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But the challenge looks formidable against Diego Maradona’s attack-mindedteam, which everyone wants to avoid this time around.
And it’s not just the prolific strikeforce of Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuainand Carlos Tevez that the Mexicans will need to contain in Pretoria.
Playing in midfield will be that man Maxi, who’d settle for any winner onSunday rather than a repeat of his 2006 wonder goal.
“I’ll be happy if I can just tap it in,” he said Friday. “What happenedin that game is history now. The important thing is that the team wins andprogresses.”
The two teams have played each other 25 times, of which the Mexicans haveonly won four.
But Mexico, so shaky in qualifying, turned it on when it counted in SouthAfrica, beating 2006 runner-up France 2-0 on the way to finishing second inGroup A.
Argentina, unbeaten in its group and capable of scoring goals from all overthe field, is expecting Javier Aguirre’s team to be solid at the back and nottake too many risks.
“Aguirre is a very intelligent coach,” Maxi said Friday. “I don’t thinkthey’ll come out attacking us right away. They’ll almost certainly wait to hitus on the counter.”
The Liverpool winger is expected to start the evening game at Soccer Cityafter lining up alongside Maradona’s first-choice players in training Friday.
“We’ll have to wait until Diego names the team, but if he chooses me I hopeI perform well,” said Maxi.
Also expected to make a welcome return is center back Walter Samuel who wasinjured in the 4-1 win over South Korea. In his absence against Greece, theArgentines looked vulnerable at the back.
Marquez said the Mexicans are not daunted by the prospect of Barcelonaforward Messi, who has lit up the tournament but has yet to score himself.
Arsenal forward Carlos Vela could make a comeback after injury for Mexico toplay alongside Giovanni Dos Santos who has stood out at this World Cup with hispace and guile.
“We are better than that (2006) Mexico team, which didn’t have so manyplayers in European teams,” Marquez said. “(Argentina) has the best player inthe world, Leo Messi, and that makes them more complete. But we will try tochange all that.”
Such is Argentina’s strength in depth that Diego Milito, who scored twice inthe European Champions League final, will again have to settle for a place onthe bench.
The winner of Sunday’s match will play either England or Germany in thequarterfinals.