I TIP MY HAT TO ECUADOR FOR THEIR SPECTACULAR GOALS AGAINST ARGENTINA

Whenever Argentina loses my father turns into a furious mime. Doesn't want to talk about it. It's not that he will turn physically into a mime, it's just that there is no mention of the loss. It is stricken from the menu of conversation like conjecture in the courtroom.

But I think it needs to be mentioned that the first goal against Argentina is an amazing feat of athleticism. I mean the forward, Walter Ayovi, really does a superb job. He boots it into the fucking wee corner of the goalpost from well outside the goalie's box. And the second goal by Pablo Palacios was just as glorious;some might even say that Pablo's goal was freakish. Palacios scoops it into the goal as he is spinning round. So that's it. That's all I am going to say about that. Argentina played like shit and the goals were solid.

The real conversation is about Maradona as a coach. Let me be very clear about this: I wholeheartedly disagree with AFA appointing Maradona as the coach of the Argentina National Team. My pops said they did it mostly to shut him up; regardless, being one who makes pretty goals does not translate well into coaching a team on how to make pretty goals. The fact of the matter is that Maradona seems more motivated by the spotlight and pity party he gets to have in front of Argentine national television explaining how his team of colts withered into a cabal of sea horses.

Bielsa was the last coach that Argentina had and even though they didn't win the World Cup in 2002, the Argentines booted him because they thought he was winning enough. Now, he coaches the Chilean national team and Chile is right behind Brazil and are almost guaranteed a spot in 2010. Why o why did Argentina give Bielsa the boot? I think it has to do with the Argentine mind in some ways. The Argentine mind is a little insecure about it's gait. It wants to always run, even at times when it is more wise to jog. And it loves to gloat; it revels in schadenfreude. Maybe if the Argentine mind was a little less preoccupied with rubbing it in people's faces then they could unleash the skills and prowess that the world expects of them.

The shitshow match versus Ecuador could be blamed on Messi being tired and missing a goal that was evidently a gift from the soccer gods. Please let us not bring up the altitude argument; and, I hereby deputize you to stop short any fucking Argentine that blames Argentina's loss on altitude. Most of Ecuador's players actually play in Europe, so the altitude argument is really like sore loser manna. Don't accept this argument from any Argentine. Besides when reporters asked Maradona what he thought about playing against the altitude that is naturally going to favor the Bolivians, Maradona was quoted as saying, "I am playing against the Bolivians, not the altitude." This bravado cost Argentina 6-2 against a team that hasn't beat them since the 50's or some shit.