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Friday, December 09, 2005

Analysis of World Cup draw from Argentina's coaching staff

I have tranlated statements just made by Argentina's field assistant Hugo Tocalli (right hand man to Argentina head coach Jose Pekerman) who attended the world cup draw earlier today in Leipzig, Germany:

"Its a World Cup, its a draw and we have to win the games. No need to dramatize, just as we shold not celebrate if we had got weak rivals. Our World Cup is these three matches and then we will go little by little. "

"The matches have to be played with a positive mentality and thinking about our team. They (i.e., other teams in group) are now thinking they have to play Argentina."

Tocalli emphasized that the coaching staff "..has a lot of confidence in the group. Beckenbauer told me this is the toughest group. I would not say this is the group of 'death', but that it is difficult."

"We have to play with Holland that is in a generational change with young kids. Serbia and Montenegro for whom it is the first time they are in a World Cup and Ivory Coast that plays soccer well"

According to Tocalli "they are all tough teams but we are clear we are not below any of them."

The key according to Tocalli is "think first about ourselves and that all the boys arrive well. We have a team that plays well and players for eveyrone to have confidence in our chances."

Tocalli also referred to the team's place of concentration which Argentina will use during its stay in Germany, the site of the Adidas company in Nuremberg: "We are not going to change it even though we are in the Hamburg zone. We will move in charters and surely arrive at the hotels one day before each game."

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