ROSARIO, Argentina -- As Argentina took the field against world champion Germany at the Orange Bowl in Miami last December, millions of Argentines prepared for the worst.


Coming off a crushing defeat against Colombia and so-so performance against modest Australia, it seemed impossible Argentina could challenge the top-ranked team in the world. Moreover, Diego Maradona was missing.


And yet Argentina won convincingly, 2-1, a victory that sent the country's spirits soaring. "The game proved once again that Argentine soccer players perform at a certain level when everybody expects them to win, and at a much higher level when nobody believes in their chances," said El Grafico, the country's leading sports magazine.


All of which raises the question: Does Argentina need Maradona for its World Cup campaign?


Argentina coach Alfio "Coco" Basile has said repeatedly that Maradona's presence on the team is entirely up to him. Maradona, who has not missed a World Cup game for Argentina since 1982, said he wants to make USA '94 his swan song.


"If my injuries respect me, I'll be there," Maradona said. "If nothing else, I want to prove that you're not old and washed up unless you feel that way."


Opponents still fear him. With a healthy Mardona, Italy's coach Arrigo Sacchi said, "Argentina has got to be considered one of the favorites."