Maradona Lets Feet Talk for Him
The twists and turns are not as lightning-quick as they were in 1986, when he almost single-handedly led Argentina to its second World Cup triumph. He is still a little pudgy despite losing 26 pounds and upgrading his physical condition. And throughout the world, the soccer player once most widely written about has been written off.
But the magic of Diego Armando Maradona is still visible, and, to the chagrin of his critics, he figures to be a factor in this World Cup.
After a 15-month suspension from international soccer in March 1991 for testing positive for cocaine, Maradona's soccer career took a deep dive. The player who had been the game's best striker fell into a deeper abyss when he was dismissed by three clubs, fired a pistol at reporters, was thrown out of one country and denied entry into another. Maradona Gets Ignored
As the start of the World Cup approached, Maradona, 33 years old, was ignored throughout the world in those magazine and newspaper special pullout sections previewing the tournament. Skeptics considered him to be just a mere shell of his glory days -- in Spain with Barcelona, in Italy with Napoli and in Argentina with a World Cup triumph in 1986.
They should have been at Foxboro Stadium here Tuesday afternoon to witness the first game of his fourth World Cup.
In Argentina's 4-0 trouncing of Greece, Maradona proved that he is still the general who dictates the pace of the game. He is the man in the driver's seat, the one who dictates whether the game is played in low gear or in overdrive. He demonstrated that best in the 59th minute with a marvelous move down the right side in which he accelerated with the ball, then decelerated and accelerated again.
"I'm letting my actions speak for themselves," Maradona said when asked his opinion about those who claimed he wasn't ready for the World Cup. "I answered that question on the field."
And it was his left foot that did most of the talking despite the shadowing by Panagiotis Tsalouhidis of Greece. He might lack some of the lightning in his moves, but there is still thunder in Maradona's left foot. He demonstrated it in the 60th minute, when his curving shot from the edge of the penalty area found the upper left corner of the Greek goal. The Biggest Factor
Sure, Gabriel Batistuta scored three goals and Maradona had only one in the triumph over Greece, but Maradona was the biggest factor in the game. He drew six of the first eight fouls committed by the Greeks. He was physically and mentally sharp. His technical and tactical moves were reminiscent of the days that made him the game's biggest name.
"Maradona is still a magician, the natural leader for Argentina," Alkis Panagoulias, the Greek coach, said after his overmatched team's loss. "He didn't do too much, but it's very much obvious that he was the inspiration of his team."
In the 82 minutes he played, Maradona looked physically and mentally sharp. His coach, Alfio (Coco) Basile, made sure that Maradona heard the praise from the crowd by taking him out of the game with eight minutes left.
"I found the applause and cheers from the public extremely satisfying," Maradona said through an interpreter. "I felt happiness. Happiness for my father and my wife."
Along with Maradona and Batistuta, another hero for the Argentines was Luis Islas, making his World Cup debut as goalkeeper. The 28-year-old Islas plays for Indepediente and is very popular in Argentina because he is one of few players on the team that play in his native country.
"It was the happiest moment of my life," Islas said after waiting for eight years for his chance to get his first start. "I was patient, I worked hard and I was ready."
Islas was a reserve in 1986 when Argentina captured the World Cup in Mexico, and he refused to be a reserve again four years ago in Italy. That decision cost him because it gave Sergio Goycochea the opportunity to play after Nery Pompidou broke his leg in Argentina's second game.
Now, with Maradona getting his form back as quickly as you can say Diego, look for Islas, Batistuta, Claudio Caniggia and the rest of Argentina to be near a position to play in the championship game of the World Cup for the third tournament in a row.
WORLD CUP '94