Batigol flattens record in a thrice

PARIS, June 22: Gabriel Batigol' Batistuta became only the fourth player to score two World Cup hat-tricks, and the first in successive fin...

PARIS, June 22: Gabriel Batigol8217; Batistuta became only the fourth player to score two World Cup hat-tricks, and the first in successive finals, when he hit three rapid fire goals in Argentina8217;s 5-0 win over Jamaica yesterday.

Batistuta now leads the race to become the top scorer in these finals with four goals and, if Argentina8217;s good form continues, could beat the tally of six goals achieved by the top marksman in the last five tournaments.

The Fiorentina striker scored three times in the second half as Argentina crushed Jamaica in their Group H match at Parc de Princes. He also scored the only goal in the 1-0 win over Japan.

8220;Batistuta deserves to have scored three goals, he8217;s in great form and feels supported by the whole team. But his main wish is that the team stays in the World Cup all the way to the final,8221; coach Daniel Passarella said.

Batistuta, whose first hat-trick came in Argentina8217;s 4-0 win over Greece in the 1994 finals, could have scored as early as the 16th second when he broughtJamaica goalkeeper Warren Barrett to a diving save in the first attack of the match.

Sandor Kocsis of Hungary scored two hat-tricks in the 1954 finals in Switzerland, a feat emulated by Frenchman Just Fontaine in Sweden four years later and West Germany striker Gerd Mueller in Mexico in 1970.

Batistuta also equalled the Argentine World Cup record of eight goals held by 1986 World Cup-winning captain Diego Maradona, who scored in three of his four tournaments.

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Maradona hit his last goal in the same match as Batistuta scored his first, Argentina8217;s victory over Greece in 1994.

But Batistuta had to settle for only four goals in the United States after Maradona was kicked out for doping and Argentina went out in a 3-2 second round defeat to Romania.

Batistuta took his Argentina tally to 47 goals in 63 internationals, having overtaken Maradona8217;s previous record of 33 last year.

Before the tournament began, Batistuta said,8220;I8217;d swap the guarantee of a goal by me for a victory by the team.8221;

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IfArgentina reach the final it could be largely thanks to the Ortega-Batistuta link, which has flourished since it came together again during the cup warm-ups.

Since a shock defeat by Israel, Argentina have won seven matches in a row without conceding a goal and with Batistuta and Ortega together contributing 14 of their 17 goals.