AFA

Argentina Beat World Cup Champs Spain

2010-09-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

Spain's national football team experienced their first loss after the winning the World Cup in South Africa just a few months ago.

Argentina, on the other hand, is experiencing a good run under interim coach, Sergio Batista who took the reigns when the Argentine Football Association did not renew Diego Maradona's contract.

The friendly match was held on September 7, 2010 at River Plate's Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, with an estimated 55,000 audience. The match ended with 4-1, in favor of Argentina.

The first goal was scored by FIFA's 2009 Player of the Year Lionel Messi in the 10th minute. He kissed the crest on his shirt in celebration as a seeming answer to criticisms about his dedication to La Albiceleste. Three minutes later, it was followed by a goal from former River Plate player and current Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain.

Carlos Tevez scored another goal for Argentina in the 34th minute as he outwits La Furia Roja keeper Pepe Reina. Fernando Llorente, who came in as substitute for David Villa, scores the lone goal for Spain in the 84th minute. Sergio Aguero, who substituted for Higuain, finally seals the match with a late, injury time goal.

With Argentina's second victory under Batista, speculations are ripe about the interim coach signing a contract with the AFA to be Argentina's manager by the end of the year.

Argentina interim coach Batista given extension

2010-09-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Coming off a thrashing of the World Cup champion, Argentina's interim coach Sergio Batista will keep his job until at least the end of the year.

As a reward for the 4-1 victory of Spain, the former Argentina youth coach will continue his post after being named interim coach last month.

Batista replaced Diego Maradona after Mardona's fallout with the Argentine Football Association's Carlos Bilardo and Julio Grondona. In his first game, Argentina defeated Ireland 1-0 in August.

Luis Seguro of the AFA confirmed after the win versus Spain that Batista would continue. An evaluation will take place at the end of the year to determine the direction the team wants to go in.

Several candidates have been mentioned for the job. Reports in Argentina suggest that if Batista continues to impress as coach, he will be offered the job full time. Alejandro Sabella, who won the Copa Libertadores with Estudiantes, has been mentioned as a candidate. Miguel Angel Russo and Carlos Bianchi have also been mentioned.

Batista has spent most of his career in Argentina. He has played for Argentinos Juniors, River Plate, Nueva Chicago, All Boys, and also spent one season in Japan playing for the Tosu Futures.

His first coaching job came in 2000 when he coached Bella Vista of Uruguay. Before coaching the youth national teams, he coached Argentina's Argentinos Juniors twice, Talleres, Nueva Chicago, and Godoy Cruz.

Batista led Argentina to the Gold Medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

He has been praised in Argentina for his squad selection. In a highly publicized selection, Maradona failed to take veterans Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti to the World Cup. Both important players for European champs Inter Milan, Batista has since recalled the players for their recent contests.

Batista has also called up midfielder Ever Banega, a player that many Argentine's wanted to be included in the squad for the World Cup. Banega has received rave reviews for his play under Batista. The decision to call Banega has caught the eye of the AFA.

Batista has his shot to earn his dream job on a permanent basis. Argentina next face Japan in October.

Maradona rejects return for Argentina against Spain

2010-09-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

BUENOS AIRES: Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti and Gabriel Milito will make their Argentina comebacks against world champions Spain in a friendly at the River Plate stadium on Tuesday (2000 GMT).

The trio were overlooked by Diego Maradona for the recent World Cup finals in South Africa, where Argentina crashed out in a 4-0 quarterfinal defeat by Germany.

"Gabriel has shown me can bring the ball out well from defense, he has good left foot with good touch," Sergio Batista, Maradona's successor, said of Barcelona center back Milito.

"Javier is a player of great experience who moves into attack with conviction," Batista told a news conference on Monday speaking of the return at right back of Zanetti, who has an Argentine record 136 caps.

"Cambiasso is a coach on the pitch," he added of the midfielder, a key player in the Inter Milan side that won the European Champions League in May.

Batista took over on a temporary basis after Maradona was not retained as coach and will be hoping to be confirmed in the job when the Argentine Football Association make their decision on who should steer the team towards the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"The idea is to maintain a playing identity. We have players capable of that," said Batista, a commanding central midfielder in the Argentine side led to the world title by Maradona in 1986.

Batista has, however, retained Maradona's attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez.

He has given the midfield greater substance, however, after captain Javier Mascherano found himself almost alone against a packed German midfield in the June debacle in Cape Town.

"Mache will have to be beyond the halfway line to play more," Batista said.

Mascherano will be flanked by Cambiasso to his left and on the right by Ever Banega, who was also overlooked for the World Cup but returned for Batista's first match in charge, a 1-0 friendly win over Ireland in Dublin last month.

Batista said he would like his Argentina side to emulate the Spanish possession and passing game but it would take time.

"It's six years of work against six days," he said. Team - Sergio Romero; Javier Zanetti, Martin Demichelis, Gabriel Milito, Gabriel Heinze; Ever Banega, Javier Mascherano, Esteban Cambiasso; Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez.

Batista gets Argentina job until end of year

2010-09-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Interim Argentina coach Sergio Batista will keep the job until the end of the year, a reward for Tuesday's 4-1 victory over World Cup champion Spain.

Batista replaced Diego Maradona and opened with a 1-0 win over Ireland last month. He will remain foe an exhibition against Japan and two against Brazil.

Luis Segura, a high-ranking member of the Argentine Football Association, confirmed after Tuesday's victory that Batista will stay on in the job. He said other candidates will be evaluated at year's end.

Others thought to be in the running are Alejandro Sabella of Estudiantes, Miguel Angel Russo of Racing Club and Carlos Bianchi, who is without a club.

Maradona Ousted as Argentina Coach; Barcelona Debt Crisis Revealed

2010-07-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Maradona’s colourful spell as Argentina manager has come to an end after he was effectively sacked by the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) executive committee.

His departure comes after committee “unanimously” decided against renewing Maradona's contract.

"The president of the Argentinian Football Association, Mr Julio Grondona, made the members of the executive committee aware of the conversation with Mr Diego Maradona, setting out the points which had come out from the meeting," said a short statement on the AFA's website.

"The executive committee unanimously resolved not to renew the contract with Mr Diego Maradona as coach of the Argentina national football team."

As recently as the weekend Maradona had been tipped to stay on as national manager, despite the country’s humiliating World Cup quarter-final exit -- a 4-0 defeat to Germany.

However reported disagreements about the make up of his backroom staff precipitated Maradona’s exit.

"Maradona's requirements were very far from the FA's possibilities,” said AFA spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo.
The end of Maradona’s unlikely 21-month career as national manager brings to an end one of the most tumultuous spells in Argentina’s footballing history.

During that time Maradona used 107 players and only managed to qualify for South Africa after a dramatic injury time win over Peru last October and subsequent victory over Uruguay. Argentina’s qualification campaign also featured a 6-1 defeat to Bolivia and a foul-mouthed rant against journalists – earning him a three month ban from FIFA - once qualification had been secured.

Certainly life under Maradona was never dull and not once in his time as coach did Argentina draw a match. A sparkling start to the World Cup saw some tip Argentina as favourites, but the coach’s tactical naivety was cruelly exposed by Germany.

Argentina go into next month’s friendly with Ireland in Dublin without a manager, but the AFA hope to have a permanent manager in place when they face world champions Spain in September.

Maradona leaves Argentina post

2010-07-28T01:24:00.000-07:00

Diego Maradona has left his post as Argentina boss after a unanimous vote from the Argentine Football Association.

Maradona had been offered a new four-year contract but said he would only continue on condition that his backroom staff remained. He met with AFA president Julio Grondona on Monday, but the differences between the parties could not be resolved.

Grondona revealed details of the talks to the board on Tuesday and AFA spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo has now confirmed Maradona's deal will not be renewed.

