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90 + 1: time out
Four minutes of extra time.
91: The bloody day of Mascherano
The bloody face of Mascherano will surely be superb in the photos. Nobody will remember his fault to give up the penalty.
90: Nigeria brings its offensive
Nigeria sends an attacker, Alex Iwobi, of Arsenal, to try to go back. But it's sure it's over.
Croatia helps
A second goal from Croatia to Rostov! It will end Iceland, so if Argentina is holding, they will have done it.
87: GOAL! Argentina Sauvé
Manchester United's defender Marcos Rojo suddenly appears on the pitch, beating Victor Moses and scoring a clear center. Argentina, right now, is through! The Argentinians burst into tears in the bleachers in an emotional flow. Messi is now running after each ball forward in a strong press of one man. He can taste the round of 16.
Challenges
A goal from Argentina here sends them through. No goal here sends them.
85 & # 39; Etebo Juuuust is missing
Etebo rattles the net – but the outside of it. And Argentina blurs the ground again …..
84: Dangerous free kick for Nigeria
After a shot from Ighalo smashed by Armani, Nigeria recovers and wins a free kick up the area. Looks like Etebo is going to take it.
82: Argentina takes a turn
Argentina grows and wins a corner. Eight minutes to do normally. Mascherano is now bleeding above his left eye. Another ugly corner by Argentina. So useless.
80º Aguero for Argentina
Here Aguero now, for Tagliafico – the defender. Higuain remains and then misses a guardian on the spot! Cut to Maradona, who can not bear to watch.
Higuain has a bad reputation like that; He could have won the 2014 World Cup final but failed to convert some opportunities, and Germany found a winner in extra time. It looks like the same mojo is back to work.
80: Cross goes nowhere
Thread the needle again. Messi one way or another keeps the ball in a scrum, and it comes out. Curled up, he misses everyone, however, and goes to Nigeria.
77 & # 39; No penalty on Argentina
Cakir saw the criticism and said no. And he gave a goal kick, not a corner, so Argentina gets out of it without a point. Sensational.
In a second angle, perhaps the one that Cakir saw, Rojo directs the ball directly onto his arm. The referee clearly decided that it was inadvertently.
76: Ball in the hand?
Argentina is making a mess now. They give the ball, creating a 2 against 2. Then, Rojo manages clearly trying to clear. The referee gives a corner, but Cakir has a voice in the ear telling him to take a look. And here he goes.
74:: Iceland creates even more stress
Penalty for Iceland in the game of Croatia. They equalize the score, 1-1.
73: Argentina Wasting Time
Two useless balls straight away from Argentina: a corner that hits the first man, and a ball on the left that darkens on the bottom line. They have no time to waste here.
72: Di Maria is going
There is your Argentine submarine: Di Maria off, Meza on. Expect a little more urgency from them now.
72: Nigeria hits, but misses
Wilfred Ndidi fired a long-range missile at the top bar, but he had a big open eye.
70s: Argentina needs something
Di Maria kicks the ball directly out of bounds. Argentina is backing up. No problem about it: they need a purpose.
68: Mascherano shoved
Mascherano has marks on his face that seem to have walked or something like that. He looks terrible. But he makes no sign to seek treatment or to withdraw.
66: Di Maria is not a factor either
Di Maria loses a hopeful ball on the left. He did not do much tonight either. Sampaoli probably needs some fresh legs to restart his team's engine here.
63: Higuain is not a factor
A recessed cross for Higuain misses him by five meters; it really did not have much impact tonight. You wonder when Dybala, or Aguero, will be sent to try to … something.
62: Best move for Argentina
Pavon has an immediate impact, emerges on the right and rolls in a low center that is sent for a corner. Argentina takes quickly, but then loses the chance with an off-target shot.
Matthew Futterman: Needing a purpose, how long does Argentina wait to bring Aguero?
60: Nigeria Hassles Messi
Nigeria has returned to the Surround Messi strategy now. Someone else may have to crack this opening. A moment ago, he was caught in a square of four Nigerians.
Argentina makes a change: Pavon for Perez.
55: Argentina looking for inspiration
The Argentinian fans burst into strong songs to try to revive their heroes while their World Cup is at stake here.
53: Help From Croatia
There is a lifeline for Argentina in Rostov: Croatia scored. This positions them to win the group, but it also means that an Argentine goal could send them,
Credit
Michael Sohn / Associated Press
51: GOAL! Nigeria equalizes
Moses caresses him as the guard dives to his right. DRAW!
50: Great luck for Nigeria
Cakir sticks to his call. Peine. Sensational. Great moment. Victor Moses stands above the penalty as a scramble bursts on the right.
49 & # 39; Penalty for Nigeria!
