The Albiceleste limped through World Cup qualifying, but having confirmed their place for South Africa, Argentina has established themselves as one of the teams that could win the world title.
Jun 10, 2010 - While few could have imagined a reigning FIFA World Player of the Year being overshadowed going into a World Cup, Diego Maradona has crafted a legend by doing the unimaginable. One half of the conventional debate over the best player ever, Maradona has transformed into Don Diego, having been appointed coach of Argentina in middle of a precarious World Cup qualifying cycle. With Alfio Basile having just resigned (October 2008) after the Albiceleste had registered one win in their previous seven matches, Diego Maradona entered the fray with hopes from the Argentine Football Association that the icon could do something that required no divine intervention: right the Argentina World Cup qualifying campaign.
The first two qualifiers of Maradona's stewardship have set the tone for his entire tenure. One of the Don's first proclamations ordained Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tévez would play together. The first match with this set-up produced a 4-0 win over Venezuela in Buenos Aires, each attacker registering a goal. The next match, Argentina dropped into La Paz for a 6-1 loss to Bolivia, equalling the Albiceleste's worse qualifying loss ever. Within the span of five days, Argentina's problems went from solved to magnified.
Though Argentina has emerged from those troubling times to become one of the non-Brazil, non-Spain favorites at this World Cup, the team still carries the scars from the trouncing in La Paz. Maradona eventually solved his problems at defense by deploying four center backs across the back four, a solid if stoic solution he will carry into the tournament. The cost of going with the more reliable solution at the back will be forgoing any width or attacking he could otherwise get from his fullbacks. Argentina will be heavily reliant on its attackers to produce on their own.
Some would argue that's what attackers are for, and with Argentina's depth at forward, there may be a logic behind relying on them to do their work. But the halcyon days of the three-pronged attack are gone, and with two defensive-minded midfielders likely to start for the Albiceleste, Maradona's far from the reckless swashbuckler that he's often made out to be. He'll have one striker, a man in support, a dynamic winger and a classic playmaker in the middle. In a return to the Argentine history Maradona represents, the team will rely on those players' guile to take the team to a win.
Whether a hero can be found amongst Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuaín, Angel Di Maria or Juan Sebastián Verón, Maradona has locked-down the back and created a set-up where somebody can step forward and lead the team through the tournament, just as he did in 1986.
Argentina finished in fourth place in CONMEBOL qualifying, but in the 17th round (of 18) in the South American tournament, Argentina looked in danger of missing-out on this summer's finals. Instead, Argentina would close qualifying with late, match-winning goals in their last two games to take the region's final qualifying spot.
In Round 17, Peru - the region's worst team - had registered an 89th minute equalizer in Buenos Aires. Then forward Martiín Palermo, called into the team for the first time in 10 years, scored a 93rd minute goal to vault Argentina into fourth place.
The qualifying spot was still in question, with a trip to Montevideo set to close qualifying. Argentina were able to hold the favored Uruguayan scoreless, and when Mario Bolatti scored his first international goal in the 84th minute, Maradona and Argentina had confirmed their place in South Africa.
Lionel Messi is recognized by most as the best player in the world, having scored 34 goals in 35 matches in Spain. The FIFA World Player of the Year has been unable to replicate that dominance for his national team, being held to four goals in CONMEBOL qualifying. He will have to work closely with central midfielder Juan Sebastián Verón to create the kind of space he's used to seeing at Barcelona.
On the other side of the pitch, left wing Angel Di Maria will get the space he needs to turn matches. As defenses try to keep tabs on Messi, the 22-year-old Benfica attacker will be given clearance to be the attacker that leads Argentina.
Another possibility for the lead role is Gonzalo Higuaín. For so long, Higuaín was excluded by Maradona, with rumors starting to surface that the Real Madrid star would accept a call-up from France. Eventually, La Pipita was brought in to the team, scoring two goals in four matches at the end of qualifying while taking hold of the number nine's role, keeping the likes of Diego Milito, Aguero and Tévez out of the lineup.
They will be no better than third favorites. Still, there are people who are picking Argentina to win the tournament. Being one of only two nations to win a World Cup outside of their home continent, Argentina has the pedigree to bring those predictions to fruition.
| Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| June 12 | Nigeria | Johannesburg (Ellis Park) |
| June 17 | Korea Republic | Johannesburg (Soccer City) |
| June 22 | Greece | Polokwane |
| Goalkeepers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Age* | Caps | Goals | Club (Country) |
| Andujar, Mariano | 26 | 4 | 0 | Catania (Italy) |
| Pozo, Diego | 32 | 3 | 0 | Colon (Argentina) |
| Romero, Sergio | 23 | 6 | 0 | AZ (Netherlands) |
| Defenders | ||||
| Player | Age* | Caps | Goals | Club (Country) |
| Burdisso, Nicolas | 29 | 29 | 2 | Roma (Italy) |
| Demichelis, Martin | 29 | 25 | 1 | Bayern Munich (Germany) |
| Garce, Ariel | 30 | 4 | 0 | Colon (Argentina) |
| Heinze, Gabriel | 32 | 64 | 2 | Marseille (France) |
| Otamendi, Nicolas | 22 | 7 | 0 | Velez Sarsfield (Argentina) |
| Rodriguez, Clemente | 28 | 12 | 1 | Estudiantes (Argentina) |
| Samuel, Walter | 32 | 54 | 5 | Internazionale (Italy) |
| Midfielders | ||||
| Player | Age* | Caps | Goals | Club (Country) |
| Bolatti, Mario | 25 | 5 | 1 | Fiorentina (Italy) |
| Di Maria, Angel | 22 | 8 | 1 | Benfica (Portgual) |
| Gutierrez, Jonas | 26 | 16 | 1 | Newcastle (England) |
| Mascherano, Javier | 26 | 57 | 2 | Liverpool (England) |
| Pastore, Javier | 20 | 1 | 0 | Palermo (Italy) |
| Rodriguez, Maxi | 29 | 36 | 12 | Liverpool (England) |
| Veron, Juan Sebastian | 35 | 70 | 9 | Estudiantes (Argentina) |
| Forwards | ||||
| Player | Age* | Caps | Goals | Club (Country) |
| Aguero, Sergio | 22 | 21 | 8 | Atletico Madrid (Spain) |
| Higuain, Gonzalo | 22 | 5 | 2 | Real Madrid (Spain) |
| Messi, Lionel | 22 | 44 | 13 | Barcelona (Spain) |
| Milito, Diego | 30 | 20 | 4 | Internazionale (Italy) |
| Palermo, Martin | 36 | 14 | 8 | Boca Juniors (Argentina) |
| Tevez, Carlos | 26 | 52 | 9 | Manchester City (England) |
SB Nation Soccer will be distributing team cards for each of the World Cup's 32 entrants. Here is Argentina's:
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