Remarkably, the star-studded squad was eliminated in the first round and managed just two goals. Argentina started with an encouraging 1-0 win over Nigeria, but then lost 1-0 to England and drew 1-1 with Sweden.

The team left cursing what it perceived as the defensive-minded tactics of its European opponents

"What can I say?" asked striker Gabriel Batistuta. "We have tried to play good football, and other teams have just thrown everyone back."

Said midfielder Veron: "Soccer isn't an exact science. These things happen against the odds. You just have to accept it."

In many ways, Argentina was a victim of its own success.

Before the World Cup, the team had gone undefeated for two years, sailing through South America's qualifiers and proving invincible on its travels in Europe.

The players and coaching staff were irate after losing to archrival England. Coach Marcelo Bielsa accused the English of killing the game after scoring a 44th-minute penalty.

That was perhaps a harsh assessment, and more a symbol of the team's frustration.

Against Sweden, Bielsa must have left the stadium even more baffled.

He had instructed his players to launch constant attacks, pegging opponents back in their own half. They did just that against the Swedes. But a never-ending barrage of attacks failed to produce more than one goal — and that was a rebound after a missed penalty.

"I am terribly sad, and incredibly disillusioned," Bielsa said.

A consolation for Argentina was the fine play of 21-year-old Pablo Aimar, who kept his place against Sweden after coming on as a halftime substitute in the England game. He is likely to be at the center of the team's rebuilding effort.

However, there is little doubt the players of the caliber and experience of Veron, Batistuta and Diego Simeone were a disappointment.

The draw with Sweden was Batistuta's last game for Argentina, after a spectacular career that saw him net a record 56 goals in 78 games.

The disappointing finish could also spell the end for Simeone, Argentina's most-capped player with 106 appearances.

But it's not just the tactics of Argentina's opponents that will come under the spotlight during the inquest into its worst World Cup showing in 40 years.

There may be some questions about Bielsa's coaching.

Bielsa steadfastly refused to adjust an unorthodox 3-3-1-3 formation, even when the going proved tough. The system worked to perfection in the qualifiers, but it looked as though Argentina's World Cup opponents had done their homework.

The system, with just one central striker supported by two wingers, meant Batistuta at times appeared isolated up front.

The system also left little or no room for Crespo, who would expect a place in almost any other team in the world.

"To be honest, those tactics helped us," Swedish goalkeeper Magnus Hedman said. "We looked at the fact they only had one striker and said, 'This could be good for us.'"

Hedman said he was "very surprised" that Bielsa took off Batistuta so early in the second half of Wednesday's game, instead of pairing him with the incoming Crespo.

He answered Argentina's criticism that rivals had been too defensive by saying it simply wasn't possible to attack Argentina — and expect to survive.

"They were so skillful today that it was frightening," Hedman said. "They are so unbelievable that you have no choice but to defend.

"In the second half we tried not to play so deep, but it proved so difficult.

"They were the greatest team I've ever played against."