Gonzalez to line up against England as Argentina drop Lopez

June 6, 2002

SAPPORO, Japan, June 6 (AFP) -- Lazio star Claudio Lopez has been dropped from Argentina's starting line-up to face England here on Friday. The forward will be replaced by attacking midfielder Kily Gonzalez, who came on for the disappointing Lopez at the start of the second half of the South Americans 1-0 win over Nigeria in their opening group F match.

Coach Marcelo Bielsa told a press conference here that Argentina's line-up would otherwise be unchanged from the Nigeria match with Gabriel Batistuta leading the attack in preference to Hernan Crespo.

Playmaker Ariel Ortega and midfielder Juan Pablo Sorin both missed training on Wednesday but Bielsa said he was confident both players would be ready to play. Key defender Roberto Ayala, Argentina's normal captain, is again ruled out with the thigh strain he incurred on the eve of the Nigeria match. Bayer Leverkusen's Diego Placente will stand in for the injured skipper with Manchester United's Juan Sebastian Veron again wearing the captain's armband.

Bielsa said he was expecting a tough match. "It will be very intense with a lot of pressure from both sides," he said. "After beating Nigeria we know that we have to step up a level if we are to beat England."

The Argentinian coach admitted he was concerned about England's power in the air and particularly the threat represented by Sol Campbell when he comes up from the back.

"It is not only a question of stopping their players in the air, we have to make sure we address the problem at its root by not letting them get good crosses in. We know that will be tough."

But he insisted Argentina would not change their normal quick-passing style. "The most important thing for us will be possession of the ball. We have no choice to play to our strengths and this is the right way."

Bielsa said the current squad wanted to live up to the standards set by the Argentina teams who eliminated England in the quarter-finals in 1986 and in the second round at the last World Cup.

But he rejected suggestions that beating England would be particularly satisfying given the long-standing and sometimes bitter rivalry between the two countries.

"Our goal is to win for ourselves not to send England home," he said. "Fundamentally I respect the England team and this will be a good test for us." Some of the England players who were in the team that lost to Argentina on penalties in France 98 were angered by the Argentinians jubilant celebrations at the end of the match and said they have a score to settle this time around.

"I am really not aware what happened the last time but I would hope that if we have cause for celebration we would do it in a sporting manner," Bielsa said. The Argentinian coach shrugged off suggestions that England would be handicapped by their captain David Beckham's lack of full match fitness after his seven-week layoff with a broken foot.

"I am more concerned about how my team plays, not one individual opponent."