Will Lionel Messi lead Argentina to World Cup glory?

By Kenneth Tan/Red Sports

With Lionel Messi in its ranks, many eyes will be riveted on Argentina during the upcoming 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Can Messi reproduce his scintillating Barcelona form in the national colours of Argentina? Or will Argentina be distracted by their too-famous coach, Diego Maradona?

Here’s a preview of Argentina going into a World Cup that will kick off on Jun 11th.

World Cup Pedigree
Argentina are two-time champions of the World Cup, having won it in 1978 and 1986.

Qualification
The South American powerhouse had a turbulent qualifying campaign through the CONMEBOL group as a poor start triggered a change of coaches with legend Diego Maradona coming in to replace Alfio Basile.

Despite the change, they continued to struggle throughout qualification and scraped their way to the finals via a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in their must-win last game to clinch the fourth spot in the 10-team table. Only the top four teams qualified automatically for South Africa.

Achievement in 2006 World Cup
Argentina made it as far as the quarter-final round in the 2006 World Cup held in Germany.

Despite being slotted into what many called a “Group of Death”, they emerged top dogs in the group ahead of Holland, Serbia and Montenegro and Ivory Coast. A 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro in their second match increased their championship credentials, with the highlight being a 25-pass move that ended up with Esteban Cambiasso scoring.

In the second round, they beat Mexico 2-1 after extra time via a superb Maxi Rodriguez volley. FIFA eventually voted that the best goal of the tournament.

However, Argentina bowed out at the quarter-final stage after losing to hosts Germany 2-4 on penalties. The game ended 1-all at the end of extra time.

Coach
A legend back in his homeland, Diego Maradona brought World Cup glory to Argentina back in 1986 when he led the team to victory. However the jury is still out on him as a manager. The team struggled in qualification with him at the helm and his recent decisions to leave out players Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti could come back and haunt him.

Captain
Captain Javier Mascherano is tough tackler and fighter in central midfield. However, having been through a woeful season with Liverpool, it could affect his mental capability to lead the national team, especially a team that is similarly under pressure to impress at the World Cup.

Players to Watch

Lionel Messi – Superlatives are running out to describe this magical 22-year old. Crowned the World Player of the Year in 2009, and recently crowned the Golden Boot winner with 34 goals in the La Liga, he is the key component that allows Argentina to tick upfront.

His intricate dribbling that cuts through defences like a knife through butter and cool finishing in front of goal could cause many troubles for opposing defenders at the World Cup.

Gonzalo Higuain – Higuain struggled in his early days at Real Madrid when he was deployed as a winger but the 22-year-old has found his home upfront and settled really well in the recently-concluded season to finish second behind Messi in the top scorers chart in the La Liga with 27 goals.

His form even relegated club legend Raul Gonzalez and record signing Karim Benzema to the bench.

Angel De Maria – Angel De Maria is a rising star and was a member of the Argentina squad at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The 22-year old plys his trade for Benfica in the Portuguese League.

The left winger has impressed many with his dribbling ability and attracted much interest from clubs in the top European leagues. Reports claim that he already has agreed to a move to Real Madrid for next season.

Team Strengths
Argentina are a threat upfront with the first choice strike force of Messi and Higuain scoring a total of 60 goals in the Spanish La Liga this past season.

With substitutes like 22-goal Diego Milito and 23-goal Carlos Tevez on the bench, there should not be a lack of goals for Argentina at the World Cup.

Team Weaknesses
Diego Maradona was a superb player but not yet proven as a manager. It will be interesting to see how he manages his stars at a major tournament. His behaviour off the pitch may just be as intriguing as his team’s performance on it.

With Juan Roman Riquelme not selected, Juan Sebatian Veron is expected to be the key creative force in midfield. Already 35 years of age and playing only in the Argentinean League these days, Veron may not exactly be the best man to lead the midfield and provide support for the forwards.

Overall Squad Strength
In the preliminary 30-man squad announced earlier, Maradona picked a total of 10 home-based players, notably 36-year-old forward Martin Palermo.

They have a total of 14 players who ply their trade in the top four leagues in the world. (England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga , Italy’s Serie A)

Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez also made the squad despite playing a whole season in the English Championship, the second tier of English football.

Probable Starting 11
Sergio Romero (GK), Ariel Garce, Walter Samuel, Martin Demichelis, Gabriel Heinze, Maxi Rodriguez, Javier Mascherano (captain), Juan Sebastian Veron, Angel De Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Lionel Messi

1st Round Predictions
Argentina are slotted into Group B alongside Greece, Nigeria, South Korea and most will expect them to qualify for the Round of 16. Anything less than topping their group will probably disappoint their fellow countrymen.

Ed’s note: Red Sports will be covering the World Cup daily and so join us each day to share your opinions about the night’s action.

2010 World Cup Fixtures, Groups, Results

GROUP B	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
ARGENTINA	3	3	0	0	7	1	+6	9
SOUTH KOREA	3	1	1	1	5	6	-1	4
GREECE	3	1	0	2	2	5	-3	3
NIGERIA	3	0	1	2	3	5	-2	1

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For complete fixtures, go to: 2010 World Cup Fixtures, Groups, Results

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