World Cup 2010 Preview: Maradona Criticism Has Reached a Peak

With just a few short days to go before Argentina makes its much awaited debuted at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, a group of journalists, pundits, and fans continue to criticize manager Diego Armando Maradona ad nauseum. 

Rather than waiting to see what unfolds in the World Cup itself, people are already writing off Maradona. The man is so easy to pick on (much of it is justified) that many publications are simply saying Maradona is demented and for that reason, Argentina will fail at this World Cup. 

Rather than looking at Maradona's squad or analyzing what the man is doing and plans on doing with his side for the next month, many pundits, particularly those based in the United States and the United Kingdom, have asked the same questions again and again when the answers are quite simple. 

The favorite question is why has Jonas Gutierrez, who played last season with Newcastle United in the second division of English football, been preferred to Inter Milan captain Javier Zanetti? 

To these so called football "experts," Maradona is a fool for selecting Jonas and equally demented for leaving out Zanetti. 

I will preface by saying if I were in charge, I would have taken Zanetti amongst my 23, but under no circumstances would I have dropped Jonas. 

The former Velez Sarsfield star actually became a mainstay in the National Team under former manager Alfio Basile. Jonas is not some crazy discovery by Maradona that certain publications would have you believe. 

Gutierrez is Maradona's workhorse, a function the 36 year old Zanetti is no longer fit to perform. During Argentina's embarrassing defeat at the hands of Bolivia in La Paz, Pupi was one of Argentina's worst performers. 

A few months later, during Argentina's anemic loss to Paraguay, Zanetti looked like a man on his last legs and was unable to join the attack with the same proficiency as in years gone by. It was clear then that Zanetti would be one of those sacrificed. 

Although there are plenty of reasons for Zanetti to be included, there are also reasons for him to have been left out. Rather than looking at the situation objectively, many people would prefer to say that Maradona is insane for leaving out Zanetti without even remembering, or caring to remember, that four years before Jose Pekerman left out the former Banfield man as well. 

In 2006, Zanetti was four years younger, but there was no such media circus as we have this time around. Pekerman also left out Walter Samuel and Martin Demichelis, and still the worldwide media paid little attention. The lack of attention paid to Pekerman's equally controversial moves four years ago simply backs up my claim that certain folks just want a chance to get at Maradona. 

The next biggest point of contention for the Maradona-bashers is the inclusion of Martin Palermo. Some people just cannot get over his three-penalty debacle 11 years ago. As embarrassing as that game may have been, it does not change what Palermo has done since. 

He has downed Real Madrid in the Club World Cup, he has won multiple Copa Libertadores crowns, and has become the all-time leading scorer in the history of Boca Juniors. 

Palermo may be immobile and slow, but he offers Argentina the ultimate late game alternative. No other striker on Argentina's roster possesses the aerial prowess of El Loco. Should Argentina find themselves trailing late in a match, Palermo will be thrown on to try and win a header and knock the ball down to the likes of Messi or Tevez. 

It is also important to realize that Maradona's predecessor, Basile, had planned to select Palermo for his side in September of 2008 before the former Estudiantes man went down with injury. 

Palermo, like Jonas, is not some ludicrous Maradona revelation, but something that was put in place before El Diez even took charge. 

The omission of Esteban Cambiasso has also been a heavily discussed topic in recent weeks. Surely Cambiasso is a great club player, but he has let down Argentina time and time again over the years. 

Some have even gone to claim Cambiasso is better than Maradona's captain Javier Mascherano, the first choice "#5" or defensive midfielder of every Argentine coach since 2004: Marcelo Bielsa, Jose Pekerman, Alfio Basile, Sergio Batista, and now Maradona. 

Cambiasso is very protected in Jose Mourinho's ultra defensive system, and although there is no denying he is a very intelligent player with a brilliant positional sense, he often struggles in one on one situations, an area where Mascherano thrives. 

Surely Cambiasso is a better player than Mario Bolatti, but the true major absence is that of Valencia's Ever Banega. The ex-Boca man has better speed and a wider passing range than El Cuchu. 

With all of the criticism surrounding Maradona, maybe we should take a few minutes and praise him for once. The ex-Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, and Napoli star led Argentina to its first victory in Montevideo in 30 years, no easy task. 

He has led his team to friendly victories against Germany, France, and Russia, each match taking place away from home. 

Maradona has finally found a goalkeeper filled with confidence and ability in Sergio Romero. A trouble position for Argentina over the last few decades, Maradona wisely cast aside the horribly erratic Roberto "El Pato" Abbondonzieri, a favorite of both Basile and Pekerman. 

Although it did take El Pibe de Oro a few matches before finally settling on Romero, Maradona has given the AZ Alkmaar custodian nothing but praise and confidence since handing him the number one position.

Meanwhile, other World Cup managers such as Fabio Capello and Javier Aguirre have waited until the last moment in selecting a keeper, filling both the goalkeepers and defenders with doubt. 

Maradona also stuck with Angel Di Maria after the Benfica winger was suspended for a wild kick against a Bolivian player during the debacle last April. After serving a four match ban, Maradona recalled the starlet and kept faith in the Olympic hero despite calls for him to be benched before the decisive final qualifier against Uruguay. 

Maradona put his faith in the ex-Rosario Central man, and Di Maria did not let him down as he was one of Argentina's best performers and has kept his spot on the side ever since. 

El Diez has also managed to build a great team spirit and has the faith of the players, while other under-fire managers like Raymond Domenech have received open criticism from their players in the media.

Certainly Maradona has done some very foolish things during his time as manager. He took his team to altitude completely unprepared. 

He set his team up in a completely unbalanced lineup against Colombia, although he was able to correct his tactical mistake at half time. 

He was vastly outcoached by Dunga during a horrific 3-1 loss to Brazil in Rosario. Yet Maradona still achieved his goal of qualifying, even if it was by the skin of his teeth. 

Now the fun begins, and I urge the Maradona-haters to look at Argentina objectively. Rather than simply claiming the man has lost the plot for selecting Palermo, remember that the repercussions for leaving out the Boca man would have been worse at home than the way excluding Javier Zanetti has gone down in Europe. 

Palermo is a hero. His name was chanted by all of the crowd during Argentina's farewell match in the River Plate stadium, a normally impossible feat for a Boca player.

Reserve judgement until at least after Saturday. If Argentina is torched at the back and loses, then we will see he is wrong.

But you never know, Maradona knows what it takes to get to the World Cup Final, and he may just do it again when people least expect it.