[funkdoctorspock]

This is a very strong team being set to Bejing by Argentina.

Fully expect them to contend for a medal.

Barcelona midfielder Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid forward Sergio Aguero have both been included in Argentina's squad for this summer's Olympic Games.



Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, Real Madrid's Fernando Gago and Boca Juniors star Juan Roman Riquelme are the other notable names in coach Sergio Batista's 18-man party travelling to Beijing.

Diego Buonanotte, who recently won the Argentinian league with River Plate, and Lanus' Lautaro Acosta, one of the country's most promising talents, are also included, while the biggest surprise is Boca Juniors defender Fabian Monzon.


Riquelme, Mascherano and Internazionale defender Nicolas Burdisso are the three over-aged players in the squad after Bayern Munich's Martin Demichelis and Deportivo La Coruna's Fabricio Coloccini were not released by their clubs.

Batista also named four players to remain on standby - Liverpool defender Emiliano Insua, Anderlecht duo Lucas Biglia and Nicolas Pareja and Napoli keeper Nicolas Navarro.


Argentina will travel to Tokyo to play a friendly against Japan on July 29 before going on to Beijing.

Argentina Olympic squad:

Oscar Ustari (Getafe), Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Pablo Zabaleta (Espanyol), Ezequiel Garay (Racing Santander), Federico Fazio (Sevilla), Nicolas Burdisso (Internazionale), Luciano Monzon (Boca Juniors), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Ever Banega (Valencia), Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Juan Roman Riquelme (Boca Juniors), Angel Di Maria (Benfica), Jose Sosa (Bayern Munich), Diego Buonanotte (River Plate), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Lautaro Acosta (Sevilla) and Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid).

ESPNsoccernet - Global - Messi, Aguero lead all-star Argentine Olympic team