Preview: Argentina vs. Ivory Coast

June 10th, 2006 | by: WC Bob |

GAME DETAILS
Argentina vs. Ivory Coast, Hamburg, 21:00 CET

THE BIG PICTURE
The Group of Death kicks off with a beauty as tournament powerhouse Argentina takes on World Cup debutant Ivory Coast. The Elephants might be new to the World Cup scene but with an athletic backline and the powerful Didier Drogba at forward they are a popular pick as a team that could surprise. Argentina is loaded with scorers and hopes that it has the complete package to erase the memories of a first round exit in 2002. If you aren’t excited about this one, you need to get a heart transplant.

Teams: Likely formation; shirt numbers; name, caps, goals, coach:

Argentina (4-4-2): 1-Roberto Abbondanzieri (22-0); 21-Nicolas Burdisso (8-0), 2-Roberto Ayala (100-6), 6-Gabriel Heinze (29-1), 3-Juan Pablo Sorin (71-11); 18-Maxi Rodriguez (13-3), 8-Javier Mascherano (15-0), 5-Esteban Cambiasso (22-1), 10-Juan Roman Riquelme (31-8); 7-Javier Saviola (31-9), 9-Hernan Crespo (55-29) Coach: Jose Pekerman

Ivory Coast (4-4-2): 1-Jean-Jacques Tizie (24-0); 21-Emmanuel Eboue (11-0), 4-Kolo Toure (42-1), 6-Blaise Kouassi (36-0), 2-Arthur Boka (23-1); 7-Emerse Fae (14-1), 19-Yaya Toure (14-2), 5-Didier Zokora (38-0), 3-Kanga Akale (22-3); 9-Arouna Kone (17-2), 11-Didier Drogba (32-23) Coach: Henri Michel

THE BOTTOM LINE
Bob sez: 4-3 Ivory Coast
Peter sez: 3-0 Argentina
Nick sez: 2-1 Argentina
Sean sez: 3-2 Ivory Coast
Chris: 3-2 Argentina

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IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS

Argentina

Argentina have lost one World Cup game against an African team when as title holders they were upset 1-0 by Cameroon in the opening match of the 1990 tournament in Italy.

Avenida 9 de Julio in downtown Buenos Aires is the widest in the world at an intimidating 16 lanes across.

Argentina’s name comes from the latin name for silver: Argentum.

U2, Pearl Jam, and The Rolling Stones all played Buenos Aires over three months in 2005-2006.

Argentina Team Blog
Team roster
Buy a Argentina jersey to support the team

Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast coach Henri Michel will be competing at his fourth World Cup having coached France (1986), Cameroon (1994) and Morocco (1998).

Cote d’Ivoire nationals are called Ivorians.

The capital of Cote d’Ivoire is Yamoussoukro but Abidjan, on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea remains the country’s administrative center.

Cocoa is one of Cote d’Ivoire’s primary products of export.

Ivory Coast Team Blog
Team Roster
Buy a Ivory Coast jersey to support the team

TEAM BLOGS & DISCUSSIONS
Argentina Team Blog
Ivory Coast Team Blog

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DaveC

Being an Argentine fan I’m not so opptomistic that we will blow the Ivorians out of the water as some would predict. Rather I will go with a more conservative result similar to what happened to in the recent friendly game against Angola.

Arg 2 – Ivo 0

Plus, I prefer to leave my audacious outright ass kickings for those Samba Hacks Brazil! I’m procaliming from know on it will be Argentina and Brazil in the final with a result of

Arg 5 – Brz 2

Put that in your pipe and smoke it :)
prastuh

Argentina have twice played their opening game on 10 June, and on both occasions they went on to lift the trophy (1978 and 1986).
belen

Argentina has all they need to get the coup! Argentina will play with 3 important teams, while brazil will play with 3 easy teams, that´s why they have more posibilities to be in the 2nd round. I´d like to watch the final between argentina and brazil, I guess that everybody in the world wants to see that!
Vamos Argentina Todavia!!!
“argentina soy! y vos sos la alegria de mi corazon! vos sos la vida vos sos la pasion, daria la vida por verte campeon!!!
Arg 2 C de Maril: 1
bidemi

Dave, beating Ivory Coast 2-0 is optimistic in itself. Boka and Eboue are going to harrass the hell out of your defense. Drogba is also too physical for any of your defenders. But realistically he doesn’t have to score. He just needs to hold up the ball for Didande to smash it in.

It’s going to be a very physical match. Expect a lot of cards to be shown.
Rajdeep

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/pgStory?contentId=3216398

some interestin pics ;)
zé

Maybe not a landslide, but I expect a very strong match by Argentina to show they can win this. Or at least lose to Brasil further in the WC. :D
Ekul

Being a fan of Spanish clubs, I seriously want Argentina to win, I also want Sorin and Riquelme to shine! But we can’t underestimate Eboue and Toure, or Aruna and Drogba, it’s gonna be tough.
http://www.viuasfotos.com/euler.htm Euler

Euler sez CIV 2 : 3 ARG

I would like to see them tie, but I don’t think that will be the case today.
Daniel

Argentina better be careful. This wc has showed that their are no certainties. Example: Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago.
http://deleted Prophet

Argentina had better watch out. Everyone know what they are capable of, but the Africans in general, IC included are all about the mood. I think Ecuador and T&T have set the tone, it’s the turn of the little man. Ivory Coast by 2 goals if not another draw.
http://pepys_s.rediffblogs.com/ mohan

lots of last minute action…this is an exciting match
http://www.viuasfotos.com/euler.htm Euler

I was right. ARG won by one goal.
http://deleted Prophet

Ivory Coast are too Drogba focused, it’s like a disease. They wasted chances to shoot and pressure goal, trying to create the perfect play. They have talent, but showmanship isn’t what this is about. This is about putting the ball in the net.
soze

It’s the only score I got right today. …DEFENITELY got the Sweden game wrong.
sriram

good
naganathan

east or west argentina is best