Maradona Will Never Be Alone : Argentina’s Dynamo Should Have Lots of Company as West Germans Try to Stop Him
Today’s World Cup final is likely to boil down to this: Can West Germany stop Diego Maradona?
The English tried and failed. The Belgians tried and failed. Maradona scored two goals against each in leading Argentina into the finals.
In each game, one of his goals was so spectacular that Maradona, who wears No. 10, is being compared with the greatest No. 10 of all--Pele.
Maradona does not want to be compared with Pele. “Maradona is Maradona,” he said.
Looking ahead to the final, Maradona, who has been hounded by the world’s media for the entire month but has managed to handle most questions with a smile, said, “I feel very calm, very content, and I think I have justified my right to be there.” After a disappointing tournament in Spain four years ago, Maradona has excelled this year to lift an average Argentine team into the role of favorite.
He has been a one-man show and this gives the Germans hope.
“To control Maradona for 90 minutes is impossible, but we will try to give him as little of the ball as possible,” West German coach Franz Beckenbauer said.
“We will try, at any cost, to see that Maradona will not be the star on the field.”
It is likely Beckenbauer will rely heavily on a defensive formation to slow Maradona.
The 25-year-old Maradona, who plays for Napoli in the ultra-defensive Italian League, is unconcerned.
“I am used to man-for-man mark marking, because that is the way they play in Italy,” he said. “So, I am not afraid. I respect (Karlheinz) Foerster, (Hans-Peter) Briegel and (Wolfgang) Rolff, but I don’t fear any marker in particular.”
This trio, with help from the rest of the defense, shut down France, and Michel Platini in particular, in the semifinals when the Germans scored a 2-0 upset.
“Argentina’s previous rivals gave Maradona too much freedom, but he will not get as much room against us,” said Ditmar Jakobs, West Germany’s central defender. “We will try to cut down his supply of the ball.”
In theory, that is fine. But when the ball does not come to him, Maradona goes looking for it. He is a non-stop dynamo. He is listed as a midfielder, but the entire field is his stage.
When he scored his second goal against England, he collected the ball deep in his own half and outmaneuvered seven Englishmen.
“Maradona is a human being like the rest of us, although we have to admit that he has great virtues.” German goalkeeper Toni Schumacher said. “But I don’t think he’ll score against us.”
There was a similar comment made before. “Maradona is nothing special,” said Belgian goalie Jean-Marie Pfaff before the semifinals.
The result: Maradona 2, Belgium 0.
The Germans are appearing in a record fifth final. They have two wins against two losses.
“The unpredictability of the Germans, who had many difficulties en route to the finals, makes me stop and think,” Maradona said. “If they have to play well, they do. I have respect for them. But that goes only until we run on to the field.
“We want the World Cup.”
Jorge Valdano, the most experienced player alongside Maradona, said, “We have accomplished half of any soccer players’ dream. It’s arguably the highest form of flattery to be here (in the final) and the only thing left is to win. I think Argentina can go all the way, but we have ahead of us the worst possible rival.”
Although the Germans have played all six of their games en route to the final away from the 115,000-seat Azteca Stadium, at least half of the expected starters have had experience in the giant bowl where the noise can be deafening.
Midfielder Felix Magath will be playing his last match before retiring and says that the massive stadium is the perfect place to end his career.
“It was magnificent playing there last year (in exhibitions), when there were hardly any fans inside,” he said. “Although there has been some criticism of the pitch, on Sunday the atmosphere will be unforgettable and I am delighted that if my career has to finish, that Azteca will be the setting for my final game.”
The match will be the ninth meeting between the teams. Each has won three times and two ended in ties.
Argentina was champion in 1978, the Germans in 1954 and 1974. The Germans were runners-up in 1966 and 1982.
