GERMANY: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - Argentina want to leave the disappointment of 2002 behind as they prepare to face the toughest group in 2006

Record ID: 447768

  • Title: GERMANY: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - Argentina want to leave the disappointment of 2002 behind as they prepare to face the toughest group in 2006
  • Date: 2nd June 2006
  • Summary: CAPTAIN JUAN PABLO SORIN AND STRIKER LIONEL MESSI WALKING PAST FANS WATCHING
  • Embargoed: 17th June 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9EB0QA8EXIAOKKQFO4KK4RD9F
  • Story Text: The Argentinean national team arrived into a soaking wet Herzogenaurach stadium on Thursday (June 1) for their first practice on German ground ahead of the World Cup now only eight days away.
    A few hundred Argentinian fans gathered in the gallery to watch the training session. Even if the rain kept poring down, the spirit was high and the fans where dancing and waiving Argentinean flags.
    The team coached by Jose Nestor Pekerman started their sesion by slowly jogging around the field.
    The two world champions have beaten Angola 2-0 in their last friendly this week and Sorin prefers to keep his feet on the ground.
    "First I have to say that winning a match does not mean we are candidates or superior to others. I think this game just added up. It was a good opportunity to correct things so we can do well at the World Cup, keeping always in mind that our objective is to progress from the group stage."
    Argentina have appeared 13 times in World Cup finals so far. This year, they are putting all their efforts and hopes to at least not repeat the miserable performance from 2002 World Cup were eliminated in the first round.
    "If you ask me like that, obviously we all would like to be champions. It is normal that only gets there. Thoughts of the last World Cups come to our mind and we where talking about the bitter feelings of the last World Cup," said striker Hernan Crespo.
    "Now we are here again, time flies quickly, thinking that in the last World Cup we where crying in the corners wanting to kill ourselves. Now, thanks God, we have the chance to live up again and start from zero into a new experience. That is how football is and at the same time the pride to once again be part of the national team and to be at the level of Argentinean national football level is great," added the 30 year-old Chelsea striker.
    Argentina will start their campaign against Ivory Coaston June 10 in Hamburg. They will also face Serbia and Montenegro and the Netherlands in the so-called 'Group of Death.'
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