Pekerman: "Brazil are the best team at the moment" (14 Dec 2005 03:51 GMT)
"You have to go to the World Cup in your best form. We Argentines are affected by our elimination in the first round of Korea-Japan," Jose Pekerman told the Argentine news agency Telam referring to the 2002 tournament. "The team will be in good shape when they get to the World Cup. We have a very good team and I'm sure we'll have a great World Cup".
"Brazil are the best team at the moment, for the way they play," he admitted. "I like their players, their ideas, their football...and England are getting there with greater aspirations than 2002. Position by position, they are complete and will do very well."
Pekerman is leaving himself with little further preparation, however, saying: "There are six months left for the World Cup but we're only going to play one (warm-up) friendly. In other words, the state in which the players get there will depend on what they do with their clubs."
"But if the team were okay (now), like for example in the first half at home against Brazil, we wouldn't even worry today about our rivals," he said. Argentina beat Brazil 3-1 in Buenos Aires in June to clinch an early World Cup berth.
Asked about Juan Sebastian Veron (Inter Milan) Pekerman said he had never called him up, because "up to now there is a squad that has responded (to my wishes)."
source : CNN, tvnz