Argentina, “We’ve Come To Win”

“We’ve come to win. But….”

One of the strongest title candidates of the 2002 Korea Japan World Cup, Argentina, arrived in Japan on the 16th, and began its quest for championship.

As it is seeking the third title in total, the Argentine team group of about 60 individuals arrived at Narita Airport on the day, wearing the uniform and the same blue training outfit. Argentina is the second team to enter Japan after Costa Rica.

There are 21 Argentine players, who came to Japan after field training in Italy. Defender Juan Pablo Sorin (Cruzeiro) and Diego Placente (Leverkusen) are to join by this weekend. The Argentine team set its training camp in Hironoshi, Hukushima-hyun, and will begin the camp training at J-village.

The atmosphere was quite heavy, probably due to the pressure for victory. Especially, coach Marcelo Bielsa seemed stiff, as he went through the reporters quietly and stepped onto the bus immediately after the immigration.

As Argentina is placed in so-called `Deadly Group` Group F, its quest will not be easy. Nigeria, England, and Sweden will be great obstacles on the way up to the final 16.

yjongk@donga.com