Between now and the opening ceremony, I'll be taking a look at the nations participating in this year's World Cup, an event which is slowly consuming me with excitement. Share my pain! We begin Group B with Argentina, who in the last 18 months have become one of the most entertaining teams around, thanks to everyone's favourite lunatic, Diego Armando Maradona. In 2002, Luiz Felipe Scolari was feeling the pressure. Having taken over a Brazil side experiencing something of a slump, his reign had been characterised not by an inspired reversal of fortune, but by a continuation of a malaise nobody had envisaged a few months previously. Here they were, a ridiculously talented side, blessed with some of the best players in the world, and they had only reached the World Cup through a combination of luck and inept opposition. We all know what happened of course- they won the tournament with swagger, style, and Seaman. There's a lesson in there somewhere, particularly when one is considering the chances of Argentina this time around.
How did they get there?
It might not have been pretty, but the 84th minute winner against Uruguay in the final round of games was a suitably tense end to one of the more memorable qualification campaigns of recent times. The low point was probably an abject 3-1 home defeat by Brazil, although the 6-1 defeat at the hands of Bolivia (and the woefully inadequate preparation before that match) was also a standout moment. For Argentina the 2010 qualifying campaign was like root canal treatment: they're just glad it's over.
Who's the coach?
At the beginning of May, Diego Maradona reached yet another numerical milestone, in a life littered with them (and I'm not talking about his weight fluctuations here). For Argentina's friendly against Haiti, arranged largely in order to bankroll his large contract (oh, and in a gesture of solidarity to Haiti, naturally) he picked the 108th player of his campaign. Even for a man who clearly thrives on chaos, this is a ludicrous number. Yet somehow, despite all the changes in positions and personnel, Maradona managed to fulfil his initial brief and secured Argentina's place at the World Cup.
Following the removal of Jose Pekerman in 2006, Argentina had embarked upon a random trail of destruction usually associated with excessive Jagermeister consumption. They lurched from one crisis to another, and it is a measure of how bad things were that Maradona was even considered for the post. But considered he was, and qualify them he did. Somehow. The debate is still raging (in my head anyway) about whether Argentina progressed because of Maradona or in spite of him. Currently I'm leaning towards the latter, but there is no denying that the man has presence, although whether that compensates for his shortcomings as a coach is questionable. For journalists he is perfect, a bountiful source of controversy and quotes. For fans of Argentina he must be terrifying.
Ones to watch:
I started this section of my France preview with the phrase 'despite the ineptitude of the coach' so I will refrain from doing so for a second consecutive post, but if I could, I would. Argentina have always produced reams of quality footballers, but in the globalised world of today the depth is more noticeable. Consider this selection who won't be going to South Africa: Javier Zanetti, Ever Banega, Esteban Cambiasso, Lucho Gonzalez, Javier Pastore, Pablo Aimar, Juan Roman Riquelme, and Lisandro Lopez. I could go on, but you get the point. Maradona might have chosen 108 players in his time as coach, but some have been given more chances than others.
Yet while all of the above have enjoyed excellent seasons, and would benefit most any World Cup squad, Maradona has made his choices, and will stand by them. In a strange way, I admire him for that. For all his tactical shortcomings, he realises that in order to allow Lionel Messi to flourish, the rest of the team must be rock-solid defensively. That means no attacking full-backs in the vein of Zanetti, instead it requires a line of four centre-backs across the defense (Otamendi, Samuel, Demichelis and Heinze). It also means that elegant, ball-playing midfielders are replaced with workhorses like Mascherano and Gutierrez, players who guarantee bite, tough tackling, and defensive effort. It even means that his beloved son-in-law Sergio Aguero will have to settle for a place on the substitutes bench, alongside Diego Milito and Carlos Tevez, both of whom have enjoyed prolific seasons at club level. Instead, Gonzalo Higuain, ignored for so long, has forced his way into the number 9 shirt, and deservedly so. He is blessed with that machine-like ability to score, score, and score again, as Hernan Crespo was a decade ago. His mobility and pace make him the perfect foil for the accuracy of Angel Di Maria, who is well placed to be the breakout star of this World Cup. Excellent in one-on-one situations, his pace makes him the perfect counter-attacking weapon.
Thus far, we have seen a team with functional attributes, and one which is fairly one-dimensional in nature. The sole luxury that Maradona has allowed himself is the Veron-Messi axis, the success or failure of which will determine whether chaos is followed by glory, as it was for Brazil in 2002. Plenty has been written of Messi this season, and even the most narrow-finded Little Premier Leaguer should by now be aware of his devastating ability in most every department of the attacking game. He is one of a kind. For those in the know, this has long been obvious.
Yet as we have seen throughout history, every genius needs a foil. At Barcelona, Messi has Xavi. Maradona and millions of Argentinians will be hoping that Juan Sebastian Veron can assume that role. For those of you who only remember his Premier League performances, prepare yourself for something a little different. Having reinvented himself at Estudiantes as a deep-lying playmaker in the mould of Andrea Pirlo, Veron is enjoying an Indian summer at the age of 35. The Premier League was never his game, but in Serie A he was known as the most accurate passer in world football, with the ability to receive, turn, and split defences with a single ball. For a counter-attacking side like Argentina, he has the potential to be a game-changing influence.
How will they do?
For all the enticing attacking possibilities mentioned in this preview, I have slightly glossed over the defensive problems faced by Argentina. The aforementioned foursome may have restricted Germany to a single shot on target during the recent 1-0 victory in Germany (something which has been used presented as vindication by Maradona), but a faster, more direct team should be capable of creating opportunities against them. That makes the goalkeeper more of an issue, and between Carrizo, Andujar, and Romero, it is difficult to find any world-class attributes. Pato Abbondanzieri could yet make a return at 38, but that would be a massive gamble considering his age and lack of playing time at Internacional.
Should everything come together nicely for Argentina, they will progress smoothly through the group stages, Veron and Messi will play at their best, and the defence will hold. Should that happen, confidence will rise and the sky will be the limit. But given the madness that has surrounded them since Maradona took over, who would predict such a turn of events? Only a fool...
My prediction: Semi-finals.
Previous previews:
South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France (Group A).
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