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  • 2 days ago
The opening game in Group H.
Transcript
00:00On his World Cup debut four years ago, led the Argentine attack.
00:03Defender Javier Zanetti and captain Diego Simeone both played for Inter Milan.
00:08Japan included the Asian player of the year, Hidetoshi Nakata, in midfield.
00:12And watching this one for us in Toulouse is Tony Gubba.
00:18Soma, the left wing-back.
00:23I'm not sure it was aimed at Nakata, but it's found him.
00:32Soma, well, he'd got into a good position.
00:3926-year-old who plays with a team called Kashima Antlers in the J-League.
00:43Maybe finding himself in very unfamiliar territory.
00:50Ortega.
00:52Veron.
00:54Trying to play it into Batistuta, who was tangled with the defender.
00:58I think it was number 17, Akita.
01:03Who may feel it was six of one and half a dozen of another, but the free kick is given.
01:09We're in the 27th minute.
01:12And it's been...
01:1527 minutes in which Argentina so far have...
01:19really failed to impose themselves on Japan.
01:22But what can they do from this?
01:23Batistuta's backing away.
01:25There are...
01:28six in the wall for Japan, plus two Argentinian players.
01:32Batistuta.
01:35The second effort was by Viron.
01:40That was certainly closer than the original free kick, which didn't get through the wall.
01:48Almeida.
01:50Zanetti.
01:53Batistuta.
01:55He's found Akita, Japan's man marker, in his back pocket from the very first moments.
02:02Number 17.
02:12Almeida.
02:14Almeida.
02:15Ortega.
02:20Oh, there's a chance here.
02:21Batistuta.
02:2628 minutes gone.
02:28Batistuta, having been man marked, effectively out of the game for almost the first half an hour,
02:36Nonsolently tucks away the first chance that falls to him.
02:42There was certainly a fortunate rebound.
02:45When the ball was knocked in, Ortega had a touch, and then it was one of the Japanese players who
02:50effectively played it to the feet of Batistuta.
02:53It's his 43rd international goal.
02:59The man who plays with Fiorentina in Italy, and whom Alex Ferguson would very much like to take to Old
03:07Trafford.
03:21Ortega.
03:23Veyron.
03:26It's aimed at Batistuta, just a glancing header.
03:30Oh, and then the follow-up by, I think it's Lopez.
03:36What a sublime little touch by Batistuta.
03:39The goalkeeper was completely beaten, and when it came back off the post,
03:45Lopez with the follow-up header, but Kawaguchi was still on his line.
03:58Covered at the near post, Ortega, that's deflected.
04:04And they've got another free-kick for somebody climbing on the back of Sensini.
04:09Sensini.
04:15That was more of a meat sandwich, wasn't it, for the Argentinian number six?
04:48Six in the wall for Japan.
04:48And that was an excellent save, and look how quickly Kawaguchi gets back on his feet to smother it.
04:55And here's Nakata.
04:57And here's Nakata.
04:58Gets another chance.
05:03Now Rahashi tries, they didn't get it past the defenders in front of them, and the opportunity was wasted.
05:09And here's Simeone breaking out for Argentina.
05:12It's four on three for Argentina in this attack.
05:15Here's Batistuta offside.
05:20Flag went up straight away.
05:24Although, ooh, you'd have to question whether he actually was offside.
05:33Yamaguchi out wide to Soma, who's permanently camped now in a wider position.
05:39That's a better cross, perhaps.
05:41And off the head of the Argentine number 14, Vivas, it's a corner.
05:49And an army number 10 to take it.
05:54Batistuta was guarding the near post.
05:56Soma to Akita.
06:00Oh, it's a good header!
06:04Akita aiming at the bottom of the far post.
06:07And it just needed a touch from one of the two incoming players.
06:15Yes, Soma, the number three, who got closest.
06:24Nanami into Lopez.
06:27Here's number 22, Hirano.
06:30Got a corner.
06:34And he's very agitated now, the coach, Takeshi Okada.
06:41Just over a minute of the 90 left, Nakata will take the corner for Japan.
06:59Oh, he's got through two of them.
07:03Oh, the chance was there for Lopez.
07:08He just wriggled through the two defenders.
07:12And the shot was goal-bound until it hit the defender.
07:20Zeron.
07:22Batistuta.
07:31Nakata.
07:35Here's Zanetti.
07:37Runs outside.
07:38Nanami.
07:39He's got two to look for.
07:42Ortega.
07:44And that, in a way, characterises Argentina's afternoon.
07:52The man now wearing Maradona's number 10 shirt with a finish that Maradona would not have been proud of.
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