Group D: Nigeria v Argentina
As the schedulers/powers-that-be in FIFA have decided to double up the third matches in the group games, I’m trying to follow two matches at the same time - one on the TV and the other on the laptop - but, as I’m crap at multitasking, this may not go well. Anyway, I decided to watch this game on TV and try and follow Iceland v Croatia on the laptop. Not ideal, but there you are.
Nigeria v Argentina
26th June, 1900
Krestovsky Stadium, St. Petersburg
Result:
Nigeria 1 (Moses, 51’ pen)
Argentina 2 (Messi, 14’, Rojo, 86’)
First Half
Gonzalo Higuaìn replaced Sergio Agüero as the latter was dropped after his indifferent performance in the previous match. Pre-match the Argentina team were cheered by their fans but their manager Jorge Sampaoli was greeted with whistles and jeers.
Nigeria weren’t rocking dazzling Nigerian chevrons tonight, they’re all in dark green again, so that retina-burning kit will only have had one outing. Nigeria only needed a draw to knock Argentina out of the competition.
Argentina got off to a nervous start, and that included Jorge Sampaoli who again looked like a man about to face a firing squad, as he was practically dancing with nerves and agitation on the edge of his technical area.
14th min - MESSI!!!! It was good to see Lionel Messi score at the World Cup, but not to see Diego Maradona ostentatiously celebrating in the stands - sorry (no, not really), I can’t stand that bloke. World class he may have been - and admittedly was - but that blatant piece of cheating in 1986 still annoys me, it even annoyed my late mother at the time and she wasn’t even a football fan! Anyway, Diego the Cheat aside, it was a decent goal and the 100th scored at this World Cup. With the score 1-0 - have Argentina finally woken up? I think the real threat of elimination from the competition and the fact they’ve scored a goal might have stuck a pin in them.
Argentina look much better since they scored and are now the better of the two teams - there’s nothing like settling the nerves like taking the lead.
34th min - Messi hit a great free kick, which was on target but it was saved by Nigeria’s 19 year old keeper Francis Uzoho.
Was Diego falling asleep?! TV pics just before half time showed him apparently nodding off in the stands, with his head back and eyes closed. The match isn’t a classic, Diego, but it’s not that boring. Maybe the ostentatious celebration at Messi’s goal was tiring.
HT Nigeria 0, Argentina 1 (Messi, 14’) - you can take a nap now, Diego, and be ready for the second half…
Second Half
49th min - Penalty to Nigeria! Javier Mascherano dragged down a Nigeria player in the area. Ref gave it, VAR checked it, Argentina argued about it, handbags broke out and Victor Moses put it away.
Nigeria 1 (Moses, 51’ pen) - Argentina 1 (Messi, 14’)
As things stood as of the 57th minute, it would be Nigeria to go through at the expense of Argentina and Iceland.
76th min - HOW DID HE MISS THAT???!!! Ighalo misses a great chance although Nigeria claim a penalty and it goes to VAR and the ref himself has to check it. No penalty. Ighalo should have scored but he missed an absolute sitter and it looked to me that the penalty shout was an attempt to deflect attention away from the fact he'd cocked it up.
In the 85th min it was Argentina's turn to shout for a penalty but, like Nigeria minutes earlier, they got change from the referee or VAR.
In the 86th minute a strike from Marcos Rojo settled matters, cueing huge celebrations from the Argentina fans and the manager, who all go bananas. It was a big shame for Nigeria, but they’ve missed some good chances and should have scored at least one more, maybe two during the second half. It's hard to get away from the fact that Argentina were as jammy as hell and did a Germany by scoring late on.
Full time; Nigeria 1 (Moses, 51’, pen), Argentina 2 (Messi, 14’, Rojo, 86’)
Conclusion
Argentina are very, VERY fortunate. They have been poor in the group stage and really hardly deserve to go through although football seems to work that way, certain teams get lucky (see Germany a few nights ago).
Argentina’s next opponents will be France, the Group C winners, in the first knock out stage. Neither team have been very good in the group stages, France have been below par while Argentina have been pretty woeful , so that game could go either way.
