Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari announces the squad in Lisbon on Monday. (Reuters)

London: Gone are Argentina’s 2002 losers, tainted by the debacle in Asia four years ago, and in come Jose Pekerman’s junior champions.

Coach Pekerman left out former defence stalwarts Javier Zanetti ? the former captain ? and Walter Samuel when he named his World Cup squad on Monday.

He picked a squad littered instead with players who have won the World Youth Cup or the Olympic Games gold medal, and in some cases both. “This is a very strong group... there’s a historic potential and that’s because of the richness of Argentine football,” Pekerman told a news conference in Buenos Aires when he named his squad.

The only players in Pekerman’s squad who went to Asia in 2002 under his predecessor Marcelo Bielsa are Roberto Ayala, who saw no action in his second World Cup because of injury, midfielders Pablo Aimar and Juan Pablo Sorin, both key figures in Pekerman’s successful junior teams, and striker Hernan Crespo, a reserve in Japan.

Pekerman’s new guard, looking to win the World Cup for Argentina for the third time, is captained by Sorin and inspired by the midfield genius of Juan Roman Riquelme.

He is taking some chances on the fitness of defender Gabriel Heinze, who is coming back from a long injury layoff and in dire need of match practice.

Pekerman, however, believes in a project he began 12 years ago in 1994 when he took charge of Argentina’s junior teams and set off on a winning streak in which his country landed four World Youth Cups between 1995 and 2005.

In San Jose, defender Roy Miller was the unlucky player as Costa Rica confirmed their final 23-man squad on Monday.

Poland and Portugal also announced their 23-man squads on Monday (as reported in Tuesday’s Late City edition), with coach Pawel Janas leaving out two of the biggest stars.

Janas shocked fans and media by dropping Liverpool ’keeper Jerzy Dudek and the team’s top scorer in qualifying Tomasz Frankowski, opting instead for inexperienced youngsters.

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari left out Ricardo Quaresma from his 23-man squad. Central defender Jorge Andrade, who has been ruled out of the June 9 to July 9 finals after undergoing knee surgery, has been replaced by Ricardo Costa of Porto.

 

Players makeng the 'finals' cut

ARGENTINA

Goalkeepers: Roberto Abbondanzieri, Leonardo Franco, Oscar Ustari Defenders: Roberto Ayala, Gabriel Heinze, Juan Pablo Sorin, Fabricio Coloccini, Gabriel Milito, Nicolas Burdisso, Leandro Cufre, Lionel Scaloni Midfielders: Javier Mascherano, Esteban Cambiasso, Luis Gonzalez, Juan Roman Riquelme, Maxi Rodriguez, Pablo Aimar Forwards: Hernan Crespo, Carlos Tevez, Lionel Messi, Javier Saviola, Julio Cruz, Rodrigo Palacio

COSTA RICA

Goalkeepers: Wardy Alfaro, Jose Porras, Alvaro Mesen Defenders: Gilberto Martinez, Luis Marin, Michael Rodriguez, Harold Wallace, Jervis Drummond, Douglas Sequeira, Leonardo Gonzalez, Michael Umana, Gabriel Badilla Midfielders: Carlos Hernandez, Walter Centeno, Christian Bolanos, Randall Azofeifa, Mauricio Solis, Danny Fonseca Forwards: Ronald Gomez, Alvaro Saborio, Victor Nunez, Kurt Bernard, Paulo Wanchope

IRAN

Goalkeepers: Ebrahim Mirzapour, Vahid Talebloo, Hassan Roudbarian Defenders: Yahya Golmohammadi, Mohammad Nosrati, Rahman Rezaei, Sattar Zare, Hossein Kaabi, Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh, Amir Hossein Sadeqi. Midfielders: Javad Nekounam, Anderanik Teymourian, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Fereydoon Zandi, Ali Karimi, Mehrzad Madanchi, Javad Kazemian Forwards: Ali Daei, Vahid Hashemian, Reza Enayati, Arash Borhani, Masoud Shojai, Rasoul Khatibi

POLAND

Goalkeepers: Artur Boruc, Tomasz Kuszczak, Lukasz Fabianski Defenders: Jacek Bak, Mariusz Jop, Michal Zewlakow, Marcin Baszczynski, Seweryn Gancarczyk, Mariusz Lewandowski, Dariusz Dudka. Midfielders: Jacek Krzynowek, Miroslaw Szymkowiak, Radoslaw Sobolewski, Euzebiusz Smolarek, Kamil Kosowski, Arkadiusz Radomski, Sebastian Mila, Damian Gorawski, Piotr Giza Forwards: Maciej Zurawski, Grzegorz Rasiak, Pawel Brozek, Ireneusz Jelen

PORTUGAL

Goalkeepers: Ricardo Pereira, Quim Silva, Bruno Vale Defenders: Paulo Ferreira, Miguel Monteiro, Ricardo Carvalho, Fernando Meira, Marco Caneira, Ricardo Costa, Nuno Valente Midfielders: Armando Petit, Costinha, Tiago Mendes, Maniche Ribeiro, Hugo Viana, Luis Figo, Deco, Cristiano Ronaldo, Simao Sabrosa Forwards: Luis Boa Morte, Pauleta, Nuno Gomes, Helder Postiga.

SAUDI ARABIA

Goalkeepers: Mohammad Al-Deayea, Mabrouk Zayed, Mohammad Khouja Defenders: Ahmad Al-Doukhi, Redha Takar, Hamad Al-Montashari, Ahmad Al-Bahri, Mohammad Masaad, Nayef Al-Kadhi, Hussein Abdul Ghani, Abdul Aziz Al-Khathran Midfielders: Saoud Kariri, Mohammad Nour, Mohammad Amin, Khaled Aziz, Omar Al-Ghamdi, Nawaf Al-Temyat, Mohammad Al-Shalhoub Forwards: Sami Al-Jaber, Yasser Al-Qahtani, Mohammad Al-Anbar, Saad al-Harthi, Malek Maath

TOGO

Goalkeepers: Kossi Agassa, Ouro-Nimini Tchangirou, Kodjovi Dodji Obilale Defenders: Jean Paul Yaovi Abalo, Eric Akoto, Richmond Forson, Karim Guede, Ludovic Assemoassa, Toure Assimiou, Dare Nibombe, Kuami Agboh, Affo Cerlmont Erassa Midfielders: Cherif Toure Mamam, Alaixys Romao, Thomas Dossevi, Yao Kaka Aziawonou, Junior Senaya, Adekanmi Olufade Forwards: Emmanuel Adebayor, Mohamed Kader Coubadja, Robert Malm, Massamasso Tchangai, Moustapha Salifou