Argentina’s Russia 2018 campaign got off to a disappointing start due to a 1-1 draw with overachieving minnows Iceland, yet they weren’t the only ones to let down fans as eternal rivals Brazil also slumped to a stalemate of the same score with Switzerland and their 2014 conquerors Germany were beaten 1-0 by Mexico in the biggest upset of the tournament thus far. The Argentine press and public could care less about what happened elsewhere however and, as soon as the final whistle had blown on Saturday afternoon, began dissecting La Albiceleste’s performance.
‘Crisislandia’ was the headline sports daily Olé decided to run, a play on words with the Spanish translation of Iceland (Islandia) suggesting that Argentina now inhabit a terrain of catastrophe. It did however come to Messi’s defence, recalling past tournaments such as Brazil 2014 and the 2016 Copa America in which the Barcelona craque was marked by four or five players at any given moment, before criticising his teammates. “How many options to pass did he have when suffocated by various markers?” it begged.
“The hit of reality that obliges recalculations” declared La Nacion, who predict that Sampaoli will make various changes in his tactics and choice of players for a must-win showdown with Croatia later this week. Foreign sources, though close to the Blaugrana star, also chimed in. “With Messi only is not enough” stressed Catalonia’s Mundo Deportivo, who claimed that the number 10 is “La Albiceleste’s only argument.”
The public were no more forgiving. “We didn’t beat 11 sea-lion poachers” cried one user on Twitter, where a meme did the rounds for fans to match the last digit of their telephone number and their date of birth to generate an insult for the oft-targeted Gonzalo Higuain. “I love you Kun” began another. “Two more goals and I’ll introduce you to my mother-in-law, who weighs 120 kilos” it was joked.
Quite simply, all parties concerned expect more. As The Independent’s Ed Malyon quipped on Twitter: “Argentina’s attack is like its culture and patriotism, strong and impressive. Its defence is like its economy, weak and prone to implosion.” If progress is to be guaranteed, vast improvements are required from Sampaoli and his men while finishing in the top two of a group also containing Nigeria could result in a showdown with front-runners France, Peru, Denmark or Australia and then possibly Spain, Portugal or cross-border foes Uruguay.
