Argentina

How nervous will Argentina be at this World Cup? Not as nervous as the civilians and dissidents who were thrown out alive from helicopters over the Atlantic Ocean during the political upheavals from the ‘dirty war’. But youngsters such as Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez need not worry as the last 60 or so years may be forgiven (or forgotten) and celebrations may turn to Hernan Crespo scoring the winner on his birthday (July 5th) that’s semi-final day when Argentina make the final. But a dead man’s curve is ahead in the Group of Death (how appropriate!) but it’s up to the other Jose, Jose Pekerman to restore peace and order. Gabriel Heinze is fighting to overcome his knee injury (from last year); Cambiasso, Veron, Sorin and Zanetti will compliment the super slick ball skills of Riquelme in midfield (don’t let him take a penalty!). It will be a case of avoiding unfathomable pain again by ensuring they progress out of la grupa della morte.



Argentina’s recent non-football track record reads like the misdemeanours of Tuco (the Ugly) from The Good the Bad and the Ugly – here’s the rundown.

The excessive political manipulations over the years, the selling of arms, the abductions and killing of people (due to their political views) especially during ‘the dirty war’ and even before in the Peronist era. The increase of military camps, the multiple strikes, the deterioration of the peso (due to its link to the US dollar), the taking of the Falkland Islands and the pathetic leadership of military meathead Galtieri; the misuse of Public money; reforms and economic emergency bills; political instability, financial panic, bloody riots, terrorist operations all lovingly taken care of by the CIA just to stop the ‘revolution’ that never came but Argentines have always had a public revulsion in the face of human rights abuses – but the world once again didn’t listen and then in the most biblical sense (and only 4 years ago) a declaration that Argentina had a ‘food emergency’ on its hands!!! The football kids can’t even get three square meals a day for football training (they naturally faint during training) even this type of abuse says it all.



Nevertheless Argentina is once again saved by football as it was in 1978 where the World Cup was quite literally bought and fixed by some unknown silent force that conned the referees. In 1986 a diminutive figure took control of Argentina’s World Cup ambitions and real football super-stardom had begun. A thinner Diego Maradona will be in Germany and we may just see him crying in the stands win or lose the final – let’s just hope he’s wearing an anti-Bush T-shirt and he’s off the drugs for good this time. Who knows Fidel Castro may even fly into Germany on Maradona’s request.


The future? It may work out better if they come 2nd in their group then a tie with their good friends England would be on the cards. They may score the most goals at the tournament or quite possibly the least if the nerves get to them.

Bottomless pit ranking? If only we knew the official numbers of deaths during the dirty war? Argentinean mothers know and forget the so incredibly late compensation! Injustice is a framed picture of a young man that is fading in the Argentine sun the framed picture is in a cemetery.