Argentina Coach Diego Maradona celebrated with Gonzalo Higuain, who scored three goals in their victory over South Korea.Maradona Starts the Attack, and Messi Keeps Driving It
Published: June 17, 2010
JOHANNESBURG — Nearly a quarter-century later, an old antagonism was renewed Thursday. The two men had been opposing players in a long-ago World Cup. Now they were coaches in suits and shined shoes instead of jerseys and cleats.
Lionel Messi was again exquisite and had a hand — a foot actually — in all four of Argentina’s goals, one of which South Korea put into its own net. With Messi directing set pieces and the flow of play, Argentina played attractive, attacking soccer in a tournament in which defenses have been obstructive and parsimonious.
The same teams had met in the 1986 World Cup, with Argentina winning, 3-1, also in the first round. In that tournament, Diego Maradona was on his way to a championship and an enduring legend, while Huh Jung-moo was assigned to mark him. Maradona later said that Huh had practiced taekwondo more than soccer.
On Thursday the men met again, standing along the sideline as coaches in their suits, one gray, the other blue. Sure, Maradona had said before the match that he would shake Huh’s hand, despite their dusty confrontation.
“He’s a coach,” Maradona said.
But that did not keep Maradona from playing a psychological game in advance of the soccer game.
He said Huh’s team was collectively strong but was bound to lose because Argentina had Messi and South Korea (1-1) did not. Maradona also admonished the referee to protect Messi, the world’s best player.
“If you want to see a show, you have to make sure the stars aren’t treated badly,” he said. “We have come to play football. Anyone who doesn’t want to play football should go home.”
Perhaps he was reflecting on his experience against Huh some 24 years ago. But Huh refused to take the bait. If he had used martial arts in 1986, he said, the referee would have ejected him. Anyway, he added, he would not get rattled by what he called Maradona’s attempt at “psychological warfare.”
“We are playing a football match; this isn’t a war of words,” Huh said. “They are a strong team, but the strongest team doesn’t always win.”
In that long-ago match, South Korea had been intimidated by Argentina, Huh said. This was a different team, led by the captain Park Ji-sung of Manchester United. South Korea had been fleet and relentless in beating Greece, 2-0, in its opener. Kuh admonished his players to enjoy themselves, to play the opponent, not the opponent’s reputation.
Clearly, he was not bullied by Maradona’s pregame remarks. Huh had no intention of playing softly against Messi. After all, Messi was wearing a uniform, not packed in Bubble Wrap.
In the 10th minute, Yeom Ki-hun took down Messi with a rugby tackle and was warned with a yellow card. Another takedown, this one of midfielder Ángel Di María, gave Argentina a free kick in the 17th minute. Messi made South Korea pay this time.
He bent a ball from the left wing and his teammate Martín Demichelis whiffed on a header but shielded South Korea’s Park Chu-young. The ball deflected off Park’s right shin. Surprised, South Korea’s goalkeeper, Jung Sung-ryong, could only stick out his left leg as the ball rolled into his net.
Messi was wrestled to the turf again in the 28th minute. Maradona began gesticulating and yelling at Huh on the sideline, clearly upset. Huh could not understand what Maradona was saying. He waved him off.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for a coach to direct any comments toward the other coach,” Huh said. “I think we were trying to tell each other to calm the players down.”
Still, South Korea kept muscling Argentina. In the 33rd minute, forward Carlos Tévez tried to bull his way through two defenders but went to his knees, his jersey yanked halfway up his chest near the left corner flag.
Messi played the resulting free kick to Maxi Rodríguez, a starter in midfield who replaced Juan Sebastián Verón, who had a mild calf injury. Rodríguez crossed into the penalty area to the substitute defender Nicolás Burdisso, who beautifully flicked the ball behind him to Higuaín. He nodded the ball downward from 7 yards and Argentina took a 2-0 lead.
Seconds before halftime, Park redeemed himself for the own goal. He headed the ball upfield toward Demichelis, who turned lazily, only to have possession stripped from him by South Korean midfielder Lee Chung-yong. Lee raced alone into the penalty area and halved Argentina’s advantage to 2-1.
South Korea missed an inviting chance to tie the score in the 58th minute. Yeom pushed a shot wide with his left foot when his right would have been more dependable on a narrow angle.
In the 76th minute, Messi drove his own rebound off the left goal post. Higuaín tapped it into the net for a 3-1 Argentina lead. Another header by Higuaín four minutes later made it 4-1.
“Korea was never capable of controlling us,” Maradona said. “I think Argentina just played with the ball and did whatever they wanted with it.”
After the final whistle, Maradona shook Huh’s hand, again the victor. He could afford to feel satisfied. Spain lost and Brazil struggled to a win, but Argentina was rolling with victories over Nigeria and South Korea.
“It is for the players to say if I’m a good coach or not,” Maradona said. “But if you have such a sensational team, it’s easy.”
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