"There was a big chasm that made it impossible to find an agreement," he said. "We will not renew the contract. For the match against Spain, scheduled for September 7, we may already have the new coach.

"It is difficult to agree. The hardest difference to agree on was changing some of Diego's staff. Nobody has been sacked. A contract has not been extended because the conditions were not the suitable. When you cannot agree with somebody you love, you are not happy at all. I always want to talk to him, but sometimes it is difficult because this is not the best moment.''

Other AFA board members appeared less saddened by the situation, however. General secretary Jose Luis Meiszner told cable channel C5N: "I would be hypocrite if I didn't admit there was a general disliking of several aspects of the cycle that ended with the World Cup. We did not see any intention to show humility, to say things should have been done better. There was no evaluation, no review, no conclusions. These are the things you have to think about in order to think about the future.''

Luis Segura, a member of the executive committee and former secretary of national teams, added: "He made it too difficult for us. He rejected all changes. Diego said he did not want any changes. That's unfair.''

A statement on the AFA website added: "The president of the Argentinean Football Association, Mr Julio Grondona, made the members of the executive committee aware of the conversation with Mr Diego Maradona, setting out the points which had come out from the meeting.

"The executive committee unanimously resolved not to renew the contract with Mr Diego Maradona as coach of the Argentina national football team."

Maradona faced heavy criticism during his time in charge of the national side, with the team struggling during qualification for this summer's World Cup before exiting at the quarter-final stage with a 4-0 defeat to Germany.

Grondona, though, had defended Maradona's performance in South Africa and suggested last week that he expected him to remain in charge.

Estudiantes boss Alejandro Sabella, Racing Club's Miguel Angel Russo and Sergio Batista - currently in charge of the country's Under-20 side - are believed to be in the running for the position. Batista, who took Argentina's under-23 side to gold at the 2008 Olympics, will manage the team for the international friendly against the Republic of Ireland on August 11.

Grondona suggested Batista might remain in charge for some time as no candidates were yet in the frame for the full-time position.

"We have time to choose the technical staff,'' he said. "We have not thought about anybody yet. Batista is a member of the staff of this body so he will obviously fill the place as long as is needed.''

Maradona: I'm In Venezuela For Hugo Chavez's Career Advice

2010-07-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

Diego Maradona yesterday clarified his reasons for going to Venezuela in the middle of negotiations to decide his Argentina future, telling the Caracas public he is there to ask for advice from controversial president Hugo Chavez.

Maradona had been expected to meet with AFA chiefs this week to discuss his continuity at the head of La Seleccion, but instead jetted off to Venezuela on Tuesday, fuelling speculation that he was set to take over as coach of the national team there.

Sharing a stage with Chavez in Caracas however, the outspoken coach revealed the real reasons why he had travelled across South America.

"I have not come to Venezuela to look for work, I have come to ask my good friend Hugo advice," Dieguito insisted while Chavez laughed and applauded in the background.

"I have a meeting with [AFA head Julio] Grondona on Monday when I arrive in Buenos Aires and there my future will be decided."

'El Pelusa' was speaking at a press conference from the Palacio Miraflores, Chavez's official presidential residence. He looked relaxed and happy to chat to reporters, especially when the subject turned to the left-wing revolution that the president is committed to in Venezuela.

"It brings me great pride being at the president's side because he fights for the people, for his country and for his ideals. I will be with him until death," stated Maradona, who is also a friend of Fidel Castro and a regular critic of American 'imperialism'.

Chavez reflected Diego's praise with kind words of his own, telling the public: "In the next World Cup Venezuela are going there, and Argentina finishing champions!"

The head of state then finished the conference with his customary war cry to the Venezuelan people, with just a slight addition for the guest of honour:

"Viva socialism, viva the homeland, viva sports, viva Maradona!!!"

Diego Maradona will Continue as Argentina’s Coach till 2014

2010-07-28T01:18:00.000-07:00

Diego Maradona will act as Argentina’s national soccer team coach till 2014 World Cup. Diego Maradona has agreed for a four-year deal. The decision will be announced soon by the AFA that Diego Maradona would continue to act as Argentina’s soccer national team coach.

According to the sources, Argentina Football Association(AFA) may take the final decision on next Monday to continue Diego Maradona as a coach till 2014 World Cup. On Tuesday, AFA President, Julio Grondona spoke to Maradona and the result of it came up positively, as Maradona did agree to continue as a coach till the upcoming 2014 World Cup. Brazil is going to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

On Monday, AFA President, Julio Grondona is conducting a meeting regarding this issue. All the details will be announced officially after the meeting. Diego Maradona has not made any statement regarding his new deal. AFA spokesperson denied to comment on the issue.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Argentina was kicked off in the quarter-finals against Germany with 4-0.

By Alex Callos

Another week until Maradona decision

2010-07-28T01:16:00.000-07:00

Diego Maradona will sit down with officials next week to decide whether he will continue as head of the Argentina national team.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has offered a contract through to 2014 and the former star has said a decision will be made next week.

The normally outspoken Maradona, whose Argentina were knocked out in the eighth round by Germany, has not spoken with the media since returning from South Africa.

After the 4-0 loss to Germany, Maradona declared he would step down as coach, but local media reports cite people close to Maradona who say he will continue.

He will meet with AFA head Julio Grondona next week, with Argentina's next match against Ireland on the August 11.

Maradona meets Chávez in Venezuela

2010-07-28T01:07:00.000-07:00

Diego Maradona was mobbed by dozens of enthusiastic fans when he arrived in Venezuela to visit President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías and attend a series of events aimed at promoting sporting activities.

After his arrival, Maradona told state media he was eager to meet with Chávez -a friend who shares his love for sports and leftist political ideals- as fans waved Venezuelan and Argentine flags at the Simón Bolivar International Airport.

"I'm in the land of Simón Bolivar to meet with President Chávez," said Maradona and added, "Together, we will participate in various activities to promote Venezuelan sports."

Venezuela's Sports Ministry Héctor Rodríguez Castro announced the Argentine football coach would travel with Chávez to the central state of Cojedes to attend a graduation ceremony for university athletes. He will also meet with local sports trainers to share ideas, it said.

Maradona has espoused leftist views in the past and boasted of his friendships with Chávez and former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Also, Argentina national football coach Diego Armando Maradona confirmed that he will meet the head of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) Julio Grondona next week.

Grondona had informed that a meeting with the coach, originally scheduled for last Tuesday, had to be postponed due to Maradona's sudden trip to the Caribbean country, and would be rescheduled for next week (Monday most probably). Both men are to discuss a possible four years contract extension.

Also, the AFA executive committee held a special session at the football association's headquarters to discuss the terms and conditions that will be imposed on Maradona and his assistants in case they should continue.

Since the football team's disastrous exit from the World Cup finals (4-0 defeat against Germany), Maradona has spent most of his time confined at his weekend house in Ezeiza, Southwestern Greater Buenos Aires. The only moment he left his residence was to watch the tournament's final match after having been invited by the BA province Governor Daniel Scioli.

AFA's spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo, had informed the press that there would be a series of new conditions in case Maradona would like to go for a second period as head of one of the most powerful football sides in the world.

Many sources indicated that AFA members will ask Maradona to let coach assistant Alejandro Mancuso go to be reassigned to another position. In that case, it is also rumoured that Maradona will ask Grondona to put national team football manager Carlos Salvador Bilardo aside due to discrepancies lived throughout his entire stay as the "Albiceleste" coach.

Late rumours increase the idea that many AFA's board members do not want Maradona to remain in charge, and would like to evaluate some other prospects. Anyway, it seems that nobody wants to speak up their feelings with Grondona as they know that is not a easy task to say no to Maradona. It was the very same Grondona who gave Maradona with the green light when he expressed that his continuity was "up to him", and that Diego "can do whatever he wants."

