Argentina 1-1 Iceland: 3 things we learned

Argentina and Iceland played a tight match on Saturday at Spartak Stadium in Moscow. Here are three things we learned from the Group D game.

It was an overall disappointing day for Argentina as the two-time World Cup champions could only muster a 1-1 draw against tiny Iceland, who were making their all-time tournament debut. Both goals came in the first half, while the second 45 minutes was highlighted by Lionel Messi’s missed penalty kick. For Iceland, the draw was historic.

1. Messi needs his teammates to step up

The Argentine may be the best player on the planet, but no one can go it alone. OK, so Cristiano Ronaldo did it Friday night in Portugal’s 3-3 draw against Spain. Nonetheless, this isn’t the time or place to debate who is the better player. Against Iceland, Messi needed more support from his teammates. It’s the kind of support, both from the midfield and on the wings, that he typically gets at Barcelona. Despite Argentina having 34 training sessions together over the past 20 days, there appeared to be a disconnect.

Sergio Aguero, who scored the game’s opening goal with a brilliant finish, had tallied 30 goals for Manchester City this season, while Angel Di Maria netted 21 for PSG. You wouldn’t have known that for the way the Albiceleste frontline played for most of the contest. Di Maria did nothing and was eventually subbed out. Gonzalo Higuain, who rode the bench for most of the game, came in too late to do anything.

It also didn’t help that Messi had his penalty kick saved in the 64th minute. Messi could have won it in stoppage time, but his shot went high over the crossbar. These are the moments where the best players have to shine. It’s also true that Iceland played with eight players behind the ball at various times throughout the match. That made it nearly impossible for Messi to break through, but Argentina had the edge in possession and when it came to overall talent that it should have played better than it did.

2. Argentina’s defense may be worse than we thought

Down 1-0, Iceland didn’t give up. It also didn’t help that the South Americans were all over the place in the back. It’s true that Iceland’s goal was a result of a mix-up between the defenders and goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero. It was Gylfi Sigurdsson’s low cross that turned into a shot from the right of the box that Caballero failed to properly smother. That’s when the ball fell to Alfreo Finnbogason, who calmly slammed it home from six yards out.

The fear on the eve of this tournament was that Jorge Sampaoli’s team had some defensive deficiencies and it showed. Argentina were lucky that Iceland’s offense isn’t as strong as some of the other teams in this group. Argentina will definitely need to improve this coming Thursday against Croatia.

Next: Lionel Messi’s last stand

3. Iceland prove again they can grind out results

Iceland made a name for themselves at the European Championship two years ago and this team have only improved over the past two years later. One really has to wonder now whether this is a team that can reach the knockout stage if they’re able to put together a repeat performance of the Argentina match.

Iceland used their height, physicality and counter-attack to frustrate Argentina for 90 minutes. This is a team that has gotten experience and it showed here. After Aguero scored in the 19th minute, Iceland tied the score just four minutes later. They showed no fear. Although they stopped attacking midway through the second half, Iceland absorbed the pressure well as it tried to grab a point.

In defense, Iceland triple-teamed Messi, something they could afford to do since Di Maria and Argentina’s other attackers did so little. Birkir Saevarsson’s ability to strip Messi of the ball in the 79th minute from just yards out was a brilliant play. Iceland should be proud of their performance. While Iceland’s Russia 2018 dream remains alive, Argentina’s nightmare may be just beginning.