ARGENTINA: SOCCER - Argentine national soccer coach holds press conference ahead of World Cup qualifier against Paraguay

Record ID: 335189

  • Title: ARGENTINA: SOCCER - Argentine national soccer coach holds press conference ahead of World Cup qualifier against Paraguay
  • Date: 7th September 2008
  • Summary: EZEIZA, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (SEPTEMBER 02, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PLAYERS WARMING UP
  • Embargoed: 22nd September 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9P0796EDV5IQ4WOU4YL5QG2CW
  • Story Text: Argentine coach Alfio Basile sees a tough opponent in Paraguay as the team prepares for a World Cup qualifier.
    With his trademark growl, Argentine head coach Alfio Basile convened a press conference Friday (September 5), a day before his World Cup national squad faces Paraguay in a World Cup qualifying match.
    Argentina is currently in second place in the regional South American Soccer Federation regional standings, behind neighboring Paraguay, and ahead of Chile, and Colombia, who are tied for third.
    Among Argentina's top players is forward Carlos Tevez, the "Apache," who currently plays for Manchester United.
    The top four teams gain an automatic berth to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

    "I´ll love for the people to come back to the stadium, to scream 'Argentina,' 'Argentina,' because in the last game with Ecuador, I don't know if it was because of the cold weather, or because it was Father's Day, but it felt like a lecture hall, a tremendous coldness. The Ecuadoreans were screaming more than we were. I know that the Argentine people like this, and it's sign that they want to see the players play well, and to see the great players we have," Basile said, referring to Argentina's June 15 1-1 tie against an Ecuadorean squad they would normally be expected to defeat.
    Hoping to bounce back after two ties, having tied Brazil 0-0 on June 18 after Ecuador, Argentina will need strong play from two of their stars, midfielder Lionel Messi and forward Sergio Aguero, to notch one in the win column.
    Yet Basile sees an equally talented squad in Paraguay.

    "They've got players that are succeeding in many parts of the world. It's not make believe that they are playing well, that they have high scorers. In defensive play, the Paraguayans were always important, and now, they've got some offense to speak of. They've got four forwards that play abroad, and they are all legit players. All of them. [Roque] Santa Cruz, [Oscar] Cardozo, [Nelson] Haedo [Valdez], and finishing with [Salvador] Cabanas, playing in Mexico, all who are quality. They've got four forwards who are top level," he said, referring to the Paraguayans who play for professional teams in Scotland, Portugal, Germany, in addition to Cabanas in Mexico.
    Argentina, whose Olympic team just defended its Gold Medal victory with another in Beijing in August, hasn't won a World Cup since 1986.
    Paraguay has never made it past the third round in the World Cup.
    Kick off time is set for 1600 hours (1900gmt) local time on Saturday (September 6), at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
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