ITALY: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Argentina squad train in Rome before travelling to Germany for the World Cup tournament

Record ID: 447779

  • Title: ITALY: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Argentina squad train in Rome before travelling to Germany for the World Cup tournament
  • Date: 28th May 2006
  • Summary: CLOSE UP: ARGENTINA FORWARD HERNAN CRESPO SITTING ON PITCH
  • Embargoed: 12th June 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA2TPHZU1ASFOBAWPFRLBW3PF0Q
  • Story Text: Argentina team have trained in Rome on Saturday (May 27) and will spend several days preparing in Italy where they have a warm-up against Angola in Salerno on May 30, before moving on to their World Cup base near Nuremberg, in Germany.
    Coach Jose Pekerman is optimistic about the recoveries from injury of Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze.
    Heinze missed most of the season after suffering a serious knee injury in Manchester United's Champions League match at Villarreal on Sept. 14.
    He played on Wednesday in a farewell match against the Argentina under-20 team.
    Messi has not played a competitive game since early March when he tore a right thigh muscle in Barcelona's Champions League first knockout round tie with Chelsea.
    "Lately I've been feeling much better, I still need to get into the rhythm of the game, but with the training I think I will achieve it", said Messi.
    The team is looking to erase the memory of Argentina's failure in Asia four years ago when they started as favourites and were eliminated in the first round. "The worst thing that can happen is that you go back home and you watch the games from the TV", said Argentina midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, after having shown a horseshoe bat against bad luck. Defender Lionel Scaloni had with himself an image of Saint Expedito, the patron Saint of urgent causes.
    The twice world champions face Ivory Coast in their opening World Cup match in Hamburg on June 10 and then play Serbia & Montenegro and the Netherlands in Group C.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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