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Argentina’s World Cup officially starts with the round of 16

By Clemente Lisi

ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA JUNE 26, 2018: Argentina's national football team - Javier Mascherano, Marcos Rojo, Franco Armani, Gabriel Mercado, Nicolas Otamendi (L-R back), and Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Ever Banega, Enzo Perez, Angel di Maria, and Nicolas Tagliafico (L-R front) - pose for a photograph before the kick off of a First Stage Group D football match between Nigeria and Argentina at Saint Petersburg Stadium (Krestovsky Stadium) at FIFA World Cup Russia 2018; Argentina won 2-1. Alexander Demianchuk/TASS (Photo by Alexander DemianchukTASS via Getty Images)
ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA JUNE 26, 2018: Argentina's national football team - Javier Mascherano, Marcos Rojo, Franco Armani, Gabriel Mercado, Nicolas Otamendi (L-R back), and Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Ever Banega, Enzo Perez, Angel di Maria, and Nicolas Tagliafico (L-R front) - pose for a photograph before the kick off of a First Stage Group D football match between Nigeria and Argentina at Saint Petersburg Stadium (Krestovsky Stadium) at FIFA World Cup Russia 2018; Argentina won 2-1. Alexander Demianchuk/TASS (Photo by Alexander DemianchukTASS via Getty Images) /
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Argentina’s heart-stomping victory against Nigeria could be a prelude of more to come. Here’s what they need to do against France.

Ponder this fact for a moment: Argentina have already gotten further at this World Cup than defending champions Germany.

While you let that sink in, it’s also time to consider that Argentina’s World Cup officially starts on Saturday against France. The round of 16 game at Kazan Arena in Kazan can very well be the start of something new. For an Argentina team that have come close to tasting success in recent years — then seemingly collapsing once in Russia — anything can happen following last Tuesday’s great escape against Nigeria.

La Albiceleste will need to ditch the Houdini act. Manager Jorge Sampaoli needs to settle on a starting lineup and formation. He’ll need to pick a starting goalkeeper. He’ll need to instill a better mentality. He’ll need to make sure his players remain a team, not a collection of individual stars.

All these issues may have already been ironed out in the 2-1 win against Nigeria. Sampaoli should go with what works. Very little has worked for this team in recent years. Argentina almost missed out on the World Cup, only qualifying on the final day against Ecuador after Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick. Once in Russia, the team drew with Iceland 1-1 (after Messi had a penalty saved) in the opener and were thrashed by Croatia 3-0 in the following game.

Argentina need to be at their best against France. The time for massive mistakes and experiments is over.

“I know who [France] are and I know what we have to do,” Messi told reporters. “It’s going to be a very tough game.”

Defender Marcos Rojo, the unexpected star against Nigeria when he scored the winning goal four minutes from time, summed it up best: “Now the World Cup starts for us.”

Let’s look first at what has worked for Argentina. Messi appears to be comfortable again after scoring his first goal of this World Cup against Nigeria. The midfield also looked strong, primarily because Ever Banega, who assisted Messi’s goal, was impeccable when it came to drawing players and supplying teammates with passes. Angel Di Maria was also effective on the wing and was able to maintain possession for long periods. Even Gonzalo Higuain was a welcome sight, although he missed too many chances.

Overall, the team showed the type of hustle that would narrow the talent gulf against any opponent. Players ran down after every ball and tailed opponents at every chance. It was a team effort. It showed that playing like a team could help Argentina achieve even more success, against France, and potentially in the quarterfinals against the winner of Uruguay-Portugal.

While a Messi showdown against his rival Cristiano Ronaldo is salivating, Argentina need to take it one game at a time, one half at a time.

The defense still makes too many mistakes, even though Javier Mascherano remains one of the toughest defensive midfielders currently playing the game. The backline, however, is still too lackadaisical, something they can’t afford against counter-attack specialists such as France, and the goalkeeper position remains shaky.

The 31-year-old Franco Armani, uncapped going into the Nigeria match, appeared up to the task. The River Plate keeper was better than Chelsea backup Willy Caballero, who Sampaoli had initially entrusted with guarding the goal, after his blunder gifted Croatia the opener in that 3-0 defeat.

Argentina could very well win the whole thing. Italy had a similarly disastrous first round at the 1982 World Cup, then put together a run that included defeating Brazil, Poland and West Germany in the final to win the World Cup.

Next: Hierro’s Spain have work to do

Then again, Messi could very well play in his final match for Argentina against France. He and millions of his countryman would like nothing more than to see him play another day. They players performed when they had their backs to the wall entering the Nigeria game, but France are a better team.

Argentina have had their share of mediocre tournaments in the past. In 1990, Argentina, then the defending champions, also had a poor group stage and went on a run that resulted in a defeat in the final. While not playing well, Diego Maradona and his teammates were able to navigate tougher opponents, like Italy in the semifinals.

The knockout round at the World Cup is a very different beast to the group stage. Teams have only 90 minutes, and in some cases 120 and a shootout, to advance to the next round. That 1990 tournament run came to a dismal end against West Germany and left Maradona in tears after a 1-0 defeat.

Messi, too, could end up in tears at this World Cup. They could very well be tears of joy by the time this whole thing comes to an end.

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