Complacent Argentina will bounce back: Ardiles

June 8, 2002

TSUNA, Japan, June 8 (AFP) -- Argentina paid the price for complacency in their defeat by England on Friday but the South Americans are not about to crash out of the World Cup, according to former international Ossie Ardiles.

Ardiles, who played in the Argentina team that lifted the World Cup on home soil in 1978 and spent most of his career in London with Tottenham Hotspur, said the key to England's victory had been winning the mental battle.

"If there is one thing you can say about English players generally, it's that they will usually have the right attitude for the big games," Ardiles said in his World Cup column for the Football Association's website.

"They treated the game against Argentina as a cup final. They were positive in everything they did, Argentina weren't and they paid the consequences.

"After building up the Argentine side as world-beaters, I have to admit something went seriously wrong for my countrymen. They seemed to forget that in the World Cup you simply must take one game at a time. If you get complacent, start dreaming about the World Cup final before you get there, you will come unstuck," he said.

Ardiles said England had done a good job of stifling Argentina's attacking potential by shackling the playmakers Juan Sebastian Veron and Ariel Ortega but he also stressed that his country's performance had been their worst in recent memory.

"Believe me the inquests in Argentina to this result will be heavy," Ardiles added. "Everything looked rosy before the game but already the rumours are starting; people are saying Veron is carrying an injury; others are saying Gabriel Batistuta and the coach (Marcelo) Bielsa aren't seeing eye-to-eye."

Argentina's defeat has left them in the same position as defending champions France, needing to win their final group game to avoid elimination.

Ardiles however was confident that the pre-tournament favourites would both come through.

"I know France have to beat the Danes by two goals but I think they will achieve it. I can't see Argentina failing to beat Sweden," he said.

"But if either of the big guns go out, they will only have themselves to blame. No team in the World Cup has a divine right to advance. You have to go out and defeat the opposition.p

"It doesn't matter what talent you have in your team; at the World Cup you have to fight as well. Argentina found that out in Sapporo and will have to learn the lesson quickly."