GERMANY: Argentina wait until last moment to name team.

Record ID: 447734

  • Title: GERMANY: Argentina wait until last moment to name team.
  • Date: 2nd June 2006
  • Summary: HERZOGENAURACH, GERMANY (JUNE 20, 2006) (REUTERS) WIDE OF ARGENTINIAN PLAYERS TRAINING MEDIUM-WIDE OF ARGENTINA TRAINING ARGENTINIAN TEAM IN LIGHTHEARTED MOOD ARGENTINIAN FANS WATCHING FAN WITH TEAM GUIDE WITH PAN ONTO TEAM PLAYING TEAM TRAINING, VARIOUS SHOTS PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE STANDS WIDE OF STADIUM TEAM TRAINING GOALKEEPER LEONARDO FRANCO IN GOAL PHOTOGRAPHER TEAM TRAINING TRAINERS WATCHING TEAM TRAINING FANS CELEBRATING TEAM ON PITCH
  • Embargoed: 17th June 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVABHY7OOK5C0PA3RVSLUOSU5Q0H
  • Story Text: Argentina will wait until the last minute to announce their team for the Group C decider against Netherlands in Frankfurt on Wednesday (June 20).
    "I haven't told the players the lineup yet," coach Jose Pekerman told a news conference, breaking with the pattern of naming his team early.
    "Aside from the superstition (of sticking to habit), there are situations that are different," Pekerman said at Argentina's World Cup base before taking his squad to Frankfurt.
    Group leaders Argentina and the Netherlands, who trail them only on goal difference, have qualified for the second round and will be playing only for top place on Wednesday.
    Pekerman, like his Dutch counterpart Marco van Basten, is considering what changes to make to a team that has been playing brilliantly, notably when they crushed Serbia & Montenegro 6-0 in their last match in Gelsenkirchen on Friday.
    One issue under consideration is the yellow cards picked up by strikers Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola along with defender Gabriel Heinze. They could all be rested so the bookings are cleared at the end of the group stage.
    Also Pekerman gave a hint that influential midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme is playing with a minor injury.
    "He has the same condition as the others. Sometimes he is capable of playing with a certain degree of pain," said Pekerman.
    Pekerman named his lineup to face Ivory Coast and Serbia the day before the matches.
    The Group C winners are likely to face Portugal or Mexico, although Angola still have a faint chance of qualifying.
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