Iceland ready for ‘game of our lives’
gelendzhik — World Cup debutants Iceland are ready for the “game of their lives” against Argentina in their Group D opening clash on Saturday, said midfielder Rurik Gislason on Thursday.
“For us this is the biggest game of our lives, our first ever game in the World Cup, the biggest tournament of all,” Gislason said. Before leaving the team’s Black Sea coast base at Gelendzshik to travel to Moscow, squad members sounded optimistic. “Argentina may have a better team on paper but we have showed before that we can get results against big teams,” said Gilason.
The smallest nation ever to play at a World Cup has a big start against Lionel Messi in Moscow on Saturday.
Just don’t expect Iceland to be at all intimidated by Argentina and their superstar forward, going by their European Championship debut two years ago. Then, the world’s other best player, Cristiano Ronaldo, reacted badly to Iceland’s come-from-behind 1-1 draw with Portugal. Frustrated by an organised and disciplined opponent, Ronaldo sneered at Iceland’s post-game celebrating by a team “not going to do anything in the competition.”
Iceland, of course, advanced to the quarterfinals and went global as a feel-good story in France. Now they can no longer surprise, and have embraced their first challenge.
“You can’t have a better welcome,” coach Heimar Hallgrimsson said. “There are a lot of romantic things in our heads now we start to play Argentina.” Whatever the result, Iceland will leave some of their best performance for the end, led by captain Aron Gunnarsson.
Gunnarsson, whose usual long red beard lends him a Viking warrior look, begins the post-game, slow-building clapping exchange between teams and fans that is now their trademark. Expect a significant percentage of Iceland’s 330,000 population to join in during the Group D match. Argentina have support from fans whose singing has helped create a noisy atmosphere in packed late-night streets off Red Square this week.