Blame it not on Messi but midfield

Only one team showed up at Nizhny Novgorod on Thursday night: Croatia. And the LM10 who made the difference was a man who answers to the name of Luka Modric. Argentina lost not because Lionel Messi didn’t get enough of the ball but because their midfield caved in.

The whole point of playing three defenders is to be able to dominate the middle third and Argentina were simply overrun in that area. Javier Mascherano has had many great moments for Argentina but he has outlived his utility. Argentina also couldn’t prevent Modric from playing balls in the space where full backs would be playing. They were exposed by the fourth minute and Croatia could have put the game to bed even before Willy Caballero’s howler. The collapse of the midfield also meant that transition from defence to attack wasn’t happening fast enough for Argentina. A swift switch from back to front and not a tapestry of passes usually fetches goals and on that count Argentina floundered.

The great expectations on Argentina seem totally misplaced after a performance this shambolic. Caballero’s error was the last straw that broke the camel’s back and though Argentina could still get out of jail, they need to figure out a way to play Paulo Dybala and Messi. And they could take a number of tips from Croatia on how to be resolute in search of a win. Tactics, formation and finesse help you win, not frenzied running without purpose.