Poltics have also meddled in as the national government is pushing up for keeping the former Napoli's idol in charge, at least for 2011 which is a key year since presidential elections will take place in October.

The Kirchnerite know that since their close relation with Maradona, having him leading the national football team could be translated into more votes.

Source ^ = Buenos Aires Herald

Argentina and Germany reignite intense rivalry

2010-07-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Football powerhouses Argentina and Germany reignite their intense rivalry on Saturday in an eagerly-anticipated World Cup quarter-final, with both sides boasting they will win. The two country's met at the same stage in 2006 with Juergen Klinsmann's side going through 4-2 on penalties after over-cautious counterpart Jose Pekerman left Lionel Messi on the bench.

That shootout ended in a brawl when the South Americans reacted angrily after German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann saved Esteban Cambiasso's spot-kick to confirm victory. The coaches are different now but the desire of both teams to get their hands on the World Cup again hasn't changed. Argentina lifted the trophy in 1978 and 1986 while the Germans have won three times, in 1954, 1974, and 1990.

Their rivalry stretches back a long way, with the Argentines beating Germany in the 1986 final before losing to them in the 1990 decider, games that featured Diego Maradona. Now coach, the former midfield maestro is confident his team can counter the current German threat, despite them being high on confidence after crushing old enemy England 4-1 in the round of 16.

"We will take stock of our situation, then we will try and put together the best team to showcase our talents against Germany," said Maradona, who is seeking to join Franz Beckenbauer as the only man to have skippered and then coached a country to World Cup glory. "It will be the team to give us the guarantee to overcome Germany. We know Germany are a different team to (round of 16 opponent) Mexico.

"They are stronger, but we will field the right players to beat them."

Argentina, along with the Netherlands, are the only countries left with a 100 percent record after comfortably beating Nigeria, Greece and South Korea before ending Mexican dreams. In-form Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez said they do not fear consistent Germany, who have not failed to reach the last eight since 1938.

"I was more afraid of Mexico -- they play better football," he said. "(Germany) won their game and so reached the quarters, but they are not better than Argentina." The Germans will have Chancellor Angela Merkel, a keen football fan, in Green Point Stadium watching the match and coach Joachim Loew is hoping his young team can impress her by riding the wave of beating England.

"There is a very positive feeling in the team. We have gained a lot of confidence from taking a victory against England," said Loew. "A lot of the younger players became European Under-21 champions and it has given them a lot of confidence for a tournament like this."

While Argentina have been unbeatable in South Africa, Loew said he had identified weaknesses, without revealing what they were. "They have a lot of experience, they have an impressive attack and not just through Lionel Messi alone," he said. "We have found weaknesses in their side, but I will keep that information for my players."

Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger echoed his coaches comments. "We have the key to this match, if we play like we did against England, we can win," he said. The Bayern Munich star was in the side that beat Argentina in 2006, and he remembers their reaction well. "What I remember most is what happened after the game, this brawl which had been triggered by the Argentinians," he said, then accused the current side of being "disrespectful.

"I find that the behaviour of the Argentinians on the pitch, how they gesticulate and how they try to influence the referee, is disrespectful", said Schweinsteiger as he set the tone for Saturday's enticing encounter.

KEY TO MATCH
Taming Messi and Tevez :
With Messi the fulcrum of an Argentine side that looks unbeatable for pure fire-power and Tevez a live wire capable of scoring from anywhere, Germany have their work cut out.

Versatile captain Philipp Lahm will need to be on top of his game, marshalling his defence to snuff out the threat.

2010 World Cup Final Comes Early: Germany Vs Argentina

2010-06-29T02:14:00.000-07:00

No, the finale won't be contested early.

But it may as well ought to be, as the two strongest and most convincing teams so far will battle it out in the quarters.

The teams are Argentina and Germany. Both had convincing wins during their respective first knockout round contests.

Argentina qualified from Group C and faced Mexico. A brace from Carlos Tevez , and another from Gonzalo Higuain helped Argentina cruise to victory over the North Americans.

Germany drew its historic rival England in the first knockout match. The Germans cruised to a comfortable 2-0 lead before England fought back, scoring once while wrongly having another goal disallowed.

Despite the controversy, Germany deserved their 4-1 victory.

Who to watch

Both teams could claim the World Cup. But being pitted against each other early, ensures the drama will not cease. Only one will make it to the next round.

Both have individual players who are fully capable of changing the game on their own. The individual match-ups will be interesting to say the least.

Argentina

Argentina's strength is obvious. Its attack is the epitome of world football.

It's squad consists of world-class players who compete for the most elite clubs in the world. They have representatives from FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Internazionale Milano and Manchester City.

The starting trio of attackers consist of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain.

Is there another group of players that strike fear into the hearts of defenders like the previously mentioned?

Messi- The 2008-2009 Player of the Year was remarkable last season; scoring 47 goals in 53 games. But in South Africa he has failed to score in four games, though he has still he played brilliantly.

So far he taken 13 shots on target, has bagged an assist and completed 196 passes. Fair enough to say, if Messi is on his game Argentina will be hard to stop.

Higuain - After Real Madrid’s spending before the 2009-2010 season, many of its existing players were questioned as to whether they were good enough. Higuain proved the he is world-class, bagging a cool 29 goals and six assists 39 matches.

And his form hasn’t stopped in South Africa. He is the top scorer, as of now, with four goals in three matches.

Germany is going to have its work cut out, dealing with the aforementioned without even including players such as: Tevez, Sergio Aguero and the man who scored a brace in the UEFA Champions League Final: Diego Milito.

Germany

In my opinion Germany has a more complete squad. It boasts attackers like Lukas Podolski, Thomas Müller, and Miroslav Klose, midfielders Mesut Özil, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, and a defense including Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker and Arne Friedrich.

If any team can break down the attacking prowess of Argentina it is Germany.

The Germans play a balanced 4-2-3-1, ensuring they have plenty going forward as well as enough back to break down counter attacks.

Germany so far, has played some of the most brilliant and inspiring attacking football, despite commonly being labelled as a defensive team.

It is the defense that must hold if the Germans are to send off Argentina, a team also brimming with confidence.

So who is vital in this defense?

Schweinsteiger- Once upon a time, he was a winger, but he has shifted superbly into the centre. A danger with the ball, with excellent vision and passing, he is dangerous going forward. But against Argentina, expect him to hang back, taking the role of a holding midfielder, and provide the defense with extra cover, breaking down counter-attacks. His physical presence could ensure Argentina has trouble breaking down the compact defense.

Mertesacker- The Werder Bremen man is one of the best defenders at the World Cup. With Mertesacker in the penalty area, you can’t see Argentina dominating in the air. One characteristic Argentina can exploit though is Mertesacker’s pace, or lack of. He will be relying upon Bastain, Friedrick and Lahm to cover his tracks.

Lahm- The 26-year-old captain is one of, if not the, best right-back in the world. His lack of height is made up from other attributes, he has speed and the ability to read the game as well as dribbling and passing skills. Against Argentina, his performance will be vital. He will most likely have to fight his natural inclination to move up and down the wings, as Argentina will need to be watched constantly.

Prediction

Both sides are brilliant, and while I go for Germany, and want them to win. I just cannot decide, who will get the better over the other. I’d say Germany, but I just don’t know, especially with the unpredictability of the likes of Messi, Tevez and company.

Who do you think will advance? Argentina or Germany?

World Cup 2010: Walter Samuel To Return For Argentina Against Germany

2010-06-29T01:57:00.000-07:00

Argentina defender Walter Samuel could return to World Cup action for Diego Maradona's side against Germany in their forthcoming quarter-final showdown having reportedly recovered from a hamstring strain.

The 32-year-old Inter stopper suffered the injury midway through the first half of their 4-1 group stage win over South Korea and has been absent from the starting lineup since.

