Argentina v Nigeria Sunday, Ibaraki, 6.30 am:Juan Sebastian Veron received a telephone call from Alex Ferguson this week at Argentina's training camp in Fukushima, just north of Tokyo.
Praising their blend of flair and industry, while repeating his antipathy towards the English press, the Manchester United manager cited Argentina as the team he wanted to win the World Cup and encouraged his most expensive-ever purchase to demonstrate his full repertoire of skills. "Just show the world what a great player you are," were Ferguson's final words.
Veron, by his own admission, had an erratic first season at Old Trafford and he appreciated the gesture. Argentina's World Cup gets under way against Nigeria at Ibaraki's Kashima Stadium tomorrow and few players, if any, will be under more intense pressure to flourish.
Veron accepted yesterday that the last year had been "disappointing, more often than not", and that "I cannot blame anyone else". As Veron acknowledged, there were times, especially when he was affected by a recurrent heel injury, when he struggled to acclimatise to the frenetic pace of the Premiership. "It was not easy, coming from a different environment," he admitted.
Nobody, however, can doubt that Argentina have one of the most gifted passers of his generation on their side. "It is up to me to forget about United's season now and erase all the negative thoughts from my mind," he said.
"There is a lot of responsibility for me now, but I don't mind that. People in England will be watching how I play, but the most important people are those back home. I have a burning desire to do well for them."
He can be encouraged that, around him, Marcelo Bielsa, the solemn, brooding Argentina coach, has constructed a side worthy of rivalling France as the pre-tournament favourites.
Their preparations have been ultra-professional, using arguably the best facilities in Japan, with Bielsa sounding a message of intent by implementing a number of rules such as no alcohol, no seeing friends or family, minimal contact with the media and 6.30 a.m. starts. Veron reported that "physically and mentally, we could not be better".
It is in stark contrast to Nigeria whose preparations have been hampered by everything from the tragedy of the plane crash that killed their sports minister Ishaya Mark Aku, the furore over accusations that the coach Adegboyega Onigbinde was offered bribes to select certain players, and the controversy after the African Nations Cup when the players were told they would not be refunded their air fares to Mali.
Yet, despite a troubled year, his side represents, along with Cameroon, Africa's best chance of success. Senegal have shown the way.
- Guardian Service
