The Riquelme Substitution!

The Golden Miller · 27-11-2022 11:51PM #1

I think this is an interesting topic as most people have an interest in Argentina, and the effect it had subsequently for their national team, lasts to this day really.

Basically Riquelme was the stand out player in the 06 world cup, completely dictating every game. They were going to cruise to victory. It's the last time their national team clicked and they were unplayable. They were 1-0 against Germany and cruising, Germany didn't have a shot.

Next thing, to the bewilderment of the footballing community, and to a visably shocked Riquelme, he was replaced by Cambiasso. To add insult to injury, Aimar was sitting on the bench, as was Messi. Germany went on to win and the coach was sacked in disgrace getting death threats. Argentina had that world cup at their mercy.

What makes the substitution of Riquelme so huge isn't that they lost, it's what followed. Had he stayed on they would of gone from strength to strength, they were unplayable. Instead it fell apart and Maradona came in for the next world cup and completely mismanaged them.

Things got so bad, and the national team devoid of any confidence, they pretty much parked a bus for the 14 world cup, ironically nearly winning it. The less said about their 2018 exploits the better.

The point is, to this day they still haven't fully recovered from ultimately that substitution, which ultimately compounded one disaster to the next, whereas had he stayed on things would of been very different for them. It's in that moment a chain reaction started that sent the country back a decade and a half!

event · 28-11-2022 10:57AM

Thats certainly a mad take.

Cambiasso had started two of the group games (and came on early in the other) and also started the Mexico game. He wasn't some journeyman no one had heard of. Before the Germany game, Riquelme had played 380 mins in 20 days. He wasnt exactly known for his fitness so was potentially feeling the effects on his legs. Plus he was taken off in the 72nd minute, not like it was half time.

They still havent recovered? They won the Copa America last year

PARlance · 28-11-2022 11:53AM

If they had waited until the 82nd minute (allowing Riquelme those extra ten minutes to score a bicycle kick from outside the box), Argentina would have won the world cup, Trump would never have been elected, Covid would never had 'developed' and Putin would have been assassinated.

A costly substitution, all things considered.

Deeper Blue · 28-11-2022 12:12PM

Don't think that team were actually that great, people only seem to remember the 6-0 against Serbia. Mexico should've probably beaten them in the last 16 if I recall correctly.

weemcd · 28-11-2022 12:28PM

Cambiasso was an absolutely class player and a brilliant option to have on any bench in the world at that time.

JPup · 28-11-2022 01:28PM

It was a very tight world cup. No stand-out team. Lots of the knock-out matches were decided in extra time or on penalties. Argentina were amongst the best teams, but any of the quarter finalists bar Ukraine could have won it that year.

The Golden Miller · 01-12-2022 07:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119930490#Comment_119930490

Bad management made that game closer than it should of been, like the Germany game. Aimar and Messi starting on bench

The Golden Miller · 01-12-2022 07:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119930157#Comment_119930157

They've never really got back to that free flowing football they're known for. When they got to the world cup final it was park the bus stuff, similar against Brazil in the Copa final. It's like their belief and confidence went out the window with that substitution, which was compounded over the years with complete farcical mismanagement of the national team

HalloweenJack · 02-12-2022 11:55AM

Messi in 2006 was just getting started. Aimar in 2006 was not the Aimar of 2000-2002.

I can't remember much of that game but Germany were playing at home and I remember a sense of inevitability of them getting back into it.

I'd imagine bringing on Cambiasso to shore up the midfield was what the manager wanted to do. If, as others have mentioned, Germany were on top, it would have made perfect sense to sacrifice a 'luxury' player for a workhorse.

Argentina's football problems run a lot deeper than one substitution sixteen years ago.

Ohmeha · 02-12-2022 03:01PM

I remember that match Argentina were favourites but against the WC hosts in Berlin it was expected to be a close affair and turned out exactly that in the end. I don't recall the Riquelme substitution having an impact I thought Argentina were off it that day for even when they were winning 1-0 with him playing