World NewsMascherano: Maradona Inspired Us |
Argentina captain Javier Mascherano revealed he and his team-mates were inspired by the sight of Diego Maradona on the bench as the new manager's reign got off to a winning start against Scotland.
Maxi Rodriguez's eighth-minute goal was enough to seal a deserved 1-0 victory at Hampden Park.Liverpool midfielder Mascherano told Sky Sports 1: "I think it's a new era. It was very important to win. I think we played well in the first half. The second half, we needed to fight. We fought, so we are really happy. It's a good start; we are very proud.
"You see Maradona on the bench coaching, it's fantastic for us.
"It's just a friendly match but it's a good start."
He added: "It's difficult to compare different managers. I think when you start to play with a new manager, the new motivation is so different.
"I don't like to talk so much about the last manager or to compare. Now we need to think about the future.
"It's fantastic to start like this.
"If we can improve, we have to improve our level.
Man of the match Carlos Tevez added: "Being the first game, I think it was a good game for his first game in charge."
Copyright (c) 2009 Press Association
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