Messi finally scores
ROJO CARRIES MESSI TO NEXT ROUND
Argentina advance at World Cup
FROM HIS thigh to his foot to the back of the net, Lionel Messi finally scored a goal at this year’s World Cup.
The exquisite strike from the Argentina great sparked the first of several celebrations from an animated Diego Maradona, who screamed, shouted and made obscene gestures – and raised concerns for his health.
Argentina staved off elimination with a 2-1 victory over Nigeria on Tuesday, getting a late goal from Marcos Rojo.
Messi’s goal – his 65th for Argentina – was surely enough to impress even Maradona.
From a long pass over the defence by Ever Banega, Messi caressed the ball with his left thigh, took another touch with his left foot, and then delivered a smooth right-footed finish into the corner.
Messi fell to his knees and pointed his fingers upward in celebration. At the same time, Maradona crossed his arms with his hands on his shoulders and looked to the sky.
“I knew that God is with us,” Messi said, “and he wouldn’t let us get eliminated.”
Messi, who later hit the post off a free kick, and Banega controlled the game in the first half. Rojo finished it off in the second by cushioning a volley with his right foot into the bottom corner and ensuring Messi’s quest for a first World Cup title continued.
Argentina will play France in the last 16 in Kazan on Saturday. If the Argentines win and Portugal beat Uruguay on Saturday, Messi would face Cristiano Ronaldo in the quarter-finals.
Without that late goal from Rojo, the 31-year-old Messi might have retired from international soccer for a second time – and for good this time.
FRANCE AND Denmark played to expectations to start yesterday’s Day 13 at the World Cup, delivering the tournament’s first goalless game after 36 other matches managed to produce a score.
It wasn’t hard to see it coming: France had already qualified for the knockout stage, and Denmark needed only a draw to join them and knock out Australia, who fell 2-0 to Peru anyway.
The real drama came later, when Argentina sneaked past Nigeria and into the round of 16 with a late goal for a 2-1 win, and Croatia sent Iceland home with a bruising – and nose-bloodying – 2-1 defeat.
The Argentina, Nigeria clash was a tense encounter and the South Americans sealed a round of 16 spot four minutes from fulltime when Marcos Rojo scored in the 86th to secure the win with a volley from the right to spark wild celebrations on the Argentina bench.
After Lionel Messi’s exquisite 14th-minute goal was cancelled out by Victor Moses’ penalty in the 51st minute, Argentina were in danger of being eliminated without winning in Russia.
It took an unlikely goal by Rojo – a centre back – to save Argentina and help the two-time world champions finish in second place behind Croatia in Group D.
Argentina will play France in the last 16 in Kazan on Saturday and Messi’s ambition of a first World Cup title is still alive.
The France, Denmark clash was the game no fan would want to watch.
SLOW PACE
They produced the World Cup’s first 0-0 draw amid boos and whistles from fans. The slowpaced game was out of step with a vibrant tournament. But it advanced both teams to the round of 16 unbeaten, with the bonus of no players suspended and no serious injuries. .
The draw would always have ensured that outcome, and became inevitable in the second half. Events elsewhere in Group C made this game all but irrelevant. Peru beat Australia 2-0 in Sochi at the same time, meaning the Danes would have advanced even if they lost to France before 78,011 at the World Cup’s signature Luzhniki Stadium.
Meanwhile, FIFA has fined two German football federation officials for provoking Sweden’s bench while celebrating victory in a World Cup game.
FIFA says Georg Behlau and Ulrich Voigt must each pay US$5,040 fines, and were reprimanded for their unsporting behaviour.
Apologies by the two men and promises not to work “within the stadium premises” when Germany play South Korea today were taken into account by FIFA’s disciplinary panel.
Germany beat Sweden 2-1 win with a winning goal by Toni Kroos deep into stoppage time last Saturday.