SWINDON Town's Argentinian defender Juan Cobian says interest in the World Cup is mounting in Argentina but it is still far from being most people's main concern.

Currently on holiday in Buenos Aires, the former Boca Juniors and Sheffield Wednesday player said most people were too busy trying to survive the 50 per cent increase in inflation in recent months and a 20 per cent unemployment rate to think much about soccer.

"People are getting quite excited, but unfortunately this country is having a hard time economically," says Juan, 26, who played for Argentina at under-18 and under-23 level, and alongside Diego Maradona at Boca Juniors.

"It would be good if the national team could give all the people a lift.

"Because of all the history involved, the match against England will be something else, but at the moment most of the people are thinking about other things."

Juan says many Argentinians were also finding it hard to think of their team as a truly national one, as all 23 players in the squad play their club football abroad, 22 of them in Europe.

But Juan, who has lived in Europe since 1998, says he will be delighted if both his homeland and his adopted country make it out of Group F and into the second round.

"A good start for Argentina would give everyone a boost, but personally I hope that both teams go through and have a good World Cup," he said.

"I want England to go through because it's been my home country for four years and my daughter was born there, so I want them to do well."

Juan, who has a year left on his contract but is currently out of favour at the County Ground, says he has always been touched by the way people in Swindon have treated him.

He also continues a trend of Argentinians who have played at Swindon, including World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles and Nestor Lorenzo, who played in the 1990 World Cup final against Germany.

He says Swindon fans have always been supportive and his neighbours friendly about the two countries' rivalry but is dreading a torrent of triumphant e-mails from his Swindon friends if England get the better of the encounter on June 7.