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| June 23, 2006 | Friday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1427 |
Argentine coach happy with depth of squad
FRANKFURT, June 22: Argentine coach Jose Pekerman goes into Saturday's World Cup second round match against Mexico in Leipzig knowing he has a solid first-choice defence with equally reliable back-up.
Making Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola his first-choice strike partnership also seems a wise choice even when there is great talent on the bench in Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi.
Pekerman made several changes against the Netherlands in Argentina's final Group C match in Frankfurt on Wednesday, a 0-0 draw which ensured Argentina won the group and will meet the Mexicans in the second round.
“I didn't treat it as a test but rather a solution. We couldn't take risks,” Pekerman said of the his changes for match against the Dutch, eagerly awaited before the tournament but robbed of its edge because both sides had already qualified.In deciding on his team to play the Dutch, Pekerman was mindful of a very short break before Saturday's second-round match, leaving him little time to manoeuvre his troops.
He rested Crespo and Saviola on Wednesday night, allowing Tevez and Messi to start.
“There are always accidents, like what happened to (Nicolas) Burdisso,” Pekerman told the post-match news conference.
Right back Burdisso came off with the leg injury midway through the first half but Pekerman was pleased to note that his substitute Fabricio Coloccini played as well if not better.
“Coloccini going on left me with a very good feeling,” Pekerman said.
He might have said the same of playing Gabriel Milito alongside Roberto Ayala in central defence from the start to give Gabriel Heinze a rest and also wipe out his yellow card.
Milito was one of Argentina's best players, keeping Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in check throughout the match.
“The second round match is being played very soon... There was a lot of energy spent and this is something for trainers to keep in their heads,” Pekerman said.
It is likely that Pekerman will revert to the Crespo-Saviola partnership against Mexico while his midfield should again remain unchanged after he decided against tinkering with it on Wednesday.—Reuters
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