TIGHT SQUEEZE
ST. PETERSBURG — Marcos Rojo scored on a wicked volley in the 86th minute Tuesday as Lionel Messi and Argentina escaped an early elimination from soccer’s World Cup by defeating Nigeria, 2-1.
Messi had scored his first goal of the tournament, but after a Nigerian equalizer early in the second half, time was melting away — on the game, on the fouryear campaign, and on Messi’s efforts to win his first World Cup title in perhaps his final attempt.
Just once in the previous 50 years had Argentina gone out in the group stage.
And then Rojo smoked Gabriel Mercado’s cross into the lower right corner, triggering bedlam in a pro-Argentine venue.
Combined with Iceland’s 2-1 defeat to first-place Croatia, Argentina (four points) leaped over the Nigerians (three) and Icelanders (one) to claim the second spot from Group D and advance to play Group C winner France on Saturday in Kazan.
Messi and his teammates lingered on the field for several minutes after the final whistle, soaking in the serenade from their supporters.
Argentine supporters had arrived by the train loads, spilling into the picturesque northern city and forming sky-blue ribbons of humanity along the canals and seawall holding back the Gulf of Finland from the $1.1 billion stadium.
In the wreckage of the
3-0 defeat to Croatia on Thursday, fury and disbelief spread back home and gloom descended on the campaign as rumours circulated that the players had turned on coach Jorge Sampaoli.
You wouldn’t have known of public discontent from the reception before kickoff, a jet-engine roar from some 30,000 indomitable supporters.
Faced with group-stage humiliation, Sampaoli shook up the lineup by making several changes, including his goalkeeper. Dreadful against Croatia, Willy Caballero was dropped in place of Franco Armani, who, at 31, had never before appeared in an international match.
With unconditional support from its fans, Argentina looked like its old self: quick, confident and dangerous. The opponent’s tactics helped; the Nigerians had no plans to sit back and counterattack. It’s not their nature, so predictably the match opened up.
And no one enjoys an open game more than Messi, who had been stalled in the first two matches by opponents’ airtight tactics and Argentina’s lacklustre performance.
The goal came in the 14th minute. Messi made his run behind a centre back. Ever Banega, who had played just 36 minutes in the previous two matches, picked him out by launching a long ball from the centre stripe.
With a cottony touch, Messi brought the ball down with his hip before creating enough space to rip an eight-yard, angled effort past goalkeeper Francis Uzoho and into the far corner.
Arms outstretched, he flashed a smile of both relief and happiness while he glided to the corner, dropped to his knees and thanked the heavens.
With it, he became the first player to score in a World Cup as a teenager, in his twenties and in his thirties.
Eight minutes later, on a free kick from 20 yards, Messi’s bending bid beat Uzoho but struck the far post.
The crowd chanted, “Mess-i! Mess-i!,” and bowed in unison.
Messi was back, and although spirits had been raised, Argentina scored just once.
The lead evaporated six minutes into the second half after Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir awarded Nigeria a penalty kick.
Gonzalo Higuain should have put Argentina ahead in the 81st minute but missed badly on a clear one-timer from 15 yards.
Then Rojo came to the rescue, ensuring Messi will have at least one more match on the sport’s biggest stage.