May 19, 2002

Rio de Janeiro, May 19 (EFE).- Argentine defender Juan Pablo Sorin said he expected his country to claim the 2002 World Cup title, defeating Brazil in the semifinals and France in the championship game. "Argentina is the favorite because of tradition, as are France, Italy, Brazil and Germany. These are the five contenders for the title.

Today, perhaps, Argentina and France are the favorites because of what they've done up to now," Sorin said in an interview published Sunday by the Brazilian sports daily Lance. Sorin, who recently left Brazilian club Cruzeiro to play for Italy's Lazio, said the Argentine squad's three years of continuous work and complete confidence in coach Marcelo Bielsa's tactics gave them the edge.

"In terms of skill, there's no doubt our leader is (Manchester United's) Juan Sebastian Veron. But if Veron goes out, Pablo Aymar - who led Valencia to the Spanish league title - can come in. And if Aymar is out, Marcelo Gallardo - who played well in France - can replace him," Sorin said.

Sorin scored a goal in his last game with Cruzeiro, leading the team to a 1-0 victory in the final of the Copa Sul Minas. The nearly 70,000 fans in attendance chanted Sorin's name in appreciation of his efforts over the past two years. Argentina plays its first match against Nigeria on June 2.

CNNSI