Messi’s Argentina on the ropes

NOVGOROD. - When the brutal indignity of it all had ended last night, Lionel Messi was the first off the pitch, his head down, casting just the briefest look behind him to be sure that others were following, because it was nothing less than an embarrassment.

A display of tactical and technical ineptitude which leaves Argentina’s presence, after a heavy 0-3 defeat at the hands of Croatia last night, at this World Cup in extreme peril and marks the end of a generation.

The team’s presence in Russia is hanging by a thread, though the inquisition into how a generation of gilded players has failed to lift silverware will run for years, along with question of why a manager tactically so unsuited to their talents came to be installed.

Not since a 6-1 defeat to Czechoslovakia in 1958 have Argentina lost so heavily in the group stage of a World Cup. But never have they suffered embarrassment like this.

On a day when Australia and Denmark drew 1-1 and France qualified after a 1-0 win, there had been the usual wild Argentinian bombast on the planes, the trains and the streets of this city all day, though it masked some existential questions about an ageing team which has not won a trophy of any description for 25 years and is being coached by a man, Jorge Sampaoli, whose pressing ethos runs against the nature of the players.

“I don’t know about shame, but I definitely feel pain,’’ said Sampaoli ‘‘It’s been a long time as a coach since I’ve been through this experience and it’s much more painful when I’m wearing the jersey of my country.

“I beg for the fans’ forgiveness. Especially for those that make the great efforts to travel and see Argentina. I am responsible for this result. I believe I did the best job I could and I quite simply did not find a way to give them what they wanted.

‘‘I think because of the reality of the Argentinian squad, it clouds Leo’s brilliance. Leo is limited because the team doesn’t gel ideally with him as it should.’’

Messi’s eyes - a struggle to raise a smile when he finally emerged - telegraphed the apprehension.

His individual struggle and penalty miss in the opening draw against Iceland has been the source of such a national inquisition that his mother has taken it upon herself to speak for him this week.

With Diego Maradona, Sampaoli’s arch critic, helpfully gesticulating up in the stands, the right wing back Eduardo Salvio was nowhere to be found in the game’s opening minutes as Ivan Perisic race down the left and dispatched a shot which Willy Caballero palmed away.

Eduardo Salvio crashed a shot over after another ball across the back line was allowed to run through to him.

The goal, when it eventually came, was as pitiful as the performance had been.

Caballero’s own anxiety had revealed itself early on, as he played out weakly to an unsuspecting Nicolas Tagliafico, who was nearly charged down by Mandzukic. But what transpired on 53 minutes was catastrophic - the Chelsea goalkeeper receiving a back pass as Croatia pushed up after a long ball and attempting to lift a return pass to Gabriel Mercado.

He succeeded only in delivering it up into the ambit of Ante Rebic, who span on it and sent back an imperious, dipping volley over the goalkeeper’s head.

Rebic should have been dismissed soon afterwards for a dreadful challenge on Salvio - for which VAR was not called in - and he was substituted because of it.

There were many Croatian heroes in this famous victory but Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic were the prime ones, calm and assured as they held the line.

The game had ten minutes to run when Modric finished it.

Again, no defensive cover where the right back should have been, from where the ball was delivered square for the Real Madrid player, who drifted easily inside Nicolas Otamendi and Nicolas Tagliafico and with his second touch arced a shot low to Cabellero’s right.

There was still time for Rakitic to curl a free kick onto Caballero’s cross bar and then for Rakitic to race through the space where a South American defence should have been, exchange passes with substitute Mateo Kovacic, and tap in a third. Ecstasy for Croatia.

An era-defining and era-ending defeat for the vanquished side. Mailonline.