May 24, 2002

NARAHA, Japan (Reuters) - Four goals in a warmup may not be enough for Gabriel Batistuta to be picked ahead of Hernan Crespo for Argentina's World Cup opener against Nigeria in Ibaraki on June 2.

Marcelo Bielsa has a problem rival coaches would envy in having to chose between more than one world class striker for the central position up front.

Batitusta and Crespo, club rivals in the Italian Serie A with AS Roma and Lazio respectively, are vying for the central striker's position in Bielsa's side looking to win Argentina's third world crown in the Korea/Japan finals starting on May 31.

Crespo top scored with nine goals in the South American qualifiers while Batistuta, who has seen little action for Argentina in the last year, hit four goals in 34 minutes in a 5-1 warm-up win over Japanese champions Kashima Antlers.

"They are both valid for the intentions of the team. It's a very difficult choice and I have not decided yet," Bielsa admitted in a news conference at Argentina's World Cup bunker, the J-Village on Japan's Pacific coast.

"Crespo has more possibilities of dropping back to start movements from down the middle or on the sides. Batistuta is more central, more comfortable in the last third of the pitch," Bielsa said.

BOTH EFFECTIVE

"Batistuta has less tendency to play on the wings, but they're both effective and I don't take the characteristics of our rivals into account when making the choice."

Crespo played in the first half of the warmup in which Argentina lacked cohesion in attack and only managed to change ends 1-0 up thanks to a scrambled goal by defender Mauricio Pochettino.

Batistuta scored all four goals in the second half after an early equaliser by Kashima, although he was often urged to make a maximum of effort from the touchline by Bielsa, who at one point shouted: "Push yourself, Bati".

Bielsa, whose side also meet England and Sweden in group F, said he would base his decision on the players' form, adding that both were generally fit, but he appeared to discard the possibility of both playing together.

"It's not ideal for Argentina to play them together. One would play in front and the other behind him or beside him," Bielsa said. But whichever of the two played out of position would not be able to give of his best, he said.

"And side by side neither would be at his best."