Going into the game against Ivory Coast, there were some question marks surrounding
Jose Pekerman’s Argentina.

For one, critics pointed to the fact that Argentina had a tendency to switch off in the latter stages of a game (a phenomenon manifest in clumsy friendly losses to England and Croatia). This blackout normally followed playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme’s descent into oblivion.

There was also concern relating to how physically slight the Argentineans were and how they would struggle against their bigger, tougher Ivorian opponents.

But on the balance of a 2-1 Argentina win, achieved with a Riquelme who came to play and a physical swagger that compensated for a lack of muscle, Pekerman stands largely vindicated.

It was not as if Argentina played superbly from start to finish. Quite obviously
there were stretches in the game where they were on the back-foot. But they
were clinical, pragmatic and decisive, a complement of attributes that have
been sorely missed in Argentinean football of late.

In the 2002 World Cup, coach Marcelo Bielsa put out a team that danced around
opposition, stroked the ball around with self-belief but could not come up
with that all important final product.

Indeed, such was the futility of that Argentine team that they only managed
two goals in three group games.

In previewing Argentina’s prospects for this World Cup, I had always pointed
out the fact that Argentina struggle when their passing game is not functioning.
Under Bielsa that was case and point but against the Ivory Coast, Argentina
broke free of that limitation.

Pekerman’s greatest triumph in the opening game was how effective his team
were. Hernan Crespo scored at the first time of asking while Javier Saviola
did the same by pouncing on a visionary ball from Riquelme with alacrity.

In Riquelme, Argentina have an understated, deceptively diffident playmaker.
Rest assured, a lack of confidence is not one of Riquelme’s problems. He can
make the most of a very little opportunity as Ivory Coast, so vivacious and
valiant, found to their chagrin.

- Hasan Saiyid - www.totalsoccer.ca