2010 World Cup Group B Preview: Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 4, 2010

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On paper, Group B is one of the most wide open. Argentina struggled to qualify, South Korea reached the semifinals in 2002, Greece won Euro 2004, and Nigeria is possibly the strongest African nation in the finals.

This was the group that all the top seeds wanted to get. With the least amount of travelling and one fixed hotel throughout the first stage, it's a much-coveted placing.

Diego Maradona will lead Argentina into battle in his first World Cup as a manager, and hopes to emulate Franz Beckenbauer (Germany) and Mario Zagalo (Brazil) as winners of the much-coveted trophy as both a player and a manager.

But the way Argentina stumbled to get where they are reveals many cracks in the great player's managerial skills.

Whilst they may appear to be as weak as at any time in living memory, you can never write-off a side that contains attacking talent such as Barcelona's 2009 Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero, and Angel di Maria of Benfica.

But that all depends on if Diego plays them.  He has used 107 different players since taking over as manager in November 2008. 

His decision to leave out Champions League winners Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso raised many eyebrows on this side of the Atlantic, but not as many as you would think in Argentina, where Maradona and the team are hailed as Gods.

It is worth noting that Diego is not even the South American manager under most pressure. That falls to Dunga whose managerial style and playing style fall under regular dissection in Brazil.

Under Guus Hiddink, South Korea built a very steady reputation for themselves. That has continued through a qualifying campaign that saw them unbeaten, only conceding four goals. However, this well-drilled team lacks the players or the fervent home support of 2002 to make a real impact in South Africa.

Huh-Jung Moo's team is exciting...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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