Messi, Argentina finally come to play in crucial win ... Lewandowski admits defeat ... Queiroz’s VAR outburst misplaced ... Uruguay resolute
MOSCOW — Hitting rock-bottom ultimately galvanized Argentina to provide this tournament’s most dramatic moment.
The most embattled side here in Russia flipped the script Tuesday night with 2-1 win over Nigeria that suddenly has them in the Round of 16 after being written off as dead and buried.
This after Argentine manager, Jorge Sampaoli, reportedly was in jeopardy of being ousted ahead of Group D’s decisive Matchday.
It would have been easy, maybe expected, for Argentina to fold up amid taking a beating in the press.
The two-time champ’s recovery seemed unlikely.
But a favourable Matchday 2 result — Nigeria beating Iceland — set up a win-andyou’re-in scenario for Lionel Messi.
It turns out the Barcelona playmaker isn’t ready to take a back seat to Cristiano Ronaldo at this tournament. Messi’s opener, a goal few players in the world can take with such precision, was an incredible moment for a player who had fallen short of expectations. Marcos Rojo’s game-winner with minutes remaining erased everything that has happened up until this point.
Argentina had the choice between two very different paths following a Matchday 2 loss to Croatia.
The South Americans chose to raise their level rather than return home branded as failures.
There was moment Tuesday night that demonstrated this Argentina side is back and ready to give France trouble in the second round.
After losing possession in the dying seconds, Messi chased down a ball in the corner and slid to block a Nigerian clearance.
He’s not ready to go home.
‘WE WERE WEAK’
Poland didn’t lose a match at the 2016 European Championship, drawing Germany during the group phase before going out on penalties to eventual champions Portugal.
That Polish side is no more. Coach Adam Nawalka’s squad, one that looked incredibly competent just two years ago, could exit Russia 2018 without a point.
“It’s no use cheating everyone, we were the weakest,” striker Robert Lewandowski said according to MARCA.
“We are all angry and sad.
“The differences between us and our rivals were clear, and fighting only, without playing good football, is not enough.”
After scoring 16 goals to lead all UEFA players in World Cup qualifying, the Bayern Munich man has been invisible at this tournament.
“I didn’t have opportunities to score, and though I would be angry with myself if I hadn’t taken advantage of chances, I simply didn’t get any.”
SALAH: ‘SORRY’
Egyptian star Mo Salah promised supporters to make amends for their disastrous World Cup after finishing bottom of Group A.
“We want to apologize to all the Egyptian fans, who came to support us here in the three matches,” he told beIN, according to the MailOnline.
“I know it is difficult for them, like us. Just want to say that Egypt reached the World Cup after 28 years, some players here do not have the required experience, thanks to all of them and we will back again in 2022.”
Some experts forecasted Egypt to be the surprise team at this tournament.
Instead, the Egyptians were surprisingly abysmal despite an impressive qualifying campaign.
DON’T BLAME VAR
The video review process is a tool, not a mechanism to remove subjectivity.
In other words, the VAR system is there to assist referees, not give them objective answers for important decisions.
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz blasted FIFA this week amid blaming VAR following his team’s World Cup-ending draw with Portugal.
But Queiroz’s misplaced anger focussed on the technology and procedure instead of the leading protagonist : Referee Enrique Caceres.
Caceres is the one who made the decision to not redcard Cristiano Ronaldo. The referee ultimately acts as judge, jury and executioner in every scenario.
Queiroz did make at least one good point. The enraged Iranian bench boss wondered why players and coaches aren’t provided more information throughout the video review process.
A solution could be to have the fourth official more involved in the process to relay to each bench what the referee reviewed and why a decision was made.
Everyone at home knows what’s going on except for everyone in the stadium.
BY THE NUMBERS
Uruguay finished a World Cup group stage without conceding for the fifth time ... Russia’s Denis Cheryshev scored his country’s first own goal at a World Cup. It was Russia 2018’s sixth own goal, matching a record set at France 1998 ... Uruguay’s
Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are the only two players in their country’s history to score at three World Cups ... Russia’s 3-0 loss to close out the group stage was its largest defeat in World Cup history — including when it entered as the USSR ... Egypt’s Essam El Hadary,
45, became the oldest player to feature at a World Cup. Fifty-four players at this tournament weren’t born when the goalkeeper first appeared for his country in 1996 ... Saudi Arabia stopped its 12-match winless run at the FIFA World Cup ... Saudi Arabia became just the seventh side to field all three of its goalkeepers at the tournament ... There have been 20 penalties awarded at this World Cup, a total that broke the previous all-time high of 18.
HESAIDIT
A bold reporter here asked Suarez why he never smiles when his teammates score.
The Uruguayan talisman took off his translation headset and responded, “What a waste of time.”
To be fair, the question hardly seemed appropriate.