Maradona spoilt for in-form forwards
Reuters - Wednesday 24 March 2010, 17:54
BUENOS AIRES - Coach Diego Maradona
faces a World Cup selection dilemma of a different kind from the
qualifiers with so many Argentina forwards in top form in
Europe.
"I'm happy, we have all the Argentine goalscorers scoring
goals in all the leagues in Europe and they're all showing they
want to be (at the World Cup)," Maradona told reporters after a
fact-finding tour of Europe.
"It will be a good, very open fight and it will be difficult
for me to leave some out because they're scoring incredible
goals ... but I have to take 23 players."
Maradona has called up a hundred players during his tenure
since late 2008 as he searched for a winning formula during the
qualifiers in which Argentina were in danger of failing to reach
the finals for the first time since 1970.
He could not find a formula in which Lionel Messi could
replicate his brilliant Barcelona form and only opted for Real
Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain in the last two games against Peru and
Uruguay that Argentina needed to win.
Now, he finds he has a surplus of riches up front, having
watched Messi score a second successive hat-trick, Higuain find
the net with ease, Diego Milito score for Inter Milan and Carlos
Tevez for Manchester City.
"Messi looked fantastic, full of energy, happy ... He's
maturing in giant strides," said Maradona.
"Messi is another I'm certainly taking (to the South Africa
finals) as a first-choice player alongside (midfielder and
captain Javier) Mascherano," he said.
Twice world champions Argentina meet Nigeria, Greece and
South Korea in Group B at the finals that kick off on June 11.
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