diego Milito in the box allowed West Ham forward Carlos Tevez to score from the spot.

But Algeria surprised the South Americans by equalising eight minutes later, after a corner kick headed in by Antar Yahia.

Two minutes before the half-time whistle, Algeria surprised their illustrious opponents again, with Nadir Belhadj netting a free-kick that flew past goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri.

The first 10 minutes after the interval saw Argentina go close to the equaliser through the livewire Messi, the game's outstanding performer.

The teenager saw a shot cleared off the line and then struck a post before he brought his side level from a penalty he earned through a foul by Medhi Meniri.

And shortly after the equaliser, Argentina scored a third, when Javier Zanetti's cross from the right was headed in by the bucaneering Esteban Cambiasso.

Messi scored again in the 74th minute, after a great link-up play with Pablo Aimar, but Belhadj reduced the deficit to only one goal with another free kick.

This friendly marked the last warm-up match before the Copa America, that takes place in Venezuela from June 26 to July 15.

Argentina, who lost the 2004 final to Brazil on penalties, have been drawn in Group C alongside the United States, Colombia and Paraguay.

Messi magic sinks Algeria

[Al-khiyal]

BARCELONA, June 5 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi scored twice as he inspired Argentina to put a dismal first half behind them and beat Algeria 4-3 in a friendly international on Tuesday.

Playing on his club's Nou Camp turf, Messi converted a penalty and Argentina's decisive fourth goal as Alfio Basile's side came back from 2-1 down at halftime.

Carlos Tevez put the Argentines in front in the opening minute with a penalty after fellow striker Diego Milito was brought down from behind, but any ideas they had of an easy match were soon dispelled.

Defensive mistakes, including goalkeeping errors by Roberto Abbondanzieri, allowed Algeria to equalise through Antar Yahia after nine minutes and take the lead three minutes before the interval with a surprise shot from Majid Bougherra.

Argentina, held 1-1 by Switzerland in Basel on Saturday, came out all guns blazing for the second half and within 11 minutes of the restart were 3-2 up.

Messi, who hit the post in the 51st minute with a shot from outside the area, converted a 54th-minute penalty after being brought down by defender Mehdi Meniri.

Midfielder Esteban Cambiasso put Argentina in front when he shot home from Javier Zanetti's right cross two minutes later.

Messi made it 4-2 in the 73rd minute but the result hung in the balance to the end after Nadir Belhadj pulled one back for the Algerians.

Messi scores two as Argentina recover to beat Algeria 4-3

[Al-khiyal]

June 5, 2007 -- The Nou Camp stadium of Barcelona was the venue today, Tuesday 5 June 2007, of a thrilling International warm-up match between Algeria and Argentina which ended with a narrow 4-3 victory for the Argentines.

Just a few minutes after the kick-off , the Argentines opened the score with a first goal from a penalty after a foul in the penalty area.

Nothing undaunted, the Algerians players rushed onto the offensive and succeeded in scoring the equaliser with a goal from defender Antar Yahia in the 10th minute of the game.

Despite a fruitless domination on the pitch by the Argentines, Algerian defender Meniri with a decisive header, gave a 2-1 lead to Algeria at the 43rd minute, baffling all the Argentinian defensive line.

In the second half, the Argentines did not miss the opportunity to score 3 other goals due to a fluttering in the Algerian defense which was literally taken aback by the sudden Argentine offensive spurts, mostly in the penalty area.

However, the Algerian players were not subdued for all that by the twirling and seasoned Argentines.

They put their hearts and souls into it and managed to score a third and lovely goal following a free-kick by midfielder Nadir Belhadj in the last quarter of the game.

The match ended with a flimsy 4-3 win for the Argentine national squad but every one agrees to say that the Algerian players put up a creditable performance against one of the best national football line-ups in the whole world.

Algeria lose by a whisker 3-4 versus Argentina at the Nou Camp

[Al-khiyal]

BARCELONA, Spain, June 5, 2007 (AP) - Lionel Messi scored two goals and Argentina held on for a 4-3 win over Algeria in an international friendly played at the Nou Camp stadium.

The FC Barcelona forward exchanged passes with midfielder Pablo Aimar before scoring the winner in the 74th minute. The 19-year-old Messi also converted a penalty after being brought down by defender Mehdi Meniri in the 55th.

"I enjoyed the second half, but not the first,'' Argentina coach Alfio Basile said. "We have tired players, without their usual rhythm and in the second half, with a few changes, we were better.''

