NEW DELHI: Diego Maradona is aware of a factor or two about winning a soccer World Cup. The Argentine legend, who took his nation to World Cup glory in 1986 - they are but to win the Cup since - has shown confidence in Lionel Messi to copy their triumph from 32 years ago.
ALSO READ: Nervy Argentina seek Messi magic in opposition to Iceland
Since his nation's defeat to Germany within the 2014 World Cup ultimate, Messi has two times suffered agony at major tournaments with Argentina, losing the finals of both the 2015 Copa America and the 2016 Copa America Centenario. Messi now has one, possibly ultimate, chance to emulate his idol Maradona by way of lifting the Cup.
ALSO READ: 'In Argentina there's no place for runners-up'
"No marks for guessing what makes me believe Argentina can do it. Leo does not need this trophy to prove his greatness, but he is eager to win it. That itself is a huge plus for his team. His body language has been positive and we all know he can turn games in seconds. It's difficult to describe the feeling of winning the World Cup and I want Leo to experience it. High on motivation, he is capable of producing things beyond the imagination of the opposition," Maradona, wrote completely for Times of India on Saturday.
"With support, which he did not get in 2014 or in the qualifiers where the strikers hardly scored, Leo will be deadly. As long as he is there, Argentina can do anything. But as I said, that support will be crucial."
Argentina open their World Cup campaign in opposition to Iceland on Saturday, and Maradona, who scored 34 goals in 91 internationals for Argentina, pointed out that it may not be in Argentina's perfect hobby to take their combatants Iceland calmly.
"Taking Iceland lightly because this is their first World Cup would be foolish. Quarterfinalists in their maiden Euro two years ago, they have the tactical acumen to compete at this level. Short on skill that catches the eye, they specialize in practical football with emphasis on crowding their own half against stronger teams. This is an effective strategy and makes them difficult to score against. It’s important to strike early because like all underdogs, Iceland will grow in confidence if they keep the opposition at bay," Maradona added.
Maradona additionally pointed out that he wasn't too impressed with how the team performed all the way through the qualifiers. The team struggled for the most section prior to it was once Messi's good hat-trick in opposition to Chile resurrected their chances.
"I wasn’t happy with the way Argentina played in the qualifiers and the fact they made the cut solely due to the brilliance of Leo. They were disorganised in defence as well as midfield, in contrast to 2014. In 2014, Argentina were compact in these areas and conceded just one goal against four European teams in the knockout rounds. Jorge Sampaoli and his team have not got many friendlies either, which means the manager has to quickly get things in order," Maradona said.
ALSO READ: Nervy Argentina seek Messi magic in opposition to Iceland
Since his nation's defeat to Germany within the 2014 World Cup ultimate, Messi has two times suffered agony at major tournaments with Argentina, losing the finals of both the 2015 Copa America and the 2016 Copa America Centenario. Messi now has one, possibly ultimate, chance to emulate his idol Maradona by way of lifting the Cup.
ALSO READ: 'In Argentina there's no place for runners-up'
"No marks for guessing what makes me believe Argentina can do it. Leo does not need this trophy to prove his greatness, but he is eager to win it. That itself is a huge plus for his team. His body language has been positive and we all know he can turn games in seconds. It's difficult to describe the feeling of winning the World Cup and I want Leo to experience it. High on motivation, he is capable of producing things beyond the imagination of the opposition," Maradona, wrote completely for Times of India on Saturday.
"With support, which he did not get in 2014 or in the qualifiers where the strikers hardly scored, Leo will be deadly. As long as he is there, Argentina can do anything. But as I said, that support will be crucial."
Argentina open their World Cup campaign in opposition to Iceland on Saturday, and Maradona, who scored 34 goals in 91 internationals for Argentina, pointed out that it may not be in Argentina's perfect hobby to take their combatants Iceland calmly.
"Taking Iceland lightly because this is their first World Cup would be foolish. Quarterfinalists in their maiden Euro two years ago, they have the tactical acumen to compete at this level. Short on skill that catches the eye, they specialize in practical football with emphasis on crowding their own half against stronger teams. This is an effective strategy and makes them difficult to score against. It’s important to strike early because like all underdogs, Iceland will grow in confidence if they keep the opposition at bay," Maradona added.
Maradona additionally pointed out that he wasn't too impressed with how the team performed all the way through the qualifiers. The team struggled for the most section prior to it was once Messi's good hat-trick in opposition to Chile resurrected their chances.
"I wasn’t happy with the way Argentina played in the qualifiers and the fact they made the cut solely due to the brilliance of Leo. They were disorganised in defence as well as midfield, in contrast to 2014. In 2014, Argentina were compact in these areas and conceded just one goal against four European teams in the knockout rounds. Jorge Sampaoli and his team have not got many friendlies either, which means the manager has to quickly get things in order," Maradona said.
Maradona Exclusive: Want Messi to experience winning the World Cup
![Maradona Exclusive: Want Messi to experience winning the World Cup]()
Reviewed by Kailash
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June 16, 2018
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