ARGENTINA: Argentina's national team and coach Jose Pekerman discuss their chances in the World Cup.

Record ID: 447829

  • Title: ARGENTINA: Argentina's national team and coach Jose Pekerman discuss their chances in the World Cup.
  • Date: 23rd May 2006
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (MAY 23, 2006) (REUTERS) ARGENTINE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION BUILDING WITH JOURNALISTS SURROUNDING IT VARIOUS OF PLAYERS TALKING TO A LINE OF JOURNALISTS OUTSIDE THE BUILDING LIONEL MESSI ARRIVING AND SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS VARIOUS OF PRESS FILMING AND INTERVIEWING PLAYERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ROBERTO ABBONDANZIERI, ARGENTINE GOALKEEPER, SAYING: "You have to be very mindful of Serbia and Montenegro. I think it's a team that must be kept in mind, and well, the Ivory Coast too because we have never confronted them before, but now we'll get to know them bit by bit." VARIOUS OF GABRIEL HEINZE, JUAN ROMAN RIQUELME AND LIONEL MESSI TALKING TO JOURNALISTS AND JOURNALISTS FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JUAN PABLO SORIN, ARGENTINE PLAYER, SAYING: "You put it (the last World Cup) down to experience, you put it down to experience, to very great disappointment, but now , well, it can be turned around in another World Cup, with another group of different players. That is why I don't want to compare, nor talk about revenge, but yes, it's true that one has to start talking about getting past the first round to make it a great World Cup." LIONEL MESSI LEAVING, SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS VARIOUS OF COACH JOSE PEKERMAN AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JOSE PEKERMAN, COACH OF THE ARGENTINE SOCCER TEAM, SAYING: "They are helping each other, they all have a lot of desire (to play), the midfielders, the forwards, there is a mix of fantastic football ability and the appearance of new players has given the team an important element." PRESS LISTENING AT CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JOSE PEKERMAN, COACH OF THE ARGENTINE SOCCER TEAM, SAYING: "I think that it (the Brazilian team) is what should be evaluated least, but admired, because I think it's rare that such a strong team comes, of such a high calibre." VARIOUS OF THE ARGENTINE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION BUILDING WITH FLAGS FLYING
  • Embargoed: 7th June 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3O4FIG3L0T3NDQJ26LGJD8TP7
  • Story Text: The Argentine football team came out to talk to the local press on Tuesday (May 23) just two days before they leave for Europe and the all-important World Cup.

    The 23 footballers representing twice champions Argentina in Germany, were greeted by hordes of journalists when they emerged from the Argentine Football Association building. But the professional players took the press melee in their stride, signing autographs and talking candidly of Argentina's chances in the 2006 World Cup.

    Argentina faces the Netherlands, Serbia and Montenegro and the Ivory Coast in the first round of the championship, which kicks off on June 9. But while the Netherlands is considered a favourite to qualify for the second round, the team's star goalie Roberto Abbondanzieri said the team could not discard the challenges from the group's other two teams.
    "You have to be very mindful of Serbia and Montenegro. I think it's a team that must be kept in mind, and well, the Ivory Coast too because we have never confronted them before, but now we'll get to know them bit by bit," he said.

    Argentina went into the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup with high expectations, but the South American team was knocked out in the first round after defeats by Sweden and England. But according to defender Juan Pablo Sorin, that disappointing result must be put down to experience as the team focuses on this year's challenge.
    "You put it (the last World Cup) down to experience, you put it down to experience, to very great disappointment, but now , well, it can be turned around in another World Cup, with another group of different players. That is why I don't want to compare, nor talk about revenge, but yes, it's true that one has to start talking about getting past the first round to make it a great World Cup," he told Reuters.

    At a press conference for journalists, coach Jose Pekerman said that his chosen squad was an excellent team with great ability.
    "They are helping each other, they all have a lot of desire (to play), the midfielders, the forwards. There is a mix of fantastic football ability and the appearance of new players has given the team an important element," he told journalists.

    Argentina's coach also expressed his admiration for arch-rivals Brazil, current world champions and favourites going into this year's World Cup.
    "I think that it (the Brazilian team) is what should be evaluated least, but admired, because I think it's rare that such a strong team comes, of such a high calibre," said Pekerman.

    The Argentine team will play a friendly match against the country's Under 20 team in Buenos Aires' River Plate stadium on Wednesday (May 24). The players will then depart for Italy on Thursday (May 25) for a friendly against Angola on May 30, before continuing on to Germany.
    The country that took home the World Cup in 1978 and 1986 plays its first match against the Ivory Coast on June 10.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register