Yesterday, the Argentinian FA confirmed that they will be ready to face England in a friendly in November subsequent to England's World Cup qualification. This wonderfully ironic coincidence comes at a time when one, Diego Maradona admitted on his new show aired last night in Argentina, that indeed, it was the hand of Maradona and not God after all. Thanks for that.

The legend that became "El Gordo", (the fat one) told the world, what a thousand replays and pictures from varying angles, exactly what we all knew already, he cheated and got away with it. That withstanding it's another great excuse to stoke up the old rivalry again. This is a game that has become a trans-Atlantic derby of sorts, right from the time the South Atlantic, Latin cavaliers brutalized their North Atlantic opponents, England, in their 1-0 loss to the host nation in 1966. Alf Ramsey dragged his players off the pitch, forbidding them to shake hands with Ratin's Argentina, clearly disgusted with the Argentinean's "heavy" tactics. Right through to David Beckham's sending off in 98 courtesy of a swan-like Simeone, there has been bad blood bubbling between the two footballing giants.

Looking at the proposed "friendly", the English season, along with the Champion's League is in full swing come November, and the only reservations that this worldcuplatest.com journalist has, is that the game will lack any real bite and you'd expect the England side to be well off full strength. The usual list of sudden one-day injuries will no doubt rear its ugly head, just as Eriksson names his side. Substitutions will also surely be aplenty, but whoever plays and for how long you'd expect a tad more passion displayed in a friendly between England and Argentina, in November than, say, England and Denmark in August (hopefully).

On the other hand the fact that the game is in November may actually be of benefit to the match. With both teams qualified and both teams having plenty of players heavily involved in Europe's top leagues and the Champion's league, suggest that perhaps, with a lack of any serious tackling, combined with quick passing, we may just be in for a mid-season International treat. Lest us not we forget as well, that Argentina will want to reclaim bragging rights from an England team that soundly beat them on their last time out.

As long as England avoid the ignominy of the play-offs then what ever type of game it turns out to be neither team will want to lose and we can expect another full-blooded, all action chapter in this on-going titanic battle, that has become; The North-South, Atlantic Derby.

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