Gabriel Heinze (left) and Hernan Crespo hail Argentina's win

"They gave us a hard time but we always knew this is the toughest group. But we are prepared for it," Pekerman said.

"We have a great team spirit which will be key for us but we are realistic and must take things a game at a time."

Argentina captain Juan Pablo Sorin said: "I liked our attitude, we were always looking to be positive."

Sorin added: "We showed a very good attitude. We lacked some depth and there was some tiredness but the team worked fine. The first match was a key one to win."

Striker Hernan Crespo, who scored Argentina's opening goal, said: "A start like this is very good.

"It was a relief to get this game out of the way. This got rid of a lot of nerves."