22 years after the Under-20 World Cup in Argentina: a fantastic team, a unique player who continues to play and the ghost of another crisis

In July 2001 Jose Nestor Pekerman completed the Youth World Cup triad. After the consecration in Qatar 1995 AND Malaysia 1997 THE under 20 He returned to retain the trophy, but this time in Argentina. Of that squad, only one player is still active: the goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballerothird in the position for the southampton. After all, the most completed high-level careers.

That tournament started with a small audience in the stands, but the team’s performance ended up contagious and they won the final 3-0 against Ghana in front of a packed stadium. Pekerman’s call has brought together most of the players with First Division experience, despite his young age. The only international was July Arkdefender of sunderlands from England.

Nicholas Burdisso He didn’t play abroad, but had already won a Libertadores with Mouth and obtained permission in the group stage to play another continental final and, after winning it, return to the national team.

That tournament took place shortly before the crisis that erupted at the end of 2001. The end of 1 to 1 – the parity of exchange that equaled the peso with the dollar – was drawing to a close and given the shortage of dollars, the Government limited of the year, the extraction of money at 250 pesos – or dollars – a week and subsequently the banks froze the deposits of savers. INDEC had estimated poverty at just over 38%. of the population, even if the current methods to realize the indicator are applied, the number has exceeded 45.

Almost 22 years later, the World Cup is about to be played again at home and the the poverty rate is 39.2%.. The peso is no longer linked to the dollar and to buy one on the official market you no longer need one peso, but more than 200 or double that on the illegal market. There is no corral, although the acquisition of US currency has restrictions. There was a crisis in that World Cup and in this one to come. Different, with other characteristics, but vicissitudes until the end.

The teams

The sporting difference between the two World Cups has to do with the context. As of 2001 Pekerman was the manager and the position is currently vacant. Javier Mascherano He tendered his resignation after the team he presented in South America failed to qualify for the World Cup which will now be played in the country. Without DT, there is no team either.

If we take into account the squad from Mascherano who did not qualify, unlike Pekerman’s squad, the current one has more players, like Arca, abroad. Nicholas Paz (Real Madrid, from Spain) e Facundo Good night (Brighton, England) and, strictly speaking, Massimo Perronecalled up by Vélez but his move to Manchester City was consummated before the start of the tournament.

The names of the Pekerman team are in the collective memory of the good football fan: Germán Lux, Nicolás Burdisso, Julio Arca, Mauro Cetto, Nicolás Medina, Fabricio Coloccini, Javier Saviola, Oscar Ahumada, Esteban Herrera, Leandro Romagnoli, Maximiliano Rodríguez, Ariel Seltzer , Diego Colotto, Leonardo Ponzio, Andrés D’Alessandro, Mauro Rosales, Alejandro Domínguez, Wilfredo Caballero and Sebastián Bueno.

The path to consecration

José Amalfitani de Liniers was the scene of all matches of the 2001 season. In the group stage, Argentina beat Finland (2-0), Egypt (7-1) and Jamaica (5-1). The 14 goals in three games were a magnet for the crowd, which began to populate the Vélez stadium.

In the round of 16 against China, the victory was 2-1, but the next game in the quarter-final against also candidate France was a clear 3-1. Against Paraguay in the semifinal they beat Paraguay 5-0 and the final against Ghana was 3-0 in front of a packed stadium.

D’Alessandro took the Ballon d’Argento and Saviola the Ballon d’Or, as well as the Golden Boot for being the top scorer with 11 goals in seven games.