Argentina superstar Lionel Messi was dogged by failing to score at the 2010 World Cup when many expected him to bag goals at will.
Compatriot and fellow forward Sergio Aguero is expecting to find similarly resolute defences at this year’s World Cup, though it won’t get him down.
Aguero and Messi will likely pair up in Brazil as Argentina pursue a first world title since their second triumph at the 1986 edition.
“If I fail to score in the group stage, I can keep believing I will score in the knock-out stage, because that’s already happened to me,” Aguero told FourFourTwo magazine.
“It happened in Beijing at the Olympics. I was in the starting XI throughout the group stage and I didn’t score.
“Then in the quarter-finals I didn’t score, but the manager believed in me and in the semi-finals I scored twice against Brazil.
“So I know I will believe in myself because I have already experienced that exact situation.”
Aguero could potentially have an easy time of it in the group stages given Argentina have been pooled with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria.
Should he and his highly-fancied teammates fail to catch fire from the start, Aguero’s advice is to be patient and trust in their abilities.
“You have to stay calm and believe the goals will come. You might score loads of goals in the group stage and then none in the latter stages.”
Main image courtesy of PUMA via YouTube, with thanks.
