On the brink, reeling Argentina handed a final shot at salvation
All eyes will be focused on Messi as South Americans battle Nigeria
ST. PETERSBURG — After being held to a draw by Iceland and humiliated by Croatia, Argentina’s World Cup could already have been all but over.
With national pride hanging in the balance, Lionel Messi and the rest of Jorge Sampaoli’s under-fire squad have one final shot at redemption against Nigeria on Tuesday.
Victory against the Africans, who Argentina has beaten in all four previous World Cup meetings, will secure qualification for the last 16 as long as Iceland doesn’t shock alreadyqualified Croatia.
Even if Iceland claims its first-ever World Cup victory, Argentina could still progress on goal difference.
However, bouncing back will take a huge improvement in performance and strength of character so far unseen from the two-time world champion in Russia.
The Argentina federation was even moved on Saturday to confirm that Sampaoli would continue for the final group game among rumors of a rift between players and coach.
“I get the feeling there’s a general anger at the heart of the team,” said Argentina’s legendary 1986 World Cup-winning captain Diego Maradona.
“I’m furious and very upset inside, because anyone who wore that shirt can’t see it being trampled like that by a Croatian team that isn’t Germany, that isn’t Brazil, that isn’t Holland or Spain.”
For all his heroics with Barcelona, Messi is still often unfavorably compared in his homeland for his inability to recreate Maradona’s success for Argentina.
Messi almost single-hand- edly led the squad to the World Cup final four years ago and consecutive Copa America finals in the following two years, but all three ended in defeat.
Time running out
His 31st birthday on Sunday only served to highlight how time is running out for Messi to win a major international tournament.
Without the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, though, it is highly unlikely Argentina would even have qualified.
Messi salvaged a disastrous campaign under three different managers with a hat-trick against Ecuador in the Albiceleste’s final qualifier.
In its hour of crisis, Argentina needs Messi’s best once more.
“Leo is fine,” said Hebei China Fortune midfielder Javier Mascherano, who was Messi’s teammate at Barca for eight years.
“He is a human being who has his frustrations because things haven’t worked out, but so are we all.
“Like it or not, we are the runners-up from the World Cup and we have to show it.”
So far in Russia, Messi has been held scoreless.
He missed a penalty among 11 unsuccessful shots on goal in the 1-1 draw with Iceland before failing to make any meaningful impact in the 3-0 loss against Croatia.
A month after Messi’s rescue mission in Ecuador, he sat out a November friendly as Nigeria beat Argentina 4-2 to highlight how reliant even a squad containing such coveted attacking talent as Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala remains on its superstar No 10.
“It is the most critical situation I have experienced, along with the Ecuador game,” said Argentina’s AC Milan midfielder Lucas Biglia on Sunday.
“But sometimes you have to cling to something. We know what we have to do.”