Weakened Serbia & Montenegro Ripe for Argentinean Plucking
June 16, 2006
The tall, 24-year-old Manchester United defender, who helped his team keep a virtually clean sheet during the final stages of qualifying, suffered torn knee ligaments during training Monday.
Meanwhile, star players in the fiery Balkan team squabbled with coach Ilija Petkovic about tactics in the wake of their lackluster opening 1-0 Group C defeat against the Netherlands.
"If we begin the match with the same team as that of Sunday, we do not have any chance against Argentina," midfielder Ognjen Koroman said.
Yet, the Serbs have little choice but to pull together and win against one of the strongest teams in Germany Friday if they want to maintain their chances of qualifying from the "Group of Death."
By contrast, Argentina's squad -- who suffered similar bickering when they failed to get beyond the first round in 2002 and recorded their worst World Cup performance in 40 years -- are fit, united and focused.
"We must be thinking of collecting three points," said full back Roberto Ayala, one of Argentina's best players in the 2-1 defeat of Ivory Coast in Hamburg last week.
"We must draw out the best of the strengths we showed against Ivory Coast," he added.
Saviola and Crespo pose huge threat
The experienced "Albiceleste" striking duo of Seville's Javier Saviola and Chelsea's Hernan Crespo were ruthless upfront, pouncing on only a handful of opportunities.
But the Argentineans are conscious that with Mateja Kezman, Dejan Stankovic, and Savo Milosevic, their opponents can still rival their incisive finishing.
"I think that they (Serbia and Montenegro) will play more offensively because they lost the first game, they have to win the second one," said Julio Cruz, who partners Stankovic at Inter Milan. "Dejan is the most complete kind of player you find in soccer. But I don't know if he can play for this team the same way as he plays for Inter," he added.
Argentina, who were shaken by the "Elephants," are aiming to remedy problems with maintaining possession and the flow of the ball up field, which Ayala said was lacking against Ivory Coast.
Coach Jose Pekerman's taste for strategy means he prefers to adapt the team to each adversary. He has so far given little idea if he will maintain the measured tactics for the tie that could secure Argentina's place among the last 16, despite pressure from Argentine media for something more flamboyant.
But with Cruz, Barcelona's scintillating teenage prodigy Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez -- another player once heralded as the next Maradona -- on hand and raring to play, Pekerman can only promise more sparks from his side.