Mascherano is caught overthrowing a player and Cakir acts immediately. It was Balogun that he was holding there, but he left well. This could be ripe for a review.
46. Messi the chef
Interesting moments at half time. Messi has a long talk with Mascherano in the caucus, then calls the team together in a caucus and gives the floor to the team. Messi always seems more than a quiet leader, so seeing him educate everyone is remarkable.
Nigeria, by the way, sends Odion Ighalo, a former Premier League striker who is now playing in China, for Iheanacho, who took that kick in the lead before half-time.
Classification
Where are we in the standings? These results would get Argentina through. But a goal from Iceland places them in front of Argentina under the goal difference, so Argentina would need another. The objectives of Nigeria or Croatia further complicate the calculations.
Numbers
Argentina finishes the first half with 61% possession, a useful and fair figure. But it is their fight that is remarkable so far; the perception that they left Croatia clearly sparked something in their pride.
Interactive feature
Spot the ball
We shot some pictures of the group games and we made a very important change – we pulled the ball. See if you can guess where it was.
OPEN Interactive Feature
Half time: it's all Argentina up to now
Messi scores one and could have had two with the free kick of the post. It's a much better half for Argentina – surely the most determined and focused of the World Cup. And they are halfway to a job done in St. Petersburg: up 1-0, and in control for the most part.
Maradona's reaction to Messi's goal.#NGAARG #ARG #World Cup pic.twitter.com/0N42yqd52J
–
FIFA World Cup ™ (@WorIdCupUpdates)
June 26, 2018
45 + 2: One more chance for Nigeria
Mercado drops Musa on the left side, and Nigeria will have one last chance to serve this ball to their bigger players.
44: Iheanacho goes to bed
Rojo with an acrobatic spin clear, flying in the six with Iheanacho draped over him. The Nigerian rests on the grass while holding his head, but this looks like an accessory. (Note: accidental kicks to the face too.)
44: Passage at half-time
Argentina just arrived at half-time here – if the Nigerians were content to give them the ball for a minute.
42: Etebo makes flash
Musa gets rid of the clearance, and the ball falls on Etebo at the top of the surface. He struggled as if he had never shot, and his attempt at goal is at stake – the worst indignity for a professional.
Matthew Futterman: It's as if Nigeria was certain that bad Argentina was going to appear and now that precise mechanical Argentina has arrived, Nigeria has no answer.
41: Armani Erase One
Armani forced his area to win a run with Musa. It's not a comfortable sight if you're Argentinian, but it wins by half a step and pulls the ball clear.
39: Messi to Di Maria … Blocked
Messi and Higuain with excellent footwork in tight spaces to reach the top of the area, but without a clean look, Messi slips it on Di Maria. He waits a long time to shoot, and luck dies in the "hit-and-run" of a blocked shot.
36: Nigerian free kick
A Mascherano foul gives Nigeria the chance to make a free kick, but a header sends it right up and Armani is there to recover when he goes down.
34: Messi hits the post
Messi hits the post! A few centimeters of 2-0. Oh boy, did he come to play tonight? Uzoho was well beaten from the high shot on the left, but he hit the right post and bounced. On the rebroadcast, it looks like Uzoho had a finger or two on it. But I'm not sure it would have been clean anyway.
33: Free kick
It's a bad breakaway for Argentina – Di Maria takes it to the goal – and a good one for Nigeria, which stays at eleven. But it's not over yet: Messi will take the 20 meter free kick.
32: Yellow for Nigeria
Another SUPER ball from Banega launches Di Maria behind the defense, but Balogun tears his heels from behind !! It could have been a red one – it looked like the denial of an opportunity to score by the last man – but Cakir quickly pulled the yellow.
31: Will Argentina continue to pressurize?
If this score is valid, and the same is true in the other part (currently without goal) of the group, Argentina would have finished. But considering the turn of their tournament, expect Argentina to continue to squeeze a second, for a third, for more, until they know for sure that & # 39; They are in knockouts.
29: Nigeria's counterattack goes nowhere
A Higuain kick breaks a promising attack in the middle, but the Nigerian's long ball to try to start a counter goes directly to Armani in the Argentine part.
27 & # 39 ;: Another chance for Argentina
Messi's super ball to direct Higuain – it looked like it was in it! But Uzoho courageously charges and takes a in front of the team to smother the chance.
24:: The spreading
Argentina is working cleverly on the side of the ball on the side, trying to widen the Nigerians a bit and maybe opening a place in the middle for Messi and Co. to work. By the way, Messi became the first player to score a World Cup goal in his teens, twenties, and thirties. All a feat. He also joins Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta as the only Argentineans to score in three World Cups.
Matthew Futterman: Argentina seems to use the approach "the best defense is a good offense". They were a bit shaky and careless throughout the tournament and this continued tonight, but Nigeria was not able to charge them or even control the ball at all in the third offensive third.
