WORLD CUP 2010: Group B: Argentina 4 South Korea 1:DESPITE ONLY putting one goal past Nigeria in their opening game Argentina proved they have the strikeforce to live up to expectations as they put four past South Korea yesterday.

Gonzalo Higuain scored what may rank as the handiest hat-trick of his career after Chu-Young Park had been unfortunate to get the ball rolling for the South Americans with an own goal after only 16 minutes.

The scale of the victory seemed to inspire a good deal of confidence within the camp that this could indeed be Argentina’s year but Lionel Messi must be starting to wonder whether it will be his for once again, he threatened to run riot but somehow failed to get on the scoresheet.

Still, the doubts persist about whether this Argentina side is constructed upon sound enough defensive foundations to withstand the far greater tests that lie ahead.

Afterwards, manager Diego Maradona brushed aside the howling error with which Martin Demichelis had gifted the Koreans their goal on the stroke of half-time and seemed content to brush over the way yesterday’s opponents opened his side up a couple of times during a decent spell in the second period.

Despite being 2-0 down after 33 minutes Yeom Ki-hun had a chance to level matters just short of the hour mark which would have made it a far more interesting test of Argentina’s mettle. Instead, the underdogs were forced to chase a second goal as they tired, with predictable consequences against a side with such vigorous attacking talents as Messi and Carlos Tevez.

The latter paved the way for the first goal 16 minutes in, harrying two defenders to win a free kick from which Chu-Young ultimately turned the ball past his own goalkeeper.

When Higuain made it two on 33 minutes we looked to be on course for a rout but then, just short of the break, a routine long ball to the other end of the pitch and a lapse in concentration from Demichelis allowed Chung-Young to nip in and put the ball past Sergio Romero to give his side some hope.

What followed during a 10 minute spell of the second half was in its way more alarming from an Argentina perspective.

The South Americans continued to generate scoring chances of their own at a rate of knots but on the break the Koreans, having been barely able to string two passes together during the first half, looked dangerous, not least because of the amount of time and space they were given by markers when receiving the ball to their feet.

In the end, though, Yeom wasted his side’s best chance to draw level, missing the target from close range after a wonderful exchange of passes with the impressive Park Ji-Sung and profligacy, it rather goes without saying, was a luxury the Koreans were not going to be able to afford in this sort of company.

Argentina finally killed the game off 14 minutes from time when Messi saw his first shot stopped by the foot of Jung Sung-Ryong, and his follow up rebounded kindly off the foot of the post for Higuain to tap home.

Suddenly, it was a romp again and having passed up one chance to complete his hat-trick by attempting a lob that didn’t come off when a bit of power might well have done the trick, the 22- year-old Real Madrid striker headed home his third with 10 minutes remaining after Sergio Aguerro, having been put clear by Messi, provided the perfect assist.

There could have been more goals with the Koreans looking utterly spent by the end and the victory takes Maradona’s side to the brink of qualification for the second round with just a point needed from the game against Greece to be absolutely sure.

In somewhat similar circumstances, Germany coach Joachim Low had cautioned a few days ago that his side should not get carried away with their opening win for there would be better opponents than Australia to be overcome if the Germans are going to achieve anything at this World Cup.

Maradona was less measured, preferring instead to revel in the size of the victory.

“Apart from the mistake that Demichelis made, everything was Argentina,” he insisted.

“Against Nigeria we suggested we were playing well and this game confirmed it. Everything went well, just as we had planned; we deserved a victory like that.”

Certainly, it will take a decent defence to contain his strike-force but the doubts about own back four persist, just as they do about Maradona himself.

By the looks of things, the players are enjoying playing for him these days but just how he will deal with the mounting pressure during the next few weeks is anyone’s guess, with his ongoing spats with the game’s other various former greats hardly inspiring a great deal of confidence.

And lest we are totally distracted by his side’s football, the manager provided us with an update on the latest state of play between himself, Michel Platini and Pele towards the end of yesterday’s post match press conference.

“I received a letter from Platini,” said the 49-year-old, “in which he claimed to me that he did not say the things you the journalists said he had said. For that reason,” he continued, “I want to apologise to Platini . . . but not to Pele.”

SUBSTITUTES: Burdisso for Samuel (23 mins), Aguero for Tevez (75 mins), Bolatti for Higuain (82 mins).

SCORER: Chu-Young Park og, Higuain.

BOOKED: Gutierrez, Mascherano, Heinze.

SUBSTITUTES: Nam-Il for Ki (46 mins), Dong-Gook for Chu-Young (81 mins).

SCORER: Chung-Yong 45

BOOKED: Yeom, Chung-Yong

REFEREE: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)

ATTENDANCE: 82,174