- Title: GERMANY: SOCCER/FOOTBALL: Argentina preparing for match against Netherlands
- Date: 17th June 2006
- Summary: HERZOGENAURACH, GERMANY (JUNE 17, 2006) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ARGENTINA FANS OUTSIDE TRAINING GROUND, BANGING DRUMS BANNER WITH DIEGO MARADONA ON IT ARGENTINA TRAINING SESSION PLAYERS BEING COACHED PLAYERS STRETCHING WIDE SHOT OF PLAYERS STRETCHING PRESS PLAYERS RUNNING COACH JOSE PEKERMAN (GREY HAIR) AND ASSISTANT PLAYERS JOKING AROUND, FINISHES ON SHOT OF JUAN ROMAN RIQUELME DIEGO MARADONA LOOKALIKE WAVES TO PLAYERS WIDE SHOT OF TRAINING SESSION VARIOUS OF PLAYERS TRAINING PLAYERS WITH MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CARLOS TEVEZ SAYING: "No no, I don't think Holland v Argentina is not friendly, they are two world powers and I think it will be a difficult match." PRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LIONEL MESSI SAYING: "No we'll carry on doing what we've been doing, we have to work hard, that's how we played the second match and we have to carry on like this." PRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NICOLAS BURDISSO SAYING: "I think that within the group it doesn't matter who plays, what's important is that Argentina carries on winning and keeps on advancing, who plays is not important." PRESS
- Embargoed: 2nd July 2006 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA2L4FUD17CFQ2BI6IRI1YBDG87
- Story Text: Lionel Messi said he took little notice of statistics after discovering he had become the sixth youngest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup and the youngest Argentine to play in the tournament.
The gifted forward, who turns 19 on June 24, marked his World Cup debut with the last goal in Argentina's 6-0 rout of Serbia & Montenegro in Gelsenkirchen on Friday, a Group C victory that put the South Americans in the second round.
Before that they play Netherlands on Wednesday (June 21) in Frankfurt.
"Sincerely, I don't think about (statistics)," Messi told reporters on Saturday. "I'm happy that I played, for myself, but I don't think about those things.
"I was lucky to make my World Cup debut and on top of that score a goal."
Pele is the youngest World Cup scorer of all time, the great Brazilian having netted at the age of 17 years and 239 days.
The previous youngest Argentine to play in the tournament was Roberto Luis Iraneta, who was 19 when his side beat Sweden 3-2 in May 1934.
Messi, the best player at last year's World Youth Cup won by Argentina in Netherlands, won his eighth senior cap on Friday and scored his second international goal.
He said he was pleased to get off the mark at the tournament after sitting out Argentina's opening 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in Hamburg a week ago.
"It was in a World Cup I got to play my first official (competitive) match since my injury," Messi said referring to the pulled thigh muscle he suffered with Barcelona three months ago.
There had been much talk in the Argentine media since the start of the World Cup about when coach Jose Pekerman would let Messi off the leash.
"When I went on (Pekerman) asked me to play up front, moving about with Carlos (Tevez) and Hernan (Crespo)," he said.
Twice former champions Argentina were 3-0 up when Messi came on for the last 15 minutes of a match they completely dominated. They scored three more goals with Messi on the field and he played a part in all three, ending with his own in the 88th.
"The truth is we had a great match but we still haven't achieved anything," said Messi.
"We have to keep improving things to play better each day because we're going to get much more complicated matches which, if you lose, you go back home." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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