Argentina seek great escape

“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 at club level, Messi is still often c o mpa r e d unfavourably in his homeland for his inability to recreate Maradona’s success for the national team. Mess i l e d Argentina to the World Cup final four years ago and consecutive Copa America finals in the following two years, but all three ended in defeat. And his 31st birthday on Sunday only served t o highlight how time is running out for Messi to win a major international tournament. Without the five-time World Player of the Year, though, it is highly unlikely Argentina would even have qualified. Messi salvaged a disastrous campaign under three different managers with a hattrick away to Ecuador in the Albiceleste’s final qualifier. In their hour of need, Argentina need Messi’s best once more. “Leo is fine,” insisted veteran midfielder Javier Mascherano, who knows Messi better than most having spent eight years as his club teammate at Barcelona. “He is a human being who has his frustrations because things haven’t worked out, but so are we all. “Like it our not, we are the runnersup 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 a 1-1 draw with Iceland before failing t o make a n y meaningful impact in an errorstrewn Argentine display against Croatia. A month on from Messi’s rescue mission in Ecuador, he sat out a friendly as Nigeria beat Argentina 4-2 back in November to highlight how reliant even a squad containing Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala remain on their No. 10. “It is the most critical situation I have experienced, along with the Ecuador game,” said Argentina midfielder Lucas Biglia yesterday. “But sometimes you have to cling to something.” Argentina are clinging to the hope their captain bails them out again. The “Super Eagles”, though, are bouncing after a tactical shake-up following their opening defeat propelled them to a 2-0 win over Iceland and will not fear the illustrious rivals they have met five times in six World Cups. “We know we can do it, our confidence is coming back,” said coach Gernot Rohr. Rohr dropped the misfiring Odion Ighalo and Alex Iwobi after their opening loss to Croatia, and is likely to stick with Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho against the South Americans. – AFP/Reuters