World Cup notebook: Argentines fit?

Argentina coach Jose Pekerman said Tuesday he was worried about his team's physical condition, and how it could affect the two-time champion's showing at the World Cup.
Pekerman, who is hosting a pre-World Cup reunion of 14 Argentina internationals outside Madrid, said it was impossible to determine fitness until the final tournament begins.
"National championships stretch players to the limit. Then the time you have up to the tournament isn't enough to recover from injuries and this leads to doubts right until the end," Pekerman was quoted as saying by news agency Efe. "The big worry is that players, apart from their ability, must be in top physical condition."
Sixteen players — 15 players who play in Europe, plus Boca Juniors goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri — were initially called up for the two-day meeting, although Villarreal midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme and FC Porto midfielder Luis Gonzalez did not attend.
Gonzalez has stayed in Portugal to prepare for Porto's Portuguese Cup final against Setubal next Sunday, while Riquelme has returned to Argentina due to a "personal problem," Pekerman said.