Argentina 0 Germany 4
Argentina is now going through the same post-World Cup dejection thanks to German superiority that England suffered last week. The destruction was remarkably similar – early German dominance converted into goals, followed by solid defending and swift and ruthless counter-attacking.
The absence of vast chunks of both the England and the Argentine defences was noteworthy. Another likeness was the failure to seriously challenge the German goal, although England were hindered by dodgy Uruguayan refereeing.
Argentina v Germany
England, led at great expense by supposedly one of the best managers in the modern game, failed to respond to German tactics. Argentina, led at great expense by a man widely recognised as being a useless coach, failed to respond to German tactics. So further similarities there.
But what are the differences between the two losing sides? Which should feel the most dejected?
England, let’s face it, really only have one player who, if he were Argentine, could claim a place among the albicelestes. If Wayne Rooney doesn’t perform then England can’t beat Algeria.
Argentina on the other hand, have roughly twenty million men who can kick a ball in a straight line. I must exclude from that list Pablo, who sells newspapers outside my local train station, since he only has one leg. But he can catch a ball better than most English goalkeepers.
There was much debate in the Argentine media before the World Cup about Maradona trying out over one-hundred players. But he’s got more than one-hundred players who are worth considering. More than one-thousand Argentine professional footballers ply their trade abroad – those in Italy, Spain, France, Holland, Portugal, Germany and England we know about.
But they’re also performing in the US league, the Greek, the Thai. They’re scoring and stopping goals in Russia, Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil.
And their own Argentine league ain’t half bad either. Argentina churns them out like the Japanese and the South Koreans produce cars. And like the Japanese and South Korean motor industry, there is no great secret.
Argentina simply boasts a well-run, enthusiastic, knowledgeable network of football schools. They ensure that talent is spotted early and nurtured. The other thing to be said is that they play a lot of football.
My point being that even with Messi not doing for the national team what we’ve seen him do for Barcelona, there are plenty of others willing and able to pick up the slack. Carlos Tevez for one. Then there’s Higuain, Di Maria, Milito, Heinze and Pastore. OK, so they didn’t do it against Germany.
The Nation Awaits...
But Argentina can look forward to a bright future since they’ve got a huge pool of talent and a new generation coming off the conveyor belt. They’ll have that clever little midfielder at Argentinos Juniors, some nifty left-winger playing in Belgium and, if he could get someone to mind his newspaper kiosk, Pablo from outside my local train station.
You don’t see that many kids kicking tin cans around on the street of Buenos Aires. Instead, they play on indoor pitches of which there are many. But just try booking one! I’ve played at 10pm and when I staggered off an hour later, there were always two teams keen to move into action until gone midnight.
It was suggested that England’s players were tired after a long season. Pathetic! Most of the Argentine selection plays in Europe for those same hard-working European teams. The difference is that when their country calls them they’ve got to jump on a long and arduous trans-Atlantic flight to Buenos Aires and then, quite possibly a connection to Quito or Caracas. And Buenos Aires to Quito or Caracas is not the equivalent of Heathrow to Berlin or Budapest. Europe could fit many times into South America and still leave ample room for Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego.
Then there’s that old chestnut ‘the pressure of a nation on their shoulders.’ Take that pressure that the expectant England fans put on their national team and double it. Treble it, if you like. Then you might get some idea of the expectation, the hopes and dreams that the 40 million or so Argentines pile onto their players’ shoulders.
My mum, for instance, would recognise Wayne Rooney and David Beckham if she saw them drinking coffee in the town where she lives in rural Hampshire simply because their images have transcended the world of football. But she, and millions like her, would fail to recognise Frankie Lampard, Ashley Cole and Stevie Gerrard even if they knocked on her door selling insurance. And who knows? It sounds like they might have to if the mood over there is as bad as the British press would have me believe. I won’t even mention Gareth Barry or James Milner. OK, maybe I will.
But pretty much everyone in Argentina, even those who say they’ve got little interest in football, know their Messis from their Tevezes, their Higuains from their Di Marias and they know which clubs they play for and in which position. They know their wives’ and girlfriends’ names, their shoe sizes…OK, OK! You get the point.
They might discuss tactics, they might disagree on selection, they might think Diego looks better in a tracksuit than in that suit and tie, but this a nation firmly behind their team. And I don’t mean just when they’re winning.
The pain and disappointment being felt in Argentina is enormous. There will be a post mortems on every street corner, at every workplace, in every bar and cafe. But Argentine football is still strong.
They need to find a new manager, someone who understands the modern game and can mould some of the best players in the world into a team, someone who knows how to play Messi. England, on the other hand, needs to find a whole new generation of footballers, a whole new system, a whole new way of doing things.
Argentina will be challenging for the cup in 2014, I doubt that England will.
