World Cup: Group D: Nigeria vs. Argentina, Iceland vs. Croatia, 6/26/2018

[Dr Pepper]

Argentina should consider themselves very lucky to escape with the win there.

 

[Chandrashekhar Limit]

What did Messi get the yellow for?

Great job by Armani

Time wasting

 

[Shrimper]

Uruguay v Spain followed by France v Argentina

 

[The Moose]

Please stop showing Maradona in slow motion.

 

[Bon Esprit]

France v Argentina

Two massively underwhelming teams so far.

Wich teams weren't underwhelming? Belgium and England come to mind,This WC is really bad so far.

 

[maclean]

Argentina needs to fire Sampaoli regardless of outcome. If, in his own words, Messi is the one who sets up the team then they a)dont need him and b) he is detrimental with his team decisions.

But I dont recall a team ever firing a coach going into the R16

He also has a five-year contract with quite a solid salary and if they fired him now they'd have to pay out something like EUR 17 mil

 

[NyQuil]

Wich teams weren't underwhelming? Belgium and England come to mind,This WC is really bad so far.

Croatia.

 

[Live in the Now]

Wich teams weren't underwhelming? Belgium and England come to mind,This WC is really bad so far.

Good quality and entertaining games. Other nations are getting better for sure.

Horrible top teams tbh. Constant bad performances from them. Could see any number of teams winning it.

 

[robertmac43]

those jerseys deserve at least the round of 16 :p

 

[SenorDingDong]

It's criminal if Higuain, Di Maria or Meza start the next game.

What Samp sees - We won a game with Higuain, Di Maria and Meza starting! They must start every match now. Send Dybala home, not needed.

 

[Halladay]

We could get Messi vs. Ronaldo.

 

[Live in the Now]

We could get Messi vs. Ronaldo.

Yep. In the QF.

Sorry France and Uruguay but fully rooting against yous now.

 

[Bon Esprit]

Croatia.

correct, but aren't considered a top side, but still.

 

[IamNotADancer]

We could get Messi vs. Ronaldo.

Put money on it, because the way both teams are playing right now, the chances of this happening are almost astronomical.

 

[le_sean]

France who have scored 3 goals in this tourney? A dubious penalty and two off of flukey deflections? That's your powerhouse?

Not saying they're not going to win but there will not be any destruction going on.

You mean a team that easily won their group with their top striker not playing his best and essentially coasting through the last game with half of their starters on the bench. Argentina needed to play with 5 forwards just to score a 2nd goal against Nigeria. Couldn’t even beat Iceland. Murdered by Croatia. Yeah, France will eat them alive