Argentina v. Brazil Preview: Country places faith in its Messiah
Argentina v. Brazil Preview: Country places faith in its Messiah
With Lionel Messi being tipped as the best player in the world, Argentina coach Diego Maradona said that his young starlet can prove his class tomorrow against Brazil in a crucial World Cup qualifier for Argentina.
“He has to become a man suddenly, he can no longer be the kid with promise, and he’s showing it,” Maradona said on Thursday.
“He’s fast, concentrated, totally committed, he knows the chance he has,” he added at a news conference in Buenos Aires.
“We’ve been heaping responsibility onto him…Since I’ve been coaching Messi, since I’ve been watching him (train), this has been his best week.”
For the average football fan a World Cup without Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the world’s best player, and Argentina seems almost inconceivable.
But Argentina cannot afford to drop points if they are to remain on course for the 2010 finals in South Africa.
They are precariously placed in fourth place in the South American group, the lowest automatic qualifying berth, five points adrift of leaders Brazil. Maradona is also in a dangerous position as many of the country’s faithful fans do not think he will bring Argentina success next year, if they qualify at all.
The team finishing fifth after the remaining four rounds in the 10-nation group have second chance to qualify with a two-leg playoff with the fourth-placed team from CONCACAF.
“Our idea is to go out to strangle Brazil,” Maradona said.
“We will attack them down the wings with Maxi (Rodriguez) and Datolo, and with (Juan Sebastian) Veron through the middle…(Carlos) Tevez and Leo (Messi) will cause trouble for Brazil’s two centre backs.
"They have some big names, but whoever plays we know we are going into battle, whatever yellow jersey goes by we will have to chase it.”
While Messi’s fellow La Liga and South American star Kaka hopes to be named the world’s best player in the future, he recognizes that the little Argentinean is currently the best on the planet.
“He is a player who makes a difference,” Kaka said on Thursday, just two days before meeting Messi in a World Cup qualifier between South American rivals Brazil and Argentina. “I would vote for him for all he has done, leading Barcelona to all these titles.”
