By Rex Gowar
FRANKFURT, June 21 - Argentina coach Jose Pekerman
said he would consider his options in attack after giving Lionel
Messi and Carlos Tevez an outing in the 0-0 World Cup draw with
Netherlands on Wednesday.
Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola, who played up front in the
opening two Group C games, were not risked as they were each
carrying a yellow card.
"It took me three days to decide who to play today,"
Pekerman told reporters.
"We will now evaluate the situation. Mexico is a very
specific rival," said the coach referring to Argentina's
second-round opponents in Leipzig on Saturday.
Much was expected from Messi and Tevez.
Teenage winger Messi showed flashes of his speed and
quickness of thought but was largely shackled by the Dutch
defence.
The match may not have had more than top place in the group
at stake, and the second-round opponents for the two teams, but
it did vindicate Pekerman's decision to field Crespo and Saviola
as his senior strike force early in the tournament.
With Crespo and Saviola up front, Argentina crafted a 2-1
win over a tough Ivory Coast side before hammering Serbia &
Montenegro 6-0.
Messi will often face difficult nights like Wednesday when
not every move comes off and alert defenders second-guess him
and rob him of the ball.
"Football can be easy and difficult at the same time,"
Pekerman said. "It doesn't always turn out the way you want."