However Samuel took a full part in training with Argentina players who did not feature in the 3-1 win over Mexico in the round of 16 and according to AS, having suffered no ill-effects, will be available for selection against the Germans on Saturday.

La Albiceleste will be looking to exact revenge of Joachim Loew's men having gone out of the 2006 finals on penalties against Germany.

Argentina – “We were better”:Maradona

2010-06-29T01:51:00.000-07:00

Diego Maradona brushed away the off-side controvery Sunday after his team ran out 3-1 winners over Mexico.

“We were better over the 90 minutes,” said Maradona when asked about the off side opening goal.

“We knew that if we stuck to the tactics we had set up that they would snap sooner or later,” he explained.

Impressive Argentina now go up against Germany next weekend.

Maradona’s a man of few tactical words

2010-06-29T01:32:00.000-07:00

PRETORIA (AP)—When it comes to charisma, not many soccer coaches can rival Argentina’s Diego Maradona. But a deep discussion over tactics?

Not the man’s style.

“Great one, you beast!” you often hear Maradona shouting affectionately at a player during training. Even when a shot balloons over the crossbar, he bubbles with the same infectious enthusiasm.

His critics, who called him a naive tactician in the buildup to the World Cup, could be made to eat their words if Argentina continues its impressive form in South Africa and wins a third title.

The Albiceleste have won four matches in a row, scoring 10 goals—and the tally would’ve been far higher but for some excellent goalkeeping by their opponents.

Maradona says he himself preferred to be a free spirit as a player. As a result he intentionally won’t tell Argentina’s latest global superstar—Lionel Messi—what to do.

“I went to tell Messi (at Barcelona) that nobody ever told me where to play. So, I shouldn’t have to tell Messi where to play either,” said Maradona.

“It was up to him to decide where to play. He’s a grown-up. I did it back in my era and now it’s his turn.”

The former Argentine captain—for some the best player of all time—has embraced and kissed his players before all the matches in South Africa.

And it seems as though he’s kicking every ball in his mind when prowling around the coaches area wearing a suit.

The players seem to be thriving.

Martin Palermo, Argentina’s 36-year-old fifth-choice striker, is a case in point.

Many thought Maradona included him on his squad out of sentimentality—or as a lucky charm—after the Boca Juniors striker scored a last-gasp goal that more or less sealed Argentina’s qualification for the 2010 World Cup.

With Argentina struggling to break down Greece in the final group game, Maradona was told by his assistants to bring on Gonzalo Higuain.

Instead, he chose Palermo, who within minutes got on the score sheet.

The advice from Maradona as Palermo ran onto the field?

“I said, Get out there. Finish this match for me.”

It’s a far cry from the tactically astute and results-driven approach of Carlos Bilardo, who coached Argentina to World Cup success in 1986. Not to mention the almost obsessively philosophical and romantic vision of soccer advocated by the chain-smoking Cesar Menotti, who led the nation to the title eight years earlier.

When Maradona got the Argentina job, Bilardo was brought in to help on tactics. But the pair immediately fell out and, even though they’re both at the World Cup, it’s thought that Maradona is reluctant to listen to his advice.

Whether Maradona’s approach will work when Argentina comes up against tactically savvy Germany in this weekend’s quarterfinal is another matter.

And it’s sure to be troubling the nation.

Asked by an Argentine journalist after the 3-1 defeat of Mexico on Sunday how he would approach the Germans, Maradona snapped, “Let me enjoy this match. Why think of Germany? How about you name the players YOU want.”

source: Yahoo news

BBC Report: 2nd round Match, Argentina vs Mexico

2010-06-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

By Paul Fletcher, Johannesburg

Just as England had been incensed earlier on Sunday when a Frank Lampard shot that clearly crossed the goal-line was not awarded in their match against Germany, so Mexico had the right to feel aggrieved by another example of awful officiating.

Javier Aguirre's side probably edged an engrossing opening phase to the contest, but they never recovered after Carlos Tevez headed Argentina in front despite being yards offside when the ball was played to him by Lionel Messi.

It was a decision that prompted the Mexican side to surround the linesman in the aftermath of the goal being awarded and led to a melee as the referee tried to leave the field at the break.

Mexico's prospects of clawing their way back into the contest faded after Ricardo Osorio gifted possession to Gonzalo Higuain, who slotted home his fourth goal of the competition to give Argentina breathing space by the break.

And Tevez's sensational second-half strike ensured that Maradona's team continued their excellent form in South Africa with their fourth straight win of the tournament.

They can now focus on gaining a measure of revenge on Germany, who knocked them out of the 2006 World Cup at the quarter-final stage after a penalty shoot-out.

But the match will doubtless leave a bitter taste in the mouth for Mexico, who pulled a goal back through Javier Hernandez.

El Tri were intent on avenging their defeat against Argentina in 2006 but have now bowed out of the last five World Cups at the round of 16 stage.

Until Argentina took a grip on the tie by scoring twice in eight first-half minutes it had been a fascinating contest between two sides that were obviously comfortable in possession.

There were some wonderful passages of play as both sides enjoyed periods when they probed their opponent's defensive structure with crisp passing and intelligent movement.

Carlos Salcido crashed a long-range effort against the crossbar and Andres Guardado shot narrowly wide as Mexico found space in front of an Argentina backline that many believe to be a possible weak link in an otherwise gifted side.

There had been relatively little to alarm the Mexican side when Tevez struck his controversial opener, which came after his initial effort had been smothered by Oscar Perez and Messi hooked the rebound back into the box.

The goal clearly rattled the Mexicans, particularly after they saw a replay on the big screen inside Soccer City and surrounded the guilty linesman in angry protest.

Several Argentine players, waiting for the restart, joined the fray, perhaps fearing the goal would be ruled out - and there was confusion inside the ground but Tevez's headed finish stood.

Mexico only had themselves to blame for the Albiceleste's second after Osorio, under no immediate pressure, scuffed a pass close to the edge of his penalty area, allowing Higuain to snatch the ball before rounding Perez and slotting home.

Higuain should probably have sealed Argentina's place in the last eight before the break but headed wide from six yards, while Mexico's Manchester United-bound Javier Hernandez was inches from connecting with a cross in injury time.

The Tevez goal was clearly still a source of frustration and several Mexicans surrounded Italian referee Roberto Rosetti and his team as they made their way from the field.

Within seconds players from both teams, plus the ever-involved Maradona, had formed a scrum that threatened to boil over.

Poor officiating and sloppy play had nothing to do with the decisive third goal, which came shortly after the restart when Tevez rifled the ball into the top corner with an unstoppable long-range effort.

Mexico might have thrown in the towel but continued to press, with Hernandez heading wide again and Gabriel Heinze clearing off the line from substitute Guillermo Franco.

They did pull one back when the previously profligate Hernandez turned beautifully to lose the flat-footed Martin DeMichelis before burying a shot beyond Sergio Romero.

Messi, who had a quiet second half, almost scored his first of the tournament late on after a mazy run but his shot was well saved.

Tévez Scores Twice as Argentina Advances

2010-06-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

JOHANNESBURG — It was forward Carlos Tévez who said the words no one else was willing to speak: the only satisfactory World Cup for Argentina would be to win it.

“Nothing else will do,” Tévez said before the tournament opened.

On Sunday night, the bullish Tévez edged his team one step closer, scoring two goals — one while clearly offside — in a 3-1 victory over Mexico and advancing unbeaten Argentina to the quarterfinals, where it will face Germany on Saturday.

“I needed a match like this to prove I’m happy, I’m well and that I really want to go for glory,” Tévez said.

Glory remained out of Mexico’s grasp yet again as it exited the World Cup for the fifth consecutive time in the second round — twice in a row to Argentina. Javier Aguirre, Mexico’s coach, renewed a demoralized team last year and spoke boldly of rewriting history, only to learn that it can be stubborn and inflexible.

