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Argentina
Diego Maradona may be more worried about his tan than playing football these days, but Argentina is in good hands with a handful of players who can hand the nation its first cup since Maradona retired.
After losing the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the 1998 World Cup, the Argentines will stop no shorter than the final this time around. They cruised through the qualifying section, and now Argentina is ready to show the world what it can do.
As the countdown to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan continues, CNNSI.com's Pedro Pinto will take a close look at all of the nations that will contend for football's greatest prize.
Pinto is an anchor on World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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Argentina's people are a fusion of diverse national and ethnic group with descendants of Italian and Spanish immigrants predominating. Europeans arrived in what is now Argentina with the 1502 voyage of Amerigo Vespucci. Buenos Aires formally declared independence from Spain on July 9, 1816. Today, Argentina's economy, supported by vast agricultural and energy resources, has achieved the highest GDP per capita in Latin America.
Provided by CountryWatch.com
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Marcelo Bielsa must be envied by most managers, because he has it all at his disposal. There is an abundance of talent and skill in the Argentine squad, so much so that they could probably put two teams together that would challenge for the title. The boss normally deploys a 4-4-1-1 formation. He likes to use a mobile attacking midfielder (Claudio Lopez or Ariel Ortega) right behind his striker (Hernan Crespo or Gabriel Batistuta). There is also plenty of creativity behind the front men, with Juan Sebastian Veron, Kily Gonzalez, Javier Zanetti, Marcelo Gallardo or Pablo Aimar all able to turn the game on its head at any given time.
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Juan Sebastian Veron. He is known as La Brujita (the little witch) for the way he glides across the whole pitch as if he were riding a broom. He scares his opponents, too, with his magical dribbling skills, elusive dummies and powerful free kicks. He has been a star wherever he has played -- at Boca Juniors, Sampdoria, Parma, Lazio and now Manchester United. He is Argentina's engine, working on overdrive to create chances for the front line. One of the best midfielders in the world.
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Central defense. Bielsa needs to decide who is going to rule his back line, because he needs stability in the center of defense. Walter Samuel has cemented his spot; the question is over who will join him. There is veteran Nestor Sensini, who is nearing the end of his career and is not exactly blessed with speed. Roberto Ayala is dominant in the air, but he sometimes commits the mistake of holding onto the ball too often. Mauricio Pochettino has been solid but does not have a lot of international experience.
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Crespo or Batistuta. Who will lead the Argentine attack? It seems that both strikers will not play together in Bielsa's tactical scheme, so it will be interesting to see who gets the nod. They are both proven goalscorers with different attributes. Crespo does all of his damage in the area, a true poacher, while Batistuta can score from practically anywhere with his intimidating firepower.
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Argentina dominated the South American qualifying section, finishing in first place. Their only defeat was to Brazil in Sao Paulo, August 2000.
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Argentina is playing in its 13th World Cup. It was champion in 1978 and 1986, and losing finalist in 1930 and 1990. It has won 29 games, drawn 18 and lost 10.
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Argentina is my pick to win it all. If Bielsa does not commit the mistake of rotating his squad too much, it should have what it takes to win the cup for the third time. Their midfield is the best in the world, with Diego Simeone covering Veron, and Gonzalez and Zanetti causing havoc on the wings. And with a "matador" like Batistuta or Crespo in the middle, watch out!
How far will Argentina go in the World Cup? View Instant Poll Results
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