by Jack Tilghman, Bleacher Report

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After trouncing Venezuela in Maradona's first competitive game, La Seleccion were trounced 6-1 by Bolivia (Argentina's worst ever loss in a WC qualifier), and stopped 2-0 at Ecuador and 1-3 against Brazil at home. The only positive result was a 1-0 win at home against Colombia, but the score did not reflect the way the game went.

Maradona has struggled to find a player to take up Riquelme's position in each game. He has tried to play with three strikers at times, and he has used two defensive midfielders without a playmaker in others.

After Saturday's disastrous result in Rosario, it is clear that Maradona wants Argentina to play through Juan Sebastian Veron. Although Veron controlled the tempo a la Riquelme early on against Brazil, he faded fast and failed to provide the killer ball from open play or a set piece.

In March, Veron told the Argentine media that he did not consider himself to be a playmaker in the Riquelme mode. Veron thrived in a much deeper role playing for his club Estudiantes de La Plata this season, but hasn't been able to take that impeccable form to the national team. In fact, Veron's most successful period with Argentina took place at the 2007 Copa America when Coca Basile used Veron on the right side of midfield.

When Riquelme was on the team, both Veron and Lionel Messi no longer felt the pressure of having to be the fulcrum of the team. Pundits and fans alike often said that when Riquelme played for Argentina, the rest of the team sat around and waited for him to do something. Now, that seems to be the case with Messi. It is the curse of the number 10 shirt in Argentina. Yet when Riquelme was at his best, he created space for Messi, Veron, Carlos Tevez, and others.

The relationship between Riquelme and his Argentina teammates has often been a testy affair. (Alfredo Estrella / Getty Images)

In Argentina's last few games, we have witnessed Messi come deeper and deeper into midfield to collect the ball, something that wasn't necessary when Riquelme played. On Saturday this was very evident, and "La Pulga" looked as though he was trying to take on the entire Brazil team on his own.

Sergio Batista, Argentina's coach during the successful Olympic Games campaign in 2008, said that he wanted Messi and Riquelme to create beautiful football together by moving the ball quickly — Messi via dribbling, Riquelme with his passing.

Although Riquelme was able to help Argentina win the Olympics, he and Messi have never seen eye to eye. It is also apparent that Sergio "El Kun" Aguero dislikes Riquelme. Here in lies the price one pays with Roman.

A true artist on the pitch, Riquelme is enigmatic, petulant, and ego-centric off it. Both his playing style and his big personality force a team to be built around him. When things don't go his way, on the field or in the locker room, Riquelme can be a terrible distraction.

His off-field antics, such as taking too long to come back from international duty with Argentina and not complying with training saw Riquelme ostracized by Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini. Despite leading the club to heights unimaginable for such a small team, Pellegrini decided he had had enough.

Even at Boca Juniors, where he is considered to be the biggest idol in the history of the club (even more so than Maradona himself), Riquelme has had trouble getting along with club captain and all-time leading scorer, Martin Palermo, amongst others.

In the national team, Riquelme has failed to get along with many of the top strikers, including Hernan Crespo, Messi, and Aguero. Yet his quality on the pitch, especially when wearing the number 10 shirt for Argentina, has often forced managers to overlook the negative side of Riquelme's personality.

Perhaps the most perplexing thing about Riquelme's personality is that despite needing to be the center of the team, he has rarely been able to cope with the criticism associated with such a role.

Following the 2006 World Cup, Roman briefly retired from the national team citing the poor health of his mother as the reason, because she was too upset at the way the media were portraying her son. Although no one thinks Maradona was right to criticize Riquelme's playing style through the media, a player of Roman's quality should have had thicker skin than to retire again.

After his retirement, the Boca Juniors faithful sided with Riquelme instead of Maradona, calling El Diego a traitor. AFA boss Julio Grondona has even come out in the media pleading for Riquelme to return. Maradona himself has said that the door is open for Roman to return as long as he apologizes.

It is for those reasons that Riquelme can not be forgotten. As long as he is discussed by fans and the media, the former Barcelona star's shadow will be cast across the current group of players, and Maradona more than anyone.

Although Riquelme twice faced Brazil in finals of major international tournaments and lost by three goals both times (2005 Confederations Cup, 2007 Copa America), he was the key in the 3-1 demolition of Brazil in Buenos Aires during qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.

CONMEBOL WCQ, Sep. 5

• CONMEBOL WCQ Action, Sep. 5

Riquelme's Olympic side overcame the Brazilians 3-0 in Beijing in 2008. Even a 0-0 draw in Belo Horizonte during the first match between the two nations en route to South Africa in which Riquelme was marked out of the game, was a better result than the 3-1 counter attacking clinic Brazil put on in Rosario.

Because of Riquelme's success against Brazil in China and Buenos Aires, there was always going to be speculation of how he would have faired against Dunga's men in the most recent encounter.

Unfortunately, this same speculation arises each time an Argentine player takes a free kick or corner kick. There will always be those Riquelme supporters who will say "Roman would have scored that".

Unless the two number 10s, Maradona and Riquelme, can put their egos aside that speculation will continue, because a reconciliation is the only way Riquelme will play for Argentina again.

Jack Tilghman is a scribe for Bleacher Report, the open source sports network.