Young Argentina forward Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero admitted he was looking forward to a first start at the World Cup with coach Diego Maradona expected to make sweeping changes to his team.
Barring a disaster, Argentina should secure qualification for the knock-out stages following Tuesday’s final Group B match against Greece. Having beaten Nigeria (1-0) and South Korea (4-1) the South Americans must avoid a three-goal defeat to ensure they stay above the Greeks, which would guarantee them qualification. If they lose by one or two goals, only a heavy South Korea defeat of Nigeria could prevent them from topping the group.
According to some observers at training, Maradona played a team with seven changes from that which started against the Koreans. And while Aguero, whose girlfriend Giannina is Maradona’s daughter, did not reveal the team, he did shed some light on his own participation, admitting he is likely to play alongside star forward Lionel Messi with Inter Milan striker Diego Milito also expected to get the nod.
“Leo (Messi) and I have known each other for quite a while, we played some matches together in 2005 (in the World under-20 Championships in Holland),” he said. “We understand each other pretty well. In the training Diego (Maradona) told me he’d pair me with Leo.”
Aguero also denied that such a move — playing a virtual reserve team — would be showing disrespect to Greece or the competition. “We’re all first choice. Since the beginning of the World Cup we’ve been preparing to show a good image when we enter the field,” he said about the players coming in to the team. We will do everything we can to top the group, after that we’re not thinking about anyone else.
“I don’t care if we get Mexico, Uruguay or France (in the last 16). Mexico and Uruguay have the best possibilities but I don’t care who we get.”
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