Mexico’s defeat was built on controversy and carelessness. It was the stronger team in the early minutes, adamantly trying to score a quick goal to set Argentina on its heels. In the eighth minute, defender Carlos Salcido rocketed a shot from 40 yards that rasped off the crossbar.

In the 26th minute, everything changed.

Lionel Messi waterbugged through the middle on a counterattack, passing ahead to Tévez in the penalty area. Óscar Pérez, the Mexican goalkeeper, rushed off his line and dived for the ball but could not smother it.

The ball popped up to Messi, and he chipped it blithely to Tévez, whose header into an empty net from four yards put Argentina ahead, 1-0.

Tévez was indisputably beyond the final Mexican defenders when the ball was played to him, but the referee’s assistant did not raise his flag. Mexico argued vehemently for an offside call. Roberto Rosetti, the Italian referee, conferred with his assistant, Stefano Ayroldi, but did not nullify the goal. Afterward, Aguirre offered only tepid complaint.

“Referees take split-second decisions and they can spoil everything,” he said, but he also acknowledged, “Everybody is human on the pitch.”

After that disputed goal, Mexico lost its concentration and its will, Aguirre said. Seven minutes later, defender Ricardo Osorio made a lazy pass, or somehow mistook Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuaín for a teammate out of the corner of his eye.

In either case, Higuaín intercepted the ball, snaked past Pérez and ruthlessly made Osorio pay, scoring his fourth goal of the World Cup to put Argentina ahead, 2-0.

Now Mexico was defeated. At halftime, forward Giovani dos Santos attempted to renew debate about the first goal, but Rosetti waved him away. A scuffle involving players from both teams then flared behind Mexico’s bench. Order was quickly restored, but Mexico’s frustration was evident.

Tévez scored again on a blast from 25 yards in the 52nd minute, putting Argentina ahead, 3-0. Mexico finally got a goal, from Javier Hernández in the 71st minute, but the game had long been decided.

Asked later about the contentious first goal, the excitable Argentine coach, Diego Maradona, offered little sympathy. He complained instead about the rough play against Messi, his star playmaker.

“What’s being done to Messi is a scandal,” Maradona said. “They don’t look for the ball. They look for his legs and kick him.”

He assumed a more playful tone when asked about the difference between winning as a coach and a player.

“Of course, I feel like putting on the jersey and going onto the pitch,” said Maradona, who took Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title.

He added: “There is not a major difference. Of course, when you are on the pitch, you run and you can scream things you cannot scream on the bench.”

Maradona also seemed amused that his scuffed reputation as a coach had been elevated so quickly during the World Cup.

“They said I had no idea and suddenly I’m winning four matches and people see me as someone else,” he said. “I’m still the same person.”

Tévez sprinted to the corner flag after his first goal, put a fistful of his jersey in his mouth and bit it joyously. Later, he seemed slightly annoyed that Maradona had replaced him in the 69th minute.

“I was asking for the ball every moment,” Tévez said. “I didn’t understand why I was substituted.”

But when Tévez arrived at the bench, Maradona hugged him tightly. Theirs has been a congenial relationship. Messi is Argentina’s best and most celebrated player, but Tévez is its spirit. He is all power and determination, knowing only one way, and that is straight ahead.

Maradona refers to Tévez fondly as Carlitos. Both are from poor backgrounds and enjoy a populist authenticity in Argentina. Tévez was accidentally scalded by boiling water as a child but has refused to have the scar on his face cosmetically altered, considering it essential to his character.

“Carlitos cannot be off the team — even more than Messi,” Maradona said before the World Cup. “Tévez is an idol of the people.”

He views Tévez like a son, Maradona said. “I felt that the moment I met him. He has a hunger and a passion for football.”

And now he also has two goals toward a World Cup title.

Tevez scratches a twenty year itch

2010-06-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

Another World Cup fixture between Argentina and Mexico, another belter of a goal from outside the box. Four years ago it was Maxi Rodriguez with that astonishing volley hit with his 'weaker' foot, this time round Carlos Tevez takes the accolade as well as the man of the match award.

His wasn't the only positive to take from Argentina's performance: Nicolas Otamendi looked far more experienced at right back than he really is; Gonzalo Higuaín bagged another goal, and Lionel Messi still seems relaxed in spite of losing a bet with his manager. Tevez, though, was the stand-out performer, even if his first goal shouldn't have stood.

Questions will again be asked of FIFA's refusal to allow the use of video technology, after Tevez's opening goal was replayed on the screens in the stadium and both referee and linesman saw they shouldn't have given it but were unable, bound by the rules, to change their decision even though play hadn't restarted. All the same, Argentina were able to take advantage of Mexico's clearly shaken state in the aftermath of the goal when Gonzalo Higuaín nipped in to get a second for his team, and the performance overall showed a lot of quality.

Messi's bet with Maradona, by the way, was that he'd score in this match, which of course he didn't. Given the nature of the first goal, with Tevez practically pinching the goal from Messi (and subsequently lucky it didn't get chalked off) he could be forgiven for asking Tevez to cough up a share of the lost stake, but he seemed relaxed, joking with the press that, "I'm going to tell [Maradona] it's double or nothing in the next match." This wasn't his most stellar performance of the World Cup, but it's nice to see and hear him still relaxed in spite of what must be huge frustration at not yet having scored.

What Messi is doing still, is the simple things, very well. Previously when opposing sides tried crowding him out his team-mates seemed like they still expected him to beat the entire defence on his own, and he obviously wasn't happy. Now, he's got the support he needs to lay of quick linking passes and try and start runs with quick one-twos. The other result of this new-found sense of identity with the team, of course, is that if the ball can be transferred to Tevez quickly enough he's got more space to work his own magic in, because Messi is being so closely monitored. As Tevez demonstrated with his second goal on Sunday, he only needs to break free for a moment.

Messi's ongoing sense of identity within the group can only be good for Argentina now and in the future, and Tevez's opportunism at using the extra space it affords him is a fantastic bonus. Past demons have been put to bed too: this was the first knockout match Argentina had won in ninety minutes at a World Cup since the second round of Italia 90 against Brazil, twenty years and three days before. More qualified managers than Diego Maradona there may be, but it's a long time since anyone has made progress look quite this serene at the Argentine helm. Could it be that he really does have something when it comes to World Cups that others just can't match?

It's clear Maradona's enjoying the tournament and that his insistence on team-building over warmup matches has been justified. The freedom his team are playing with is unexpected to those who thought 1986 and 1990 manager Carlos Bilardo would be the main tactical influence, and that's the principle reason Argentina's progress so far has come as such a pleasant surprise to most people here.

To take an example, whilst Jose Pekerman's side four years ago were more balanced, they lost some momentum when the manager rested his entire first team for the dead rubber in the final group game with the Netherlands, a 0-0 draw. They didn't manage to regain the form that had seen them beat Serbia & Montenegro 6-0 in the second group game. By contrast, Maradona kept a sprinkling of first-teamers in for the final group match this year, giving the overall shape of the team some continuity, and that seemed to help this time. There were times when Mexico got close, but once Argentina grabbed the lead they never looked overly stretched.

Of course, it gets harder from here, and the quarter-final, where the team now finds themselves, is the stage most, including myself, thought they should reach (we just didn't expect them to do it so comfortably). Though Mexico had their moments, the defence still hasn't been put under sustained pressure - El Tri showed a tendency to shoot from outside the box - and when a quick ball was played in it was notable how Javier Hernandez turned Martin Demichelis, who's a lot bigger than him, before scoring. To my mind, Germany will test this area a lot more.

