Part 5 of 32: The Argentine Interview
For part 5 of the series, JP Thieriot joins us. JP, as he is popularly known, blogs at The Argentina Blog over at World Cup Blog. Born in Buenos Aires in 1968, JP was hooked to football every since his grandfather surprised him and took him for the finals of the 1978 World Cup between Argentina and Holland. An experience that has clearly been with him ever since. Buenos Aires, as JP recalls and every proud Argentine will tell you, was in non-stop celebration for at least 3 days. The memories will be treasured, I am sure, for a life time.
I thank JP for agreeing to the interview.
Tell us a bit about the Road to the World Cup – the qualification, and the emotions the fans went through at the time.
Qualifications can be divided into the Bielsa era and the Pekerman era. Bielsa should have quit after the disaster in 2002, but instead he hung on and wound up winning the Olympics (17 goals for, 0 against) in dominating fashion. Even the serious Bielsa doubters like myself started to come around - then he quit. Seems he lingered in order to vindicate himself and then left the team in middle of Qualifications. Bielsa’a greatest fault was a refusal to change things in the face of failure. He wasn’t quick enough in changing schemes/players to fit challenging situations.
The Pekerman era, on the otherhand, has been characterized by almost constant change. The only fixture has been Riquelme, whom Bielsa had previously ignored. Qualifications under Pekerman got off to a roaring start with a tremendous victory over Brazil, then got bogged down in rather hohum performances against weaker opponents. Argentina really has an overabundance of talent, so the question is finding the right chemistry. Newcomers like Messi, Aguero and the injury status of players like Mascherano, Heinze, Ayala and Aimar have further complicated the ultimate formation of Pekerman’s squad.
What style of football does the national team play?
Under Bielsa Argentina attempted to adopt a more European system of wide-out wingers and crosses. Pekerman seems to be returning to Argentina’s more traditional style of ball control, short passes, and room for the decisive ‘gambeta’ (where one splits or penetrates last-line defense).
How do you think Argentina will fare at the World Cup?
It’s fair to say that whatever the formal rankings might say - Brazil & Argentina are, by far, the world’s two best teams. Apart from current talent, there has only been one final since 1974 that did not include one or the other (1/6). I know it’s popular to refer to Brazil as the most talented team, but in actuality Argentina is currently much, much deeper. Ronaldinho is the world’s best player - hands down. After that, there’s are legitimate arguments for Messi, Riquelme or even Tevez. Brazil has no Mascherano or Ayala (though certainly Roberto Carlos was tremendous in his prime). In my view Argentina’s prospect for winning will come down to whom Pekerman ultimately puts on the field (and will that combination have chemistry) and whether or not we can find a half decent goaltender.
Who will be the most important player for your country?
Easiest answer for any team in the World Cup. Argentina is setting-up to rely 100% on Riquelme. If he plays brilliantly (as he did against Brazil and Inter) Argentina will be unbeatable. If he has an off day, Pekerman should be instantaneous in bringing on Aimar.
Which player in your country’s side would you most like to get rid of?
Abbondanzieri. He has yet to perform at a level I would expect from a 50 year old amateur. what he has done for Boca has no bearing if he can’t handle the pressure of the national jersey. If the thought is that pressure at the World Cup will be LESS than it’s been thus far…I fear we’re in for serious disappointment. Though Lux carried a clean sheet through the Olympics - he has looked awful in recent outings as well. My personal choice is to start Ustari. It’s a difficult choice, however, because he’s very young.
Who are the players to watch from the other countries?
The usual suspects: Ronaldinho, Rooney, Ballack, Kaka. I’ll be watching some of Spain’s young talent as well: Torres and Villa.
What will be your excuse in the event of failure?
Riquelme was off. Abbondanzieri was in goal. Pekerman never found the right combination.
Have you got the right manager?
He’s won three juvenile World Cups. He’s brought on a lot of Argentina’s current talent. he seems to be willing to experiment. I’ll give him the benefit of the current doubt.
What advice would you give him?
Don’t be afraid to go with the young talent…Messi, Aguero, Ustari can win this World Cup for you. Find a way to put them on the field with Tevez, Riquelme, Aimar and watch what happens. The good part about youth is that it’s more apt to enjoy rather than suffer from the pressure. For god’s sake find a goalkeeper. Again, Riquelme is brilliant when inspired, but slow and dreary when he’s off. Replace him immediately if it’s not his day.
Which team do you most want to beat?
It’s always nice to beat Brazil. Argentina has a fantastic rivalry with England as well.
Which opposition player will get the most stick?
Probably Becham or Rooney. Alternatively, those Argentines that have decided to play for other countries: Camoranezi, Franco, Trezeguet, Pernia, etc.
Where will you watch the matches?
After having gone to Korea / Japan in 2002. I’ll be watching these games in an Irish Bar in San Francisco, California. Hopefully surrounded by fellow Argentines.
How keenly will the World Cup be followed in your country?
Are you kidding? Have you ever seen images of a Boca - River game? Amplify that passion by 100x. There is simply no country for football like Argentina.
Who will be the player of the tournament?
Tvez or Messi.
Who will win the Golden Boot?
Riquelme.
Which team will disappoint the most?
Brazil. Because they are what Argentina was in 2002. Possibly Germany - they’re the hosts and I don’t see much ammunition.
Who will be the surprise team of the tournament?
Spain or Italy. Italy was being written off as a disaster until the eye-opening destruction of Germany. Spain has some exciting talent.
Finally, Who will win the World Cup?
Argentina has excellent chances. If we manage to stay injury-free and Pekerman sorts matters out before June - the BEST team should win.
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I hope you enjoyed part 5. Follow up questions for JP can be emailed to me at pratyushkhaitan[@]gmail[.]com Also, feel free to contact me if you would like to be interviewed or know a friend who would like/could be interviewed. Specific questions for specific countries which might pop in your mind in due course may also be sent. Coming up next is the interview from Costa Rica.
For the rest of the interviews, check out the World Cup interview series page.
Tags: Argentine Football, FIFA World Cup 2006, Football Interview Series.
