A friend and I sat around the other night watching the BBC documentary When Gary Met Diego, a fun, fascinating and utterly entertaining hour detailing former England striker Gary Lineker's recent trip to South America to meet up with legendary Argentine midfielder Diego Maradona 20 years after the
"Hand of God" goal match that saw them on the same pitch at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Maradona's recovery from the brink of death over the past 18 months has been one of the more facinating stories in world sport. The little man was nearly 280 pounds at his most obese. But he's lost more than 100 pounds and says he's substance free over the past year and a half, which has seen his reentry into popular culture through "El Noche de 10," a late night talk show in Argentina which has seen Fidel Castro, Mike Tyson and Lionel Messi as guests.

One of the best parts of "When Gary Met Diego" is during the duo's trip to see Maradona's beloved Boca Juniors play at the Bombonera. The two get caught in a line for the elevator to Maradona's private suit, and the Boca fans on their way to their seats catch a glimpse of their hero of all heros.

"Brazilians, Brazilians, why do you look so worried?" they serenade. "Because Maradona is better than Pele, of course!"

Maradona is an invaluable part of the Argentine national spirit and identity. Which is why this commercial has become such a big deal in South America.

Kaká, Ronaldo and Diego Maradona: All are wearing green-and-yellow jerseys adorned with the five stars. The anthem starts: Ouviram do ipiranga as margens plaaaaaaaacidas. De um povo heroico, brado retumbante!

Everyone sings it perfectly, including Maradoninha, as they call him. A bit of accent, but no problems.

And then the king of Argentina, Dieguito, suddenly wakes up. "Ay caramba! It was a nightmare!" cries Maradona, still under his blanket. But wait! He has sweated through his Argentina jersey! He glances at his night stand, where several empty cans of Guaraná -- the most Brazilian of soft drinks -- sit atop it.

"What a horrible nightmare," he says to himself. "I must stop drinking so much Guaraná. I'm becoming a bit Brazilian."

In people's wildest dreams -- or nightmares -- they never could have foreseen this: For a payment of about $350,000, Maradona agreed to appear in this TV ad for Guaraná, one of the main sponsors of the Brazilian national team!

"Wearing the jersey of Brazil is profanity!" wrote an Argentinean daily.

"But how on earth could he stay there, singing their national anthem?" asked a popular talk show in Buenos Aires. "It's more than betrayal, it's the end!"

While such good humor shows Maradona's progress, the commerical itself has sparked a fervor in Argentina, which has seen its fiercest rival, Brazil, qualify for five straight World Cup finals. Only success in Germany, where Brazil will be overwhelming favorites this summer, can ease this slight.

I'm still trying to figure out my predictions. But looking at that potential lineup -- a diverse backline of Ayala, Colloccini, Samuel and Heinze; Cambiasso doing the midfield dirty work, sleepy Riquelme tying the ends together, warrior Tevez surging forward into an attack consisting of Messi, the silky second-coming, and the blunt power of Crespo -- has me seriously considering Argentina, if I can find a way to believe in Abbondancieri in goal.