This is why Otamendi's performance at right back was heartening. The young Velez Sarsfield centre back, who'll likely be on his way to Milan after the tournament, is virtually untested as a full back, but against Greece he instantly looked more at home there than poor Jonas Gutierrez had in the first two group games, and he carried that good start through to the Mexico game. The defensive solidity in that area will probably mean Germany target the centre backs - specifically Demichelis - more than anything.

Although there's vulnerability, it's now notably less than at the start of the tournament, and the attack are firing well. The mood in Buenos Aires is that Germany will have to score several if they're to put Argentina out, because Maradona's side will get at least a couple of goals themselves. Whether they're really balanced enough to get revenge for the penalty defeat four years ago, only time will tell. But it should make for a good game finding out.

Maradona leading Argentina forward

2010-06-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

So Argentina finally look like a team. And Diego Maradona finally looks like a coach. If nothing catastrophic happens against Mexico on Sunday, both players and manager will have earned the respect they had been demanding for quite a long time.

Believe it or not, the team with the best first round record in the World Cup was barely considered as such four months ago, not to say last year, when the ticket to South Africa was far from secure. And yet, it is the same team, with the same names and the same manager. So what happened in-between?

The quality of the squad was never in doubt. Especially in attack, since Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Diego Milito, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero are among the most feared goalscorers in the world. But Argentina have top-class names in every position: Walter Samuel, Martin Demichelis and captain Javier Mascherano would probably make the starting XI of any other national team in South Africa.

However, Maradona struggled to make them work together. Throughout a difficult qualifying campaign, the stars never showed any understanding of the concept of collective work and the coach was under heavy fire for his lack of tactical planning and the enormous number of players he called up.

If there was a trace of any plan, it showed that Maradona would rather wait and counter-attack, something which went against a long history of Argentine football and even against Maradona's own philosophy as a player. The system worked fine in a friendly against Germany, won 1-0 by Argentina in March, but still, much more was expected from a team that was able to achieve the impossible - that is to make Messi look like an average player.

Maradona insisted, once and again, that he needed time with the whole team. And he finally got it in May. He got his players together and started shaping what he called "the group". When asked what that meant, he would produce the example of the Argentina 1986 squad: how no-one gave a penny for them and how, after getting together, they vowed they would come back home from Mexico with the trophy.

It is very difficult to evaluate how much that time together has helped, but one thing is true: Argentina have played their best football under Maradona during the group stage games, and are now one of the top contenders to win the World Cup.

Whatever Maradona did, be it tactical or psychological; his squad now looks confident and optimistic both on and off the pitch. It is a team that has finally found its soul.

Maradona himself is changed in at least one respect: still being his usual self, he looks more moderate than ever. Would anyone have imagined Maradona apologising to Michel Platini as he did early this month?

Perhaps Maradona has (finally) grown up. Perhaps he realised that the only way to retain the demi-god status he enjoys was, paradoxically, to start behaving like a normal human being.

If that were true, then perhaps it also explains why Argentina suddenly look so good as a team. Maybe Maradona got a better sense of his strengths and weaknesses as a coach, and that helped him to understand better what kind of players he had available. Hence, Argentina changed (progressed?) from a team that looked too cautious to one that looks eager to take, sometimes, too many risks.

How much credit goes to Maradona for that could be an endless discussion, but there's no argument about the way Argentina played their three group games: ball control and attack in mind. No more waiting, no more long-range balls, no more Messi the messiah ending up being Messi the messed-up.

Argentina have scored more goals than any other team (seven just like Portugal, who did it in just one game), and still their ratio of goals-scored-per-opportunities-generated is low. But, in yet another piece of Maradona magic he has been able to bring in the right man at the right time.

After Higuain wasted several chances in the opener against Nigeria, he kept him in the starting lineup against South Korea, despite cries to play prolific Diego Milito; Higuain responded with a hat-trick. And when the same Milito spent almost 80 minutes scoreless against Greece, he sent in Martin Palermo, who responded with a late goal to secure the 2-0 win.

There are other Maradona decisions that have paid off. His goalkeeper, Sergio Romero, probably third-choice a year ago, has proved much safer than his predecessors. Maxi Rodriguez, despite a bad club season, becomes a different, and better, player with the national jersey on. Clemente Rodriguez and Nicolas Otamendi provide him with different options in defence, and both were among the best performers against Greece.

The defence: that will be the key in games to come. Argentina have shown some defensive weaknesses that better teams - the ones that actually play the final rounds - could exploit. With less chances against tougher defences, defensive blunders could prove to be too expensive and Mexico will be the first real test.

If Maradona can solve that puzzle as well, then Argentina will be the team to beat. And no matter the end result, he will have the right to be proud about at least one thing: critics won't be forced to into silence by his usual outbursts, but instead by the way his team played football.

Mexico can't beat its inferiority complex, and its soccer powerhouse Argentina's fault

2010-06-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Mexicans go into Sunday's game fully aware their team is the underdog against fabled Argentina. They are torn between national pride that whispers 'just maybe' and the louder voice that says 'no way.'

Reporting from Mexico City —

Three days before Mexico faced powerhouse Argentina in the World Cup knockout phase, the new Argentine ambassador here happened to be presenting her credentials to Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

"I told the president, 'May the best team win,'" Patricia Vaca recalled. "He said, 'No, no, may Mexico win!'"

Mexicans go into Sunday's game fully aware they are the underdog against fabled Argentina. They are torn between national pride that whispers "just maybe" and the louder voice that says "no way."

The World Cup qualifying shuffle that pitted Mexico against Argentina revived deep-seated Mexican feelings of inadequacy — even as those sentiments were tinted with awe for best-on-the-planet Lionel Messi, the larger-than-life Diego Maradona and the great "white-and-blue."

"Mexico does not have the weapons to win against a team like Argentina," Jose Ramon Fernandez, one of this country's top sports commentators, said in a radio interview. "Argentina has talented players and a good game. What does Mexico have? Nothing. It will look ridiculous."

Ouch.

One Mexican newspaper survey had more than two-thirds of Mexicans predicting their team would lose. The social media networks were full of dire assessments. Even Mexico's 2-0 defeat of France had more to do with the implosion of the French team than any talent from Mexico, said the chattering masses.

(This, from "Carlos" on Twitter: Cheer up friends! Better to prepare for the defeat and then it won't hurt so badly.)

Miffed, star defender Rafael Marquez weighed in to say he had had enough of the gloom and doom. As Mexicans, he said, we allow pessimism to defeat us. He spoke of the national inferiority complex and urged his compatriots to shelve it.

"Unfortunately sometimes we don't seem to believe in ourselves, and that's the extra 'plus' that other teams have," Marquez said in a news conference in Pretoria. "And not just in football. We need to change that mentality and do the best we can in order to be great."

He added: "Yeah, it's Argentina. So what?"

As Vaca, the Argentine ambassador, pointed out, Mexico is home to thousands of Argentines, which will make for some up-close-and-personal rivalry come game time Sunday afternoon. Mexico has often welcomed Latin America's outcasts, and Argentines sought refuge here from brutal military juntas in the 1970s and '80s and, again, during Argentina's more recent economic collapse.

Overall, this World Cup has been very good for Latin Americans. Six of seven Latin American teams that started out advanced to the second round (the exception: unlikely Honduras). Five of the teams are from South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Brazil), a record-high representation for that continent.

And as Uruguay's struggle to conquer South Korea on Saturday proved, anything can happen. Uruguay prevailed 2-1, but it was no walk in the park against what was widely considered a weaker team.

Maybe Mexicans should take heart in that. Exactly four years ago, in the same "Round of 16" stage of the World Cup, Mexico faced Argentina amid similarly negative forecasts. But a scrappy Mexican squad managed to hold Argentina to a tie through regulation play, the Argentines finally winning in overtime.

Mexico's coach then was Ricardo La Volpe — an Argentine.

