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Maradona slams Passarella's game plan
Posted: Saturday July 04, 1998 07:54 PM
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Maradona had a chance to share his great World Cup years and criticize Argentina's performance against Holland (AP) |
MARSEILLE, France (Reuters)
-- Diego Maradona had harsh words for Argentina's
World Cup team coached by Daniel Passarella that crashed out of the
quarterfinals on Saturday.
He criticized Ariel Ortega, who inherited his number 10 shirt, for being
sent off in the final minute of Argentina's 2-1 defeat by the Netherlands
at Marseille's Velodrome stadium.
"We didn't hold the ball and this shows that we must never give up our
way of playing," said Argentina's 1986 World Cup-winning captain. "That's
proof that we must return to basics."
"Argentina succumbed to Holland's game. We didn't do our own thing and
Holland, without anything, made problems for us," said Maradona, a
commentator for Argentine television station America 2.
Maradona could not have timed his arrival in France worse, having missed
Argentina's four previous wins.
His previous Argentine World Cup match as a television commentator was
also a defeat, 3-2 to Romania in the
second round four years ago after he was kicked out of the tournament for
failing a drug test.
Passarella's team began the World Cup among the favorites with a
controlled possession game that helped them win eight matches in a row
without conceding a goal.
But they struggled against the pace of England and
Dutch attacks, and big European defenders.
"These matches are very difficult and you can't lose your calm and
concentration," Maradona said. "Argentina lost it, Burrito [Ortega] lost it
and in one minute it all changed."
Speaking from the experience of four World Cups, including two successive
finals, Maradona said, "Here [in the World Cup] the game is played with a
lot of passion and today unfortunately it was our turn to lose."
Maradona said sweeper Roberto Ayala was Argentina's best player. "Ayala
is the best defender in the world, this was shown by his marking and the
ease with which he plays his way out of the area in difficult situations."
Maradona, who scored some memorable World Cup goals, said the
Netherlands' first goal, laid on for Patrick Kluivert by a brilliant headed
pass by Dennis Bergkamp, was the best of the tournament.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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