Argentina eyeing clean slate
Coach Diego Maradona and his Argentina superstars are in Polokwane to face Greece Tuesday with the promise of more World Cup goals and a perfect record going into the second round.
The two-time champions opened with a 1-0 win over Nigeria that was more convincing than the scoreline suggests before giving a broader hint of what they can do by thrashing South Korea 4-1 in another Johannesburg game.
Gonzalo Higuain, a member of the all-star Real Madrid cast, snatched a hat-trick and established himself as early favourite for the Golden Boot awarded to the leading tournament scorer.
A far-post header, a tap over the line after wonderful work from Lionel Messi and an angled header made up only the fourth World Cup hat-trick in 80 years from an Argentine. “I know what it takes to win the World Cup,” says Argentina coach Maradona, whose ‘Hand of God’ goal against England helped his country conquer the football planet a second time in Mexico 24 years ago.
A coach who can afford the luxury of keeping Inter Milan Champions League hero Diego Milito and Sergio Aguera from Europa League winners Atletico Madrid on the bench knows he has an embarrassment of talent.
Not that Argentina are the perfect team with the Korean goal raising fears that for all the magic of Messi, a sometimes suspect defence could prove their undoing in the far tougher knockout rounds.
While only an amazing collapse at Peter Mokaba Stadium can deprive Argentina of a last-16 place, Greece are desperate for points.
A draw would suffice if pointless Nigeria defeat South Korea in Durban in the other match on Tuesday, otherwise the shock Euro 2004 winners must avenge a four-goal drubbing from the Argentines at the 1994 World Cup and collect maximum points. — AFP
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