Ayala's 100 international caps (1 Jun 2006 23:10 GMT)
For Argentina defender Roberto Ayala, encounter against Angola was more than just a warm-up match for the World Cup.
The man they call El Ratón (The Mouse) made his 100th appearance in the famous blue and white stripes.
However, whatever his pride at this achievement, Ayala stressed that he had an even greater goal on his mind. "I'd gladly exchange my 100 caps for winning the World Cup," said the imposing centre-half before the match in Salerno, Italy.
Ayala, who had an untroubled match at the back, is Argentina's third most capped player after Diego Simeone (106) and Javier Zanetti (102).
He could set a new record if Argentina reach the World Cup final in Berlin on July 9 and he plays in all seven of their matches in the tournament.
"We've got a good group here. There's a lot of unity and the old pros and the young kids get treated alike. We're all here for the same thing - to win the World Cup," Ayala added.
source : FIFA