22: Argentina maintains pressure
The Nigerian Uzuho, his 19 – year – old goalkeeper, shows his inexperience after his team has won a throw in his own end, sending him to explode for a long time, and instead he l? sends directly to the stands – sending him back to Argentina. The pressure will continue.
20:: The Nigerian Youth Index
Oghenekaro Etebo begging almost a yellow now; He pushed Di Maria to the midfield, did not like the call, lined up with Cakir and then threw the ball. Cakir takes pity on the young player, however, and gives him the "OK, we are not going to do this son" talk, and he spares the yellow. The Nigerian youth showed up a little there, but the veteran ref let them go.
18 & # 39; Relief for Argentina
This goal was really the first space Messi enjoyed all night, and he punished Nigeria for allowing it. The relief seems almost palpable. As they knew that they could do it now, that it could go on if they could continue like that.
17: DiMaria accelerates
DiMaria takes a shot at the ankle to win a free kick on the left, about 10 meters from the bottom line. He will take it himself.
Matthew Futterman: According to my estimates, 80% of this crowd wears a form of light blue and white. The Argentine base is like the faithful of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Give them credit, they travel. And now that they have an advance, they do not seem to have the intention of going home.
14 & # 39 ;: GOAL! Messi gives Argentina 1-0
It's the Messi who's shown to coach them at the World Cup, and he's there again to save them. A superb ball of Banega finds it at the top of the surface and he brings it back skillfully and bury it at the last post.
Messi falls on his knees to celebrate. Maradona gives thanks in prayer. Delirium in St. Petersburg. Oh, and the contact that he used to drop that ball? It belongs to a museum.
These two keys of Messi
Which ball by Banega #pulga pic.twitter.com/CoAB7jlpf6–
Bryce Badwan (@BBadss)
June 26, 2018
13: Mascherano is released
A brutal gift from Mascherano – this is twice now – but he struggles to smother Iheanacho at the first opportunity and is bailed out by a teammate to the second. Perhaps the fact that Argentina still relies on Javier Mascherano in central defense should be a more important issue than whether Messi cares or not. (Spoiler: It does a lot.)
11: No breathing room
Messi takes, turns two, gives it up, wants to get it back. He tries, but it is difficult to have room with a Nigerian wherever he turns.
10: Messi shows more energy
Messi on the left now, pressing. It has a little more fire than in the game of Croatia. This is a good sign, even if the attack that he tries fails there.
9: Musa takes a shot
Ahmed Musa takes a shot as he slips to the top of the zone, but his blowoff is very high. A bit close for comfort, maybe, but no real danger.
9: Messi Marked
Messi plays a little earlier in the center, probably to make sure he gets a little more ball than he did against Croatia. But Nigeria is wise and takes no chances. There is a player within five meters of him at all times.
7: Nigeria pulls the first
Oghenekaro Etebo just pulls from outside the penalty area, but a defender gets a leg on it.
1: Involve Messi
It takes less than 30 seconds for Argentina to find Messi, and it is clear that Nigerians have already been ordered not to be wrong: they immediately drop the 10 field players behind the ball. If Argentina wants to score, they will have to force them to open.
Matthew Futterman: I do not really know what to read, but Jorge Sampaoli, the coach from Argentina who apparently rebuffed a player 's uprising, chose to coach this match in a tracksuit. He had tight jeans and a blazer in the first game, then tight jeans and short sleeves in the second, and now he's dressed like a college gym teacher. I guess he's heading towards the end, he wants to be comfortable.
The starting lineup of Argentina
Goalkeeper: 12 Franco Armani (River Plate)
Defenders: 2 Gabriel Mercado (Seville), 17 Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), 16 Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), 3 Nicolas Taglafico (Ajax), 14 Javier Mascherano (Hebei Fortune)
Midfielders: 7 Ever Banega (Seville), 11 Angel di Maria (Paris St. Germain), 15 Enzo Perez (Boca Juniors)
Attackers: 10 Lionel Messi (Barcelona), 9 Gonzalo Higuain
The starting lineup of Nigeria
Nigeria will play in the 3-5-2 formation which will lead them to a 2-0 win over Iceland. If it's not broken …
Goalkeeper: 23 Francis Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna)
Defenders: 5 William Troost Ekong (Bursaspor), 2 Brian Idowu (Amkar Perm), 6 Leon Balogun (Brighton), 22 Kenneth Omeruo (Chelsea)
Midfielders: 10 John Mikel Obi (Tianjin Teda), 4 Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester), 8 Oghenekaro Etebo (Feirense CD)
Forwards: 7 Ahmed Musa (Leicester), 14 Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester), 11 Victor Moses (Chelsea)
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