Mexico looks to 'remove thorn in side' in grudge match against Argentina

2010-06-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

PRETORIA, South Africa — Mexico will get the chance to erase a grudge nursed for four years when it meets Argentina in the World Cup second round on Sunday.

At the 2006 World Cup, Argentina beat Mexico — thanks to an extraordinary goal by Maxi Rodriguez — in the round of 16 and fate has conspired to match the two sides at precisely the same stage of this year's tournament.

"I have a thorn in my side from four years ago and hopefully on Sunday we can take it out," said midfielder Rafael Marquez, who scored Mexico's solitary goal in that 2-1 defeat in 2006.

But the challenge looks formidable against Diego Maradona's attack-minded team, which everyone wants to avoid this time around.

And it's not just the prolific strikeforce of Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez that the Mexicans will need to contain in Pretoria.

Playing in midfield will be that man Maxi, who'd settle for any winner on Sunday rather than a repeat of his 2006 wonder goal.

"I'll be happy if I can just tap it in," he said Friday. "What happened in that game is history now. The important thing is that the team wins and progresses."

The two teams have played each other 25 times, of which the Mexicans have only won four.

But Mexico, so shaky to start qualifying before recovering to play well, turned it on when it counted in South Africa, beating 2006 runner-up France 2-0 on the way to finishing second in Group A.

Argentina, unbeaten in its group and capable of scoring goals from all over the field, is expecting Javier Aguirre's team to be solid at the back and not take too many risks.

"Aguirre is a very intelligent coach," Maxi said Friday. "I don't think they'll come out attacking us right away. They'll almost certainly wait to hit us on the counter."

The Liverpool winger is expected to start the evening game at Soccer City after lining up alongside Maradona's first-choice players in training Friday.

"We'll have to wait until Diego names the team, but if he chooses me I hope I perform well," said Maxi.

However, defender Walter Samuel is unlikely to shrug off the right thigh injury he picked up against South Korea in time for the match. He trained Friday, but didn't convince the coaching staff that he was ready.

"He felt good at the start, but then we had our doubts," Maradona said. "If I have any doubts, I will always put in the player who is in best condition."

Nicolas Burdisso, who laid on a goal for Higuain against the South Koreans after coming on as a substitute, would again fill in at the back.

Mexico's Marquez said the team isn't daunted by the prospect of Messi, the Barcelona forward who has lit up the tournament but has yet to score himself.

Arsenal forward Carlos Vela could make a comeback after injury for Mexico to play alongside Giovani Dos Santos who has stood out at this World Cup with his pace and guile.

"We are better than that (2006) Mexico team, which didn't have so many players in European teams," Marquez said. "(Argentina) has the best player in the world, Leo Messi, and that makes them more complete. But we will try to change all that."

Such is Argentina's strength in depth that Diego Milito, who scored twice in the European Champions League final, will again have to settle for a place on the bench.

The winner of Sunday's match will play either England or Germany in the quarter-finals.

World Cup 2010: Diego Maradona and Argentina begin to believe

2010-06-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

In the face of low expectations the manager has forged a winning team spirit.

over two weeks ago, on the morning of the World Cup finals, Diego Maradona faced the world's media and did what he always does: wave his hands like a traffic policeman in the Buenos Aires rush hour, hold forth about every topic imaginable and flit from quiet contemplation to frantic hollering, often within the same answer. Most regarded him as an eccentric curiosity – a manager who had used 107 players in qualification, didn't have much idea of his best team, and had repeatedly failed to get the best out of the world's best player in a generation.

Things have certainly changed. Three successive victories in Group B – achieved through an unlikely combination of bear-hugs, laughter, cajoling, coarse humour and a tactical sophistication few expected – have, inevitably, led to huge expectation back home. As Lucas Neder from Argentina TV station Tyc/Telefe put it: "No one back home gave this team a chance before this tournament started, now no one believes they can lose."

Even Lionel Messi, who was made Argentina's youngest-ever captain against Greece, finally seems settled in the colours of the Albicelestes. So how has Maradona done it? According to Sergio Goycochea, a team-mate at the 1990 World Cup: "It's only now that he has had a chance to be a full month with the entire squad. So this now allows him to connect with the players, understand them and give them his support." The difference is striking.

Having given many of his second string a run-out during the victory against Greece on Tuesday night, Maradona is planning to return to the players who began Argentina's campaign with that 1-0 victory over Nigeria, with two crucial differences. TAccording to journalists close to the national squad, the rugged Vélez Sársfield centre-back Nicolás Otamendi will continue at right-back after replacing the suspended Jonás Gutiérrez against Greece, while Juan Sebastián Verón, "the little witch", who is closest of anyone to Maradona in the squad, will be dropped to make way for Maxi Rodríguez.

Both decisions smack of common sense. Gutiérrez, a converted left-midfielder-cum-right-back was shambolically out of his depth against Nigeria and Greece and, while Verón's passes are still as soft and loving as a baby's caress, he lollops around even more slowly than he did in his prime. Rodríguez, while not in the class of Esteban Cambiasso, who was strangely left out of Argentina's squad, is a little quicker and snappier than Verón, and alongside Javier Mascherano will certainly stiffen the midfield.

It was Rodríguez, of course, who scored a brilliant extra-time volley when Argentina faced Mexico four years ago in Germany – a 2-1 loss that condemned the Mexicans to their fourth successive second-round exit. So it is perhaps not surprising that the Mexican media fears Javier Aguirre's team will tumble out at this stage again. But neither their pessimism, or Tuesday's defeat against Uruguay, has winded the confidence of Mexico's close-knit squad. They are ready for revenge.

"We are better than that Mexico team, which didn't have so many players in European teams," insisted their captain, Rafael Márquez. "Argentina has the best player in the world, Leo Messi, and that makes them more complete. But we will try to change all that. I have a thorn in my side from four years ago and hopefully on Sunday we can take it out."

He also urged his countrymen to get behind the team, saying: "There is always pessimism in Mexico. But we have to make them believe in us by working hard and fighting to make Mexicans happy. We need to change this mentality not only in football but other aspects of life to ensure we are better in every sense of the word. To be great, we have to set aside this mentality of being pessimistic."

Much rests on whether the crop of young players that Aguirre has called "the best generation in Mexican history" can live up to his boast. Striker Carlos Vela remains a major doubt for Sunday's game with his twanged hamstring, although he did participate in passing drills in small spaces alongside Giovani Dos Santos and Guillermo Franco yesterday. Franco is expected to start up front, with recent Manchester United signing Javier Hernández on the bench.

Aguirre has had a strained relationship with the Mexican media at this World Cup. Access to training sessions has been so limited that Fifa had to intervene, and he has been accused of being too nervy ahead of Sunday's match. But Mexico goalkeeper Oscar Pérez, a veteran of two World Cup campaigns, reckons the team can use this whirlpool of negative energy to their advantage. "Hopefully we'll have enough confidence to use this pessimism to give us a good feeling. It can help," he said. "We have to change this pessimism, it's not healthy."

Mexico's record against Argentina – four wins in 25 internationals – hardly provides reason for optimism. And nor does the fact that they have only reached the quarter-finals in 1970 and 1986, when the World Cup was held on home soil. But Aguirre's team is blessed with the impetuousness of youth and built to attack. Argentina have the bigger guns, but perhaps the weaker defence too. It could end up being a shoot-out in Soccer City. A repeat of 2006's minor classic would down go nicely.

Mexico Vows `Revenge' on Unbeaten Argentina for 2006 World Cup Elimination

2010-06-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

Mexico has a chance to gain revenge on Argentina, after yesterday’s 1-0 defeat to Uruguay put the team up against the two-time champion in the last 16 of the World Cup.

Argentina beat Mexico 2-1 with an extra-time goal at exactly the same stage in the 2006 tournament. The team and its followers say they haven’t forgotten that night in Leipzig, Germany. Argentina finished atop Group B last night with its third victory in the group stage, a 2-0 win over Greece.

