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Sunderland new boy Nacho Scocco has yet to start a Premier League game since signing for the club the day before the January transfer deadline, but the 28-year- old already has his eyes firmly set on winning a place in the Argentina World Cup squad.
The forward signed for the Black Cats from Internacional for £4 million following a difficult time in Brazil and is hoping to regain his form in the North East ahead of his return to South America in June.
In Scocco’s first game for Sunderland he helped them navigate their way past Southampton in the FA Cup, getting his first taste of action for two months and now he’s looking to kick on from there.
He told the Sunderland Echo, “I will work hard to get back to how I played in Argentina and reach the same level from Newell’s.
“I know I have a lot of work to get that. I will try to work every week and every game to try to get there. The World Cup is on the mind of every player.”
It’s perhaps his time at Newell’s Old Boys that attracted Gus Poyet to the striker. He scored 24 goals in just 33 games for his first professional side, helping them finish second in the Primera Division. But it will take a lot more than that to nudge out the likes of Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain from the national team.
messi
The Argentinians currently possess one of their strongest sides for some time and should comfortably top Group F in the tournament setting up a likely tie with Switzerland or Ecuador in the Second Round. The bookmakers seem to agree, pricing them at second favourites, Messi and co can be back at 5/1 with a World Cup free bet .
Scocoo has only put on the blue and white of his nation once back in 2012 in a 2-1 victory over Brazil in which he scored both goals, but has failed to make a mark since.
If he is to resurrect his international career, it’ll be good news for Sunderland as he’ll have to score plenty to do so. And it couldn’t come at a better time. It’s been a bleak season for Poyet’s men bar an inspired run in the Carling Cup, and they’ll be hoping goals from Nacho can help them climb out of the relegation zone and retain a place in the Premier League.