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As a proud and aging Bantam boxer, Javier Mascherano ended Argentina's match against Nigeria's bloody but unencumbered.
Argentina managed to stay alive in the competition, beating the Super Eagles with a late Marcos Rojo strike on a night when so many roads led to their No. 14 veteran. Mascherano was a symbol of the night – for good and bad reasons.
Fifteen years ago, he made his debut in Argentina – even before playing a game for his club, River Plate. Argentina knew that they had something special, and in a year, it was impossible to imagine the national team without him. A decade and a half later, however, it can often seem difficult to imagine how it is still there. He held the flank together for years from his position in front of the four backs. It has been some time since Argentina produced quality goalkeepers, back sides and center backers. Indeed, it often seemed that the defense was maintained by a combination of duct tape and Mascherano.
Argentina's pioneered a way to the final of the last World Cup with a combination of Mascherano's class and lightning of Lionel Messi. As he was clear against Nigeria, Messi can still do his thing, while Mascherano can not do it anymore. His legs are gone and he is no longer able to protect this suspicious defensive unit. Croatia passed around him with embarrassing ease, and it was barely a barrier to the rhythm of the breakups of Nigeria, repeatedly beaten on the line by Ahmed Musa in the second half.
A clear question here is that no one has emerged to replace it, which is at the heart of Argentina's current problems. Between 1995 and 2007, Argentina won the Under-20 World Cup five times, and its team at this level produced a talented treadmill for seniors. Mascherano was one of them – just like Sergio Aguero, Ever Banega, Angel Di Maria and Messi.
Since 2007, however, the countries of Argentina under 20 have always been very poor. The production line has dried up, and the result is that Argentina has faced Nigeria, the youngest of the tournament, one of the oldest in the World Cup. If all went well with Argentine junior football, Mascherano would already be history. But for the duration of the tournament, it is really part of the present. And this, despite its age and error-prone performance, has its pluses.
The big one, perhaps, is out of the field. The short-term problem of Argentina has been the incompatibility between the pressing idea of Jorge Sampaoli and the resources at his disposal. Without the defensive pace to achieve his plan, the coach was completely lost, clutching new ideas as if everyone was a string that could open the parachute before hitting the ground. He had more theories than Darwin, with no obvious evolution.
After the 3-0 defeat against Croatia, the senior players, Mascherano obviously playing a leading role, imposed a dose of pragmatic good health on their coach. More than three at the back, more improvised wingers back. A basic four back and a conventional approach were what was needed to balance the attack with the defense.
This was part of the 11-hour remedy that avoided the humiliation of a first-round exit. Another part of the mix were the two wonderful goals, crushed at home by two left handed players: Messi and Rojo, the center back who found themselves in the center of the front at the crucial moment.
This decision is part of the rebellious spirit that Sampaoli paid tribute after the match – and it is a spirit that Mascherano continues to embody. For whatever his performance, even if it is discouraging, Mascherano has a characteristic that makes him love all coaches: he never hides, he is always there to accept the ball and take his responsibilities.
In its many flaws and its gutsy virtues, Argentina 's victory over Nigeria was achieved in the spirit of Javier Mascherano. But if this spirit will be enough to face the French Saturday in the round of 16, that's another matter.
Tim Vickery covers South American football for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @Tim_Vickery.
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