World Cup ’94 : WORLD CUP USA ’94 / GROUP D PREVIEW : Argentina at a Glance
* COACH: Alfio Basile.
* KEY PLAYERS: Gabriel Batistuta, Claudio Caniggia, Diego Maradona.
* STRENGTHS: Excellent forward line, with Italian-basedstarters Batistuta, Caniggia and Abel Balbo supplied by midfielders Maradona, Leonardo Rodrigues and Diego Simeone. Sergio Goycochea is the best penalty-stopping goalkeeper in the world but has been inconsistent lately and backup Luis Islas is being considered.
* WEAKNESSES: Defense is very suspect. Veteran Oscar Ruggeri is prone to injuries. Others have been exposed, particularly when confronted by speed.
* WORLD CUP HISTORY: Ten previous appearances. Record of 24-15-9. Winner in 1978 and 1986; runner-up in 1930 and 1990.
* LITTLE-KNOWN FACT: Had then-coach Cesar Luis Menotti chosen Maradona for Argentina’s 1978 World Cup team, this would have been Maradona’s fifth World Cup, tying the record held by Mexico’s Antonio Carbajal.
* OUTLOOK: A great deal depends on Maradona’s ability to get the ball to the strikers. Argentina is capable of reaching the quarterfinals with relative ease, although either Nigeria or Bulgaria could upset it in the first round. Susceptible to being knocked out any time thereafter.
* PREDICTED FIRST-ROUND FINISH: Second.
ROSTERS
No. Name Position 1 Sergio Javier Goycochea Goalkeeper 12 Luis Islas Goalkeeper 22 Norberto Scoponi Goalkeeper 2 Sergio Vasquez Defender 3 Jose Chamot Defender 4 Roberto Sensini Defender 6 Oscar Ruggeri Defender 13 Fernando Caceres Defender 15 Jorge Borelli Defender 16 Hernan Diaz Defender 5 Fernando Redondo Midfielder 8 Jose Horacio Basualdo Midfielder 10 Diego Maradona Midfielder 14 Diego Simeone Midfielder 18 Hugo Perez Midfielder 20 Leonardo Rodrigues Midfielder 21 Alejandro Mancuso Midfielder 7 Claudio Caniggia Forward 9 Gabriel Batistuta Forward 11 Ramon Medina Bello Forward 17 Arnaldo Ortega Forward 19 Abel Balbo Forward