Argentina led two minutes into the game after striker Carlos Tevez converted a penalty awarded after Majid Bouzid fouled striker Diego Milito.

Anthar Yahia equalized for Algeria in the 10th, deflecting in a corner, and the Africans went ahead 2-1 lead in the 43rd thanks to Majid Bougherra's shot that surprised goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri.

Two minutes after Messi's equalizer, Inter Milan midfielder Esteban Cambiasso connected on a Javier Zanetti cross from the right to push Argentina into the lead for good.

Nadir Belhadj scored his second of the night in the 75th but the Argentines held on for the win three days after a 1-1 draw with Switzerland in a friendly.

Lineups:

Argentina: Roberto Abbondanzieri, Nicolas Burdisso (Luis Gonzalez, 45), Roberto Ayala, Gabi Milito, Javier Pinola, Javier Zanetti, Fernando Gago (Javier Mascherano, 45), Esteban Cambiasso, Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez (Pablo Aimar, 67), Diego Milito (Hernan Crespo, 60).

Algeria: Samir Hadjaoui, Ismael Bouzid, Majid Bougherra, Mehdi Meniri, Anthar Yahia, Antri (Larbi Hosni, 87), Yazid Mansuori, Abderaouf Zarabi (Yacine Bezzaz, 90), Nadir Belhadj, Karim Ziani (Karim Matmour, 69), Nouredine Daham (Kamel Ghilas, 71).

Messi scores twice to lead Argentina to 4-3 win over Algeria in friendly

[Al-khiyal]

Un match de gala dans un stade mythique, les verts ont su se mettre à la hauteur de l’événement en développant un bon jeu et menant même a la marque. Cueillis à froid par un but sur penalty dès la première minute sur une faute peu évidente de Bouzid, les algériens répliquent par une belle tête de Yahia suite à un corner et aggravent la marque sur un coup franc de Nadir Belhadj, score à la pause Algérie 2 Argentine 1. Début de la seconde période, et un penalty pour une faute sur Messi, plus une belle tête de Cambiaso permettent a l’Argentine de tenir son rang, enfin un but de Messi viendra porter le score à 2-4, la messe semble être dite pour les fennecs, mais Belhadj encore lui ravivera l’EN par un second but sur coup franc. L’Algérie n’a pas a rougir de sa très belle prestation face à une formation albiceleste qui a reçu une sérieuse opposition avant le début de la Copa America, quant aux Verts, le match qui les attend au 5 juillet, le 16 juin sera tout autre et certainement pas plus facile, le choc du groupe Algérie – Guinée doit être bien négocié, l’entêtement de Cavalli a considérer ce match comme le plus important devra payer.

Amical : Algérie 3-4 Argentine
(Les verts frôlent l'exploit)

[Al-khiyal]

June 6, 2007 -- Lionel Messi was happy with Argentina's second-half comeback in the 4-3 win over Algeria in Barcelona.

Man-of-the-match Messi scored a brace at the Nou Camp, one of them from the penalty spot, after the Africans went to the interval with a shock 2-1 lead.

The teenager told Argentinian TV station TyC Sports: "We did a great job in the second half, as we played as we have to play.

"We entered on the pitch too relaxed in the first half, without the pressure we use in the second half and Algeria surprised us.

"In the second half, we were the only team who really played on the field."

Argentina headed into this friendly after a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, with a performance that did not convince coach Alfio Basile.

But Basile was more impressed by what he saw on Tuesday evening in Spain.

He said: "I liked the second half a lot. The team were superior to Algeria after the interval because the players who know what to do with the ball played together.

"We thought it would be easy but then they scored to us twice. These are things we have to correct."

Three goals conceded hinted at further work to be done ahead of the Copa America, which kicks off on June 26 and in which Argentina play the United States, Colombia and Paraguay in Group C.

"We all were needing a victory to go on improving and work calmer when we meet again all together," Messi added.

Debutant Diego Milito agreed with the Barcelona midfielder that his team-mates only came alive after the break.

"The first half was not good at all," the Real Zaragoza player said.

"We did not have the ball, we lost concentration for their goals, but then in the second half it was much better.

"I'm very happy for having had the opportunity to be part of the starting XI in the national team. I think that, overall, it was a positive game for us."

West Ham forward Carlos Tevez added that, on the pitch, the players are not thinking about being part of the Copa America squad:

"We only think about playing together, to get a football rhythm to make Argentina play at a high level as soon as possible."

Messi stars in Argentina win