“This is a nice possibility to get even with what happened four years ago,” coach Javier Aguirre told reporters after last night’s match at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng, South Africa.

Uruguay won Group A with seven points after holding off Mexico after Luis Suarez’s first-half header. Mexico qualified ahead of South Africa thanks to a better goal difference, though the hosts were 2-1 winners over 1998 champions France, which went home without a victory.

With South Africa leading France 2-0 at halftime and their team trailing Uruguay, Mexican fans fretted during the break, discussing the potential tiebreakers needed to qualify for the next stage.

After France’s goal, thousands of green-shirted Mexicans cheered wildly. South Africa was unable to get the five goal swing it needed.

Revenge

“We knew the next phase would be Argentina but in Mexico we’ve been thinking of revenge,” said Alejandro Loredo, a 39- year-old supporter with his nation’s flag painted on his cheeks and a Mexico bandana strapped across his forehead.

Argentina and Mexico were tied 1-1 when Maxi Rodriguez scored the goal of the 2006 World Cup in the eighth-minute of extra time to seal the win. The midfielder controlled a long pass by Juan Pablo Sorin on his chest before thumping a left- footed volley beyond goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez from outside the penalty area.

Argentina, which was captained last night by current world player of the year Lionel Messi, won all three of its qualifying matches, scoring seven goals and conceding just once.

Facing a team playing as well as the South Americans isn’t something to fear, said current Mexican national team goalkeeper Oscar Perez.

“If we’re going to play Argentina why should we wait, we might as well play them now,” he said. “Whoever the opponent is, we need to win.”

Uruguay’s Run

Uruguay plays South Korea. Its unbeaten run in the tournament has sparked national celebrations, coach Oscar Tabarez said, after calling his family from the dressing room after the match.

“In the old town of Montevideo there’s a huge celebration going on with car convoys in the streets,” Tabarez said.

Uruguay, which needed to beat Costa Rica in a playoff to reach the finals, hasn’t conceded a goal at the tournament and its 3-0 victory against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana on June 16 was the first time the team scored more than twice in 56 years of World Cup play.

“It was very important for us (to finish top),” striker Diego Forlan said in an interview. “We are not afraid of any team.”

Mexico will meet Argentina at Soccer City in Johannesburg on June 27. Uruguay plays South Korea in Port Elizabeth a day earlier.

An hour with Argentina

2010-06-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

Positive vibes from Maradona's men as they prepare for Mexico date.

by - Leonard Thomas

JOHANNESBURG - When I got to the University of Pretoria Rugby at nearly 10am on Friday, there was already a gaggle of fans and some Argentinean media there.

The gates were locked, scheduled to open at 11am, when we would be given an hour to observe Diego Maradona take his charges through a training session.

Approximately an hour's drive from Johannesburg, the university at Tshawne/Pretoria is a rugby institution, but its field had been converted to a football pitch and Argentina were convinced to make it their base for the duration of the 2010 World Cup finals here.

A wise head in the local organising committee felt the presence of one of the world's great football teams in a predominantly rugby-mad area would help the sport reach out to more South Africans, especially at grassroots level.

By 11am, there were hundreds of excited South Africans youngsters gathered outside the gates, black and a few white, along with a number of travelling fans, many with Messi on their jerseys, and scores of journalists and TV crews, mostly from Argentina.

With talent worth around half-a-billion dollars out on the pitch, and arguably football's biggest managerial draw here, a team of gun-toting policemen wearing bulletproof vests milled about, eyeing all of us suspiciously, before ushering everyone in after a thorough search.

The World Cup favourites were already out on the pitch, gathered in a group while Maradona spoke to them. After a few minutes they broke up and began a slow jog.

And that's when everyone got their first clear glimpse of Lionel Messi.

Right on cue the girls in the stands jumped up and down and screamed his name, and the newly-minted 23-year-old gave a little wave.

The Barcelona superstar shared a joke with his team-mates and laughed, as Gabriel Heinze shoved him.

The veteran defender stuck close to the reigning world player of the year, it seemed as if Heinze was Messi's closest friend, an unlikely friendship considering they are nearly 10 years apart in age.

Maybe Heinze, the resident tough-guy in the Argentina camp, had been assigned by Maradona to keep a close watch on the sport's ultimate matchwinner.

In three games here already Messi has weaved his way past "scared" defenders, he has rattled woodwork and left the Jabulani mark on various parts of the body of three different goalkeepers, and he has set up chances for team-mates.

He has yet to find the net, though.

After a few more drills with and without the ball, Messi and the rest of Maradona's favourite strikers went through shooting practice.

Intriguingly, they didn't use a goalkeeper, only aiming for specific areas in goal. Most of the efforts found their mark, with Carlos Tevez truly packing power in his shots.

Another slow jog around the field followed, along with some short sprints, before the squad of 23 were split into two teams. With Tevez spearheading one side and Messi the other in different-coloured bibs, they jousted, the three goalkeepers taking turns in each goal as Maradona stood in the centre circle with whistle and stopwatch in hand playing referee.

Maybe one team should have worn green bibs, with Argentina facing Mexico on Monday in a last-16 clash at Soccer City Stadium.

The players passed and moved and dribbled and laughed, Maradona's instructions could be heard sometimes over the din, Javier Mascherano couldn't resist sliding into a tackle on Messi and was duly smothered by team-mates for daring to.

It was playful, and Messi scored twice. One was a tap-in after a great pass by Juan Sebastian Veron, the other a shot that was deflected into goal by Jonas Gutierrez, who was duly forced to go around the field once by Maradona.

Messi's team won, 4-2.

The next hour of training was a "closed-door session", and everyone was ushered out of the ground as the two-time world champions presumably went through their set-piece routines and secret formations.

One crewman from Argentina TV station Canal 13 remarked: "They are happy, they like each other. For Argentina football, that is good."

As we walked out in the crowd, I asked the crewman if Maradona had surprised him. "He surprised us all," he said. "These players all want to play for him."

My driver Kenny was waiting to take me back to the main media centre here. As I rode back in the car, I couldn't help but wonder if Maradona had deliberately chosen that looked like Brazil's colours.

Does he also have Brazil on his mind?

I had no time to stay for the press conference scheduled at 3.30pm, but maybe I'll ask him on Saturday when he meets the press again.

'Grown Ups' Star Salma Hayek Believes Mexico Can Take Argentina In The World Cup

2010-06-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

No matter where in the world Salma Hayek will be this Sunday, June 27, you can bet she won't be far from a television tuned to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The "Grown Ups" star from Mexico will be cheering on her home country squad as they take on Argentina in the first round of the knockout portion of the international soccer tournament.

The Mexican team held its own during group play, kicking off the tournament with a draw against host country South Africa before knocking out the French and dropping a thrilling game against Honduras. They take on an Argentina team that steamrolled through the group games, registering dominating wins against Nigeria, South Korea and Greece in the process.

This Sunday's match isn't actually a cut-and-dried pick for Hayek, who also has allegiances to Argentina. "I'm such a huge fan of their team, and they have my favorite player in the World Cup: Lionel Messi," she told MTV News on the red carpet at the premiere of "Grown Ups" earlier this week. "I'm 100 percent for Mexico, but the Argentinians are such an extraordinary team."

Hayek recognizes that it will be a struggle for Mexico, but she believes in her home country's team. "I'm all the way for Mexico," she said. "We might need a miracle from the Virgin of Guadalupe, but I believe!" Even if Mexico doesn't advance past Argentina, Hayek can take solace in the fact that Mexico seems to be a lock to advance in the MTV World Cup of Rock.

Who do you think will win the mach between Mexico and Argentina on Sunday, June 27? Let us know in the comments!