Football: Maradona's touch lifts Argentina: Australia show considerable class and worrying inexperience in game of a lifetime

Australia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Argentina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

IT WAS just like old times for Diego Maradona on his international comeback last night. He was man-marked, booed and booked for dissent.

But he also showed a devastating glimpse of his genius which probably ensured Argentina, runners-up at the last World Cup, will reach the next one. Their draw with Australia - the goal being created by Maradona - means a win or scoreless draw in Buenos Aires on 17 November will put Argentina through.

It will not, however, be that easy. Without Maradona, who was 33 on Saturday, Argentina would have lost yesterday. Overwhelmed by Australia's pace and strength in the early stages they created little and eventually settled for simply containing the home side.

The new slimline Maradona was tightly marked by Australia's English-born captain, Paul Wade, and spent most of the game just laying off first-time passes. He eluded Wade only once - but that was enough. Switching to the right wing he turned two defenders before crossing hard to the near post where Abel Balbo headed fiercely past Aston Villa's Mark Bosnich.

The attack was Argentina's first of the match, the preceding 36 minutes having been entirely controlled by Australia. Its outcome brought an explosion of noise from the estimated 5,000 Argentinians present - nearly half Australia's Argentinian population - and despairing silence from the rest of the capacity 44,000 crowd.

But five minutes later, Australia's own playmaker, Ned Zelic, revealed an equally classy touch. The 22- year-old, already making a big impression in the Bundesliga with Dortmund, curled a first-time pass behind the Argentinian defence for Tony Vidmar, whose low cross was tucked in by his elder brother, Aurelio.

The goal was richly deserved. Australia, with the right-wing midfielder, Robbie Slater, outstanding, had put Argentina under pressure from the opening minutes only for their finishing to let them down. Slater, who plays in France, wasted one chance when he shot weakly after bursting clear while Graham Arnold twice put good opportunities wide.

The pattern was the same in the second half's early stages with Arnold, Wade and Aurelio Vidmar having shots blocked before Argentina slowly stifled the game and Australia ran out of ideas.

Australia's relative inexperience also showed off the pitch with both the soccer federation and electric company overwhelmed, one by the unprecedented media interest and the other by the traditional 'half- time cuppa' power surge - although here it was probably all those fridge lights going on as TV viewers reached for another six-pack.

The upshot was a floodlight failure which delayed the second half by 10 minutes. With the game going live around the world, Sydney Olympic officials were grateful it had not happened six weeks ago - still, they have seven years to fix it.

AUSTRALIA (1-4-4-1): Bosnich (Aston Villa); Ivanovic (Adelaide City); T Vidmar (Adelaide City), Durakovic (South Melbourne), Tobin (Adelaide City), Van Blerk (Go Ahead Eagles); Slater (RC Lens), Wade (South Melbourne), Zelic (Borussia Dortmund), A Vidmar (SV Waregem); Arnold (RFC Liegeois). Substitute: Mitchell (Millwall) for T Vidmar, 72.

ARGENTINA (1-3-4-2): Goycochea (River Plate); Borelli (Racing Club); Chamot (Foggia), Vazquez (Universidad Catolica), MacAllister (Boca Juniors); Perez (Independiente), Redondo (Tenerife), Maradona (Newell's Old Boys), Basualdo (Velez Sarsfield); Batistuta (Fiorentina), Balbo (Roma). Substitutes: Zapata (Nissan) for Basualdo, 71; Caceres (Zaragoza) for Balbo, 88.

Referee: S Puhl (Hungary).

(Photograph omitted)