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Top 5 - South American Coaches

Matias Vulej, June 2 2010,
Behind every great men there's a great woman, and behind any great team there's a big coach.

Most of these coaches have been criticized for his 23 chosen ones for South Africa, but being able to stand against criticism is what most of being coach is about. This selection does not take into direct consideration their history as team's manager but rather their current situation. Three Argentineans, one Brazilian and one Uruguayan will be responsible for America's luck in Africa.

1. Marcelo Bielsa

Chile's coach occupies the first position thanks to the consistency and the regularity of every team he ever took control of. Gold medal winner in 2004's Olympic games, he was chosen two times as the best manager in the world. He took command of Chile's squad back in 2007, and from that moment on the Chileans are charmed by his strategies, winning two awards as Chile's and American's best coach.

 

He's a very devoted coach, constantly modifying its strategies to face their rivals with the best possible squad. El Loco Bielsa normally sets different training times for the different positions in the team, to make everyone focus on their particular playing. He obtained 63 points in its 36 matches with La Roja, and now he'll be responsible for taking Chile further than ever in a World Championship.
 


2. Dunga

Former 1994 Champion of the World, Dunga has taken control of Brazil's squad in 2006, obtaining the American Cup and the Confederations Cup for the Verdeamarelhos, as well as a Bronze medal during the last Olympic Games. Dunga is a very focused coach, who values regularity over sparks of greatness, receiving an infinite amount of critics upon his decision to leave Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Pato off the world championship, as well as two promising youth players: Neymar and Paulo Henrique.

Dunga focuses heavily on midfield's play, sometimes relegating its offense to control more steadily the flow of the ball. His time as a defensive midfielder back in his playing days gave him a sharp eye to spot danger in the middle of the pitch, and he's ever ready to take advantage of the substitutes to lean the game on Brazil's side.
 


3. Diego Maradona

Arguably the best soccer player in all history, Diego Armando Maradona is Argentina's current manager and his future with the Albiceleste will probably depend on his performance in South Africa, as Argentina suffered until the very last minute to secure their ticket for South Africa. Considering Argentina is the second most expensive National Football Team in South Africa (according to Frontier Economics Argentina's squad is valued in €293 millions), team's supporters would have thought qualification for the World Cup was assured, but Maradona was unable to fully exploit Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero, even though he did give opportunity to almost any Argentinean footballer in the world to show his skills wearing the Albiceleste.

Settled to start the tournament with a 4-1-3-2 formation, El Diez is not known by its manners. When Argentina won its ticket to South Africa, Maradona called for a public conference, in which he was asked what would he say to those reporters who didn't believe in him. "Suck me" was Diego's unexpected answer. He was banned for two months after the controversy in the press, but in spite of those public inconveniences from most of Argentina's supporters are confident that if there's anyone who can raise Argentina's spirit to lift a world title after 24 unsuccessful years, that person is Diego Maradona.
 


4. Gerardo Martino

Gerardi "Tata" Martino is another Argentinean in command of the Paraguayan squad, and his work with the Guaranies has been rather sharp, even leading South American qualification during the first half of the competition. Named 2007's South American coach of the year, he took Libertad to Libertadores Cup semi-finals before becoming Paraguay's coach.

His history is completely balanced as Guarani's commander, for he won 17 matches and lost the same amount, tying 12 games. His players scored 48 goals and his goal was defeat on 49 occasions. Nonetheless on official games Paraguay obtained 60% of the points in play, and so this will be the first time in many years the team advances to the Knockouts.



5. Oscar Washington Tabarez

The Maestro occupies the last place in our list not only for he had to suffer and take the last spot for South Africa from Costa Rica's hands, but also because being the most experienced coach (he started his career as a manager in 1980, with Bella Vista), it is impossible to understand certain decisions the Maestro takes (he decided not to call Cebolla Rodriguez - one of the sharpest Uruguayan midfielders  - because he would be forbidden to perform in the first two matches).


It's been 18 years since Oscar Tabarez finally obtained a title as coach, back with Boca Juniors in 1992, and two years before he qualified for 1990's World Cup on the first place, but this decade has not seen the Maestro at its best. Will he be able to rewrite history from South Africa?


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