Mexico’s Gerardo Torrado issues a reminder
Reporting from Johannesburg, South Africa — Much of the focus for Sunday’s second-round match between Mexico and Argentina has been on Diego Maradona‘s unbeaten team, the new World Cup favorite.
But Mexico midfielder Gerardo Torrado said anyone who overlooks El Tri is making a mistake.
“We’re here,” he told a news conference Thursday. “You have to know that Mexico is also a strong rival and you have to respect your rivals. If you analyze the games, we’re a difficult opponent. We know we can win.”
Maradona was quick to praise Mexico after both teams completed group play earlier this week. “They deserve a lot of respect,” the Argentine coach said. “They have their identity.”
And Torrado said they can’t lose that identity now that Mexico is entering the elimination phase after Tuesday’s loss to Uruguay.
“Against Uruguay, in that game, we could have tied, lost or won,” he said. “That’s passed. We’re in another situation now.
“We met our first objective, to advance, and now we have a good opportunity. We have to enjoy that but with responsibility to prepare in the best way possible to play a great game.”
Right on the money
South Africa figures to cash in on the victories by England and the U.S. on Wednesday. The wins sent both teams on to the second round, meaning more cash-laden visitors could soon be coming to the World Cup while fans already here will likely extend their stays.
One tour company said nearly three-quarters of the English fans it was working with planned to stick around through the second round. Some Americans in Johannesburg were scrambling to change hotel and airline reservations.
According to figures published in a South Africa paper and credited to Visa, during the first week of World Cup matches spending by international visitors using Visa cards exceeded $129 million.
Thank-you note
The Chilean team has been based in remote Nelspruit during group play, but the players apparently enjoyed their stay. So much so, the Chilean embassy sent a delegation to the municipality this week with an initiative to open a soccer academy in the area. Chile has already donated soccer uniforms to disadvantaged youths at a primary school there.
“We have received a very warm welcome. We have had a wonderful time,” sports minister Gabriel Ruiz-Tagle said. “In our hearts we will never forget Nelspruit.”
Magical performance
Maybe it’s a South American thing. How else to explain the long list of unusual and outrageous demands made by the continent’s teams on World Cup organizers, with Maradona ordering an expensive remodel of his bathroom to include $400 toilet seats and Brazil insisting its hotel pool be heated to exactly 90 degrees?
When the Paraguayans arrived earlier this month they asked for a magician, caramel-flavored ice cream made by an African-based Argentine — it had to be taste-tested first by team managers — and male employees only around the players’ rooms, lest the team lose focus.
Looks like it worked. After Thursday’s scoreless tie with New Zealand, Paraguay advanced to the second round unbeaten.
Cameroon coach quits
Cameroon Coach Paul Le Guen has quit after his team lost all three of its World Cup games.
“Maybe I didn’t succeed in unifying the team and bringing the team together,” the French-born Le Guen said. “I will not point fingers or accuse anyone. I thought I would have got better results.”
Times wire services contributed to this report.
