Lionel Messi could make the difference for Argentina at the World Cup next month, now that he appears to have almost overcome a muscle injury.
ROME: Lionel Messi could make the difference for Argentina at the World Cup next month, now that he appears to have almost overcome a muscle injury.
"We didn't have such a player at the World Cup in South Korea and Japan," said Argentina's football supremo Julio Grondona.
Four years after the shameful first-round exit in Asia, the South American football powerhouse is in the midst of final fine-tuning for the 2006 edition in Germany starting June 9.
Argentina chose to train for a week near Rome, the city where it last played in a World Cup final in 1990, then losing to Germany.
According to Messi, Argentina stand a good chance to make it to the final after 16 years and possibly even lift the trophy for the third time after 1978 and 1986.
"I am confident," the 18-year-old said.
The teenage sensation Messi from Champions League winners Barcelona could become the key man in this undertaking as he now only lacks fitness in the final World Cup countdown.
He played for the first time last Wednesday against an under-20 team in Buenos Aires before the departure to Europe.
"I am gradually improving my form," said Messi. "The players with more experience are telling me what I should do."
Coach Jose Pekerman is also happy that Messi is regaining his fitness, that forward Hernan Crespo has overcome a stomach bug and that the team is preparing well as a whole.
"It is very reassuring for us that the boys who are getting over injuries are healing according to our expectations," said Pekerman.
The Ivory Coast is Argentina's first opponent at the World Cup June 10. Argentina's other opponents in a tricky group C are the Netherlands and Serbia and Montenegro, making it only marginally easier than the group of death from 2002 with Sweden, England and Nigeria.
Pekerman's team will leave Wednesday for Germany, where they are based in the southern German town Herzogenaurach. There the coach will also make a final decision on his starting 11 after so far revealing nothing.
"For me all 23 players are important players," he said in a TV interview.
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