Argentina proves too lightweight to match rivals
MARACAIBO, Venezuela: Brazil's disappointingly one-sided win over Argentina in the Copa America final was a victory for muscle over finesse and could prompt the losers to revert to a more physical, less entertaining, style.
Argentina has repeatedly won plaudits for its flowing, passing game at recent tournaments but, sadly for the purists, it failed at the crucial moment.
At the 2004 Copa America under Marcelo Bielsa, Argentina played the best soccer throughout the tournament but lost on penalties to Brazil in the final.
In 2006, the Argentines, under Jose Pekerman, again won praise for their style, especially in the 6-0 World Cup drubbing of Serbia & Montenegro.
But that campaign also ended prematurely with a quarterfinal penalty shootout defeat to hosts Germany.
This Copa America was no different.
Argentina delighted crowds and television audiences, scoring 16 goals in five games on the way to the final, but was outdone in the final by the more powerful Brazilians.
Strikers Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez were repeatedly bundled off the ball by Brazil's muscular defenders while playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme did not seem to have the stomach for the fight.
Argentina has long been divided into two schools of thought.
In the one corner are the so-called "Menottistas", followers for 1978 World Cup winning coach Cesar Luis Menotti. In the other are the "Bilardistas", admirers of Carlos Bilardo, who guided the side to 1986 glory.
Menotti is known for favoring the current attacking style while Bilardo prefers a more pragmatic, often ruthless, approach.
Current coach Alfio Basile is seen as an old school romantic from the Menotti camp.
But Sunday's defeat came on a day when Argentina had hoped to win its first title for 14 years.
After his team demolished Peru 4-0 one week ago, Basile delighted his audience by saying: "It's not just about winning. You can simply win a game, but to win the way we are doing makes me proud."
Agencies
(China Daily 07/17/2007 page23)