Oh, and who was Diego Maradona flipping off when Argentina went 2-1 up? Vile individual.
Nigeria v Argentina
26th June, 1900
Krestovsky Stadium, St. Petersburg
Result:
Nigeria 1 (Moses, 51’ pen)
Argentina 2 (Messi, 14’, Rojo, 86’)
First Half
Gonzalo Higuaìn replaced Sergio Agüero as the latter was dropped after his indifferent performance in the previous match. Pre-match the Argentina team were cheered by their fans but their manager Jorge Sampaoli was greeted with whistles and jeers.
Nigeria weren’t rocking dazzling Nigerian chevrons tonight, they’re all in dark green again, so that retina-burning kit will only have had one outing. Nigeria only needed a draw to knock Argentina out of the competition.
Argentina got off to a nervous start, and that included Jorge Sampaoli who again looked like a man about to face a firing squad, as he was practically dancing with nerves and agitation on the edge of his technical area.
14th min - MESSI!!!! It was good to see Lionel Messi score at the World Cup, but not to see Diego Maradona ostentatiously celebrating in the stands - sorry (no, not really), I can’t stand that bloke. World class he may have been - and admittedly was - but that blatant piece of cheating in 1986 still annoys me, it even annoyed my late mother at the time and she wasn’t even a football fan! Anyway, Diego the Cheat aside, it was a decent goal and the 100th scored at this World Cup. With the score 1-0 - have Argentina finally woken up? I think the real threat of elimination from the competition and the fact they’ve scored a goal might have stuck a pin in them.
Argentina look much better since they scored and are now the better of the two teams - there’s nothing like settling the nerves like taking the lead.
34th min - Messi hit a great free kick, which was on target but it was saved by Nigeria’s 19 year old keeper Francis Uzoho.
Was Diego falling asleep?! TV pics just before half time showed him apparently nodding off in the stands, with his head back and eyes closed. The match isn’t a classic, Diego, but it’s not that boring. Maybe the ostentatious celebration at Messi’s goal was tiring.
HT Nigeria 0, Argentina 1 (Messi, 14’) - you can take a nap now, Diego, and be ready for the second half…
Second Half
49th min - Penalty to Nigeria! Javier Mascherano dragged down a Nigeria player in the area. Ref gave it, VAR checked it, Argentina argued about it, handbags broke out and Victor Moses put it away.
Nigeria 1 (Moses, 51’ pen) - Argentina 1 (Messi, 14’)
As things stood as of the 57th minute, it would be Nigeria to go through at the expense of Argentina and Iceland.
76th min - HOW DID HE MISS THAT???!!! Ighalo misses a great chance although Nigeria claim a penalty and it goes to VAR and the ref himself has to check it. No penalty. Ighalo should have scored but he missed an absolute sitter and it looked to me that the penalty shout was an attempt to deflect attention away from the fact he'd cocked it up.
In the 85th min it was Argentina's turn to shout for a penalty but, like Nigeria minutes earlier, they got change from the referee or VAR.
In the 86th minute a strike from Marcos Rojo settled matters, cueing huge celebrations from the Argentina fans and the manager, who all go bananas. It was a big shame for Nigeria, but they’ve missed some good chances and should have scored at least one more, maybe two during the second half. It's hard to get away from the fact that Argentina were as jammy as hell and did a Germany by scoring late on.
Full time; Nigeria 1 (Moses, 51’, pen), Argentina 2 (Messi, 14’, Rojo, 86’)
Conclusion
Argentina are very, VERY fortunate. They have been poor in the group stage and really hardly deserve to go through although football seems to work that way, certain teams get lucky (see Germany a few nights ago).
Argentina’s next opponents will be France, the Group C winners, in the first knock out stage. Neither team have been very good in the group stages, France have been below par while Argentina have been pretty woeful , so that game could go either way.
Oh, and who was Diego Maradona flipping off when Argentina went 2-1 up? Vile individual.
