World Debate: Spain vs Argentina - Messi, Iniesta, Higuain, Villa, Perotti, Silva... Who Has The Better Team?

It may only be a friendly match, but Saturday’s international between Spain and Argentina in Atletico Madrid’s raucous Estadio Vicente Calderon in south Madrid is every bit as exciting (alright, perhaps only slightly less so) as the weekend’s World Cup Qualifying Play-offs that will determine the fates of the likes of Portugal and France in next summer’s showpiece tournament.

It follows that although Los Albiceleste and La Furia Roja are two of the most storied national squads in world football, this meeting in particular features some of the sport’s best and exciting talent.

Well-Armed Argentines

Of Diego Maradona’s 20-man squad to face Vicente del Bosque’s Spanish Armada, seven players currently play in La Liga: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Sergio Aguero (Atletico), likely to be a fan favourite on Saturday at the Calderon should he play, Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Maxi Rodriguez (Atletico), Nicolas Pareja (Espanyol) and the newly called up Diego Perotti (Sevilla).

Perotti & Messi | Argentina's Twin Terrors

Others such as Gabriel Heinze (Real Madrid), Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna), Jonas Gutierrez (Mallorca), out of Saturday's match with a knock and replaced with Perotti, Esteban Cambiasso (Real Madrid), and Pablo Aimar (Valencia and Real Zaragoza) developed their skill at one point in their careers on Spanish soil.

There is no doubt that each and every one of the Albiceleste players bring an extraordinary amount of talent to The Golden Boy’s squad. With arguably the best player in the world in Messi and a plethora of rising young stars that have only just begun growing a vestige of substantial facial hair in Aguero, Higuain, Gago, Angel Di Maria, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Perotti, Sergio Romero, and Cristian Ansaldi, Maradona brings a squad that boasts blistering pace, stunning technique on the ball, gasping flair, and exceptional goalscoring ability.

Pipita & Kun | Double Trouble

Perfectly aware of the nerves and lack of maturity that come with youth, Maradona has attempted to balance his squad with players capable of sprouting full-grown beards as well with the hope that these veterans will be able to provide the leadership in the locker room and in high-pressure matches that allows Argentina to produce favourable results against quality opponents. One has already seen how peppering a few grey hairs into the squad has paid off so far as 36-year-old Martin Palermo kept Argentina’s World Cup hopes alive by slotting home the winning goal deep into injury time in the World Cup qualifiers against Peru.

Now, having secured passage to the world’s most celebrated tournament in all of sport, Maradona is faced with the task of bringing these supremely talented youngsters together with the foundation of experience and savvy of veterans to create an Argentina national team rather than a group of Argentina’s best individual players… which is precisely what friendly matches are for.

In Saturday’s encounter with Spain, 'El Diego' will have the opportunity to see how his side fare against what is currently one of the best national teams in the world. A side very much in flux, the Albiceleste defence has been porous while the offensive output has not reflected the immense talent in attack. The midfield has also looked somewhat disjointed - lacking the player who has the ability to effectively navigate the centre of the pitch and facilitate distribution (a position Messi has been forced to assume at times in order to advance the ball into the attacking third).

Tactically, Argentina may be better off trying to exploit the flanks with their mercurial wingers rather than trying to cut through the heart of the La Roja defence.

Facing a Spanish squad that is much more soundly built and whose players have had much more continuity will be a tough test indeed, but one that will ultimately help serve as a learning experience for ways in which the Albiceleste must improve before June.

The Flamenco Fever

Where Argentina may have backed into the World Cup by barely securing the necessary points, Spain have done just the opposite by taking the full three points from each and every one of their qualifiers. A side whose foundation has remained intact since the days of Luis Aragones, Vicente del Bosque has managed to keep a superior machine well oiled by slowly developing and integrating more talent into the squad.

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool) or Diego Lopez (Villarreal), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), David Villa (Valencia), David Silva (Valencia), and Fernando Torres (Liverpool), injured for Saturday’s friendly, are nearly guaranteed locks to make next summer’s official World Cup roster, but that still leaves 6 spots in the 23-man roster yet to be determined.

Cesc & Iniesta | Poetry In Motion

The forerunners for these spots are Santi Cazorla (Villarreal; out with injury), Marcos Senna (Villarreal; currently out with injury, but likely to claim a regular berth after having been a crucial player in Spain’s Euro 2008 victory and thereafter), Albert Riera (Liverpool; out with injury), Andoni Iraola (Athletic Bilbao; currently part of the squad), Dani Guiza (Fenerbache; currently part of the squad), and Juan Mata (Valencia; currently part of the squad). However, there are a number of other players who have certainly earned the right to a call-up and could very well make the final squad at the expense of a regular player or in the event of injury.

These players on the cusp include Pablo Hernandez (Valencia), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla), Nacho Monreal (Osasuna), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao) and Jesus Navas (Sevilla; Saturday is his first call up to the senior Spanish national squad) while there is an outside possibility that Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), Diego Capel (Sevilla), or Javi Garcia (Benfica) could earn a chance to shine before next June. In fact, it seems that from Real Madrid, it would be more likely for Esteban Granero to earn a surprise call-up than for Raul to return to La Seleccion.

Navas & Pablo | Spain's Future Wing-Wizards

Tactically, Spain are one of the most solid teams in world football, playing a system that allows La Roja to employ the same style of play no matter who is on the other end of the pitch. Featuring a youthful squad with superior technical skill that has had both time and elite competitions to gel, Spain represent the most complete national team today.

In a match with World Cup implications, Saturday’s date with Argentina will be a matter of exercising the pieces that have functioned over a period of two years, trying out a few new pieces in the puzzle, and making sure no rust accumulates as the Spanish Armada prepares for their global assault next June.

While both Argentina and Spain enter Saturday’s match at different stages in their development, both feature some of the best players the world has to offer. While Argentina may boast the World Player of the Year-elect in Messi, Spain tout a well-balanced squad of superstars that have proven time and time again that they function like clockwork on the pitch. If these are the match-ups we have to look forward to come next June, then we are all in for a real treat.

Cyrus C. Malek, Goal.com