Mario Kempes: Football's New Superstar of Superstars

Norman Fox talked to Mario Kempes after the World Cup Final and here writes an interview/profile

IN THEIR FIRST match of the 1978 World Cup, Argentina wore such indisstinct numbers on the backs of their pale blue and white shirts that one well known television commentator, who had been struggling with a tiny black and white monitor and his granddmother's opera glasses, threw his hands in the air and complained: "But the forwards all look the same."

By the time Argentina reached the final the struggle for identification had been made distinctly easier by a young man called Mario Kempes who had the long, black hair and swarthy complexxion shared by five of his colleagues but showed such a singular style and devasstating ability to score goals that in slightly more than three weeks, he became familiar around the world.

The World Cup always produces new "stars", players who develop quickly in the glare of intense competition, yet in Argentina none of those who had been predicted to flower in these condiitions progressed as impressively as Kempes, a name of no special signifiicance since he had not appeared to be especially promising in the World Cup of 1974.

Before competition began in 1978, the Argentine players expected to excel on home ground were Houseman and possibly Ortiz and Ardiles, and indeed these last two did play excellently, but from the beginning it was Kempes, in partnership with Luque, who attracted the attention of anyone who believed that football of the present day lacked adventurous players prepared to brave the realm of the opposition's penalty area and finish their work with a posiitive outlook.

Until shortly before the World Cup began, there was no absolute certainty that Kempes would be included in the Argentine party since the manager, Cesar Menotti, had been inclined to think he could get by without involving foreign based players. Kempes, who plays for Valencia in the Spanish League, arrived back in Argentina less than a month before the tournament began, but it had been obvious in friendly matches that a player of his talents was badly needed. Kempes said that' as he had only been away for two years he was not too concerned about being out of touch. "I knew the players and I had kept reading newspapers and magazines. Also I had been visited by friends from home", he said.

His partnership with Luque was something that, as he said, "just happenned". They had not played together beefore the World Cup started. "I can't explain it", he said. "Somehow we 'clicked' immediately and when he was injured against France I missed him in our next two games". It was the injury to Luque that decided Menotti to make the first of three changes in his use of Kempes, who had begun as a left side striker but was then moved into the centre and later withdrawn into a deepper role when Ortiz joined the attack.

None of these changes alerted Kempes's efficiency in scoring goals and none of the goals was more important than the first against Peru when Argentina had to score four to reach the final. He had scored both goals in a 2-0 vicctory over Poland but he left his most spectacular achievements until last, scorring twice in the final against Holland and making a third.

Because of his Spanish connections he became known in Argentina as the "matador" and certainly he had the eleegance to justify it. He is only 24, an ideal age at which to build a career on the basis of a good World Cup, but on the night of Argentina's final victory and after being given a deafening recepption outside the hotel where the winner's banquet was prepared he seemmed much older as he looked back over a memorable personal success.

His eyes were tired, full of delight but revealing the strain under which the team had played. They had all been aware that to win the Cup was imporrtant to Argentina on a political as well as snorting level although for him failure would not have been quite as bearable as for colleagues who intended to reemain in the country.

As it was his personal success came a little unexpectedly and, living in Spain, he had not experienced the incredible spirit of determination among his people at home. A slight self doubt was perhaps given away when he signed a new, five year contract with Valencia before the World Cup. Players with a fair chance of being successful in the most publicised football tournament of all do not usually sign anything until after the event.

He is now among the most valuable and wanted players in the world but he explained: 'iI like playing in Valencia. They are an attacking team like Argenntina. In the World Cup our attacking tactics enabled me to be in the game all the time. Our aim was to go out and win in every match by as many goals as possible. Ow defenders and midfield players put opponents· under tremenndous pressure, Argentina always had a lot of possession."

Just as Argentina's pattern of play suited his own, so the World Cup commpetition itself went well for him even when defeat by Italy in the first round cost the host team their right to conntinue playing in the River Plate Staddium, Buenos Aires. While the experts were saying that this would be to Argentina's disadvantage, many overlooked the fact that Rosario, where they played in the second round, was virtually Kempes's home' tOWI1. fie joined Rosario at Central when he was 19 and made such a good impression as a goalscoring centre forward that he was asked to play for the national team against Bolivia before he was 20.

He was the leading scorer in Argenntina'in 1974 which was the year of the World Cup, but his place in the national side was not guaranteed until he played against England at Wembley where he scored both goals in a 2-2 draw. Allthough he played in West Germany he was always in the shadows of Houseman and Babington, but when he returned to Argentina he became the leading scorer for the second season with 35 goals and Rosario naturally received many offers. Eventually they let him go to Valencia for £340,000' and in his first season in Spain he scored 24 goals, making him the highest scorer there as well.

Many temptations have been placed before him since winning his World Cup medal but he seems to be a welled young man who readily gives credit to colleagues, notably, during the World Cup, to Luque whom he said had, helped him a great deal by "battling for the ball and going to look for it" In the next few seasons he will no longer enjoy the advantage of being just another Argenntine player trying to make good in Europe. He is a star in an era of labourrers and it all happened in little more than three weeks. We will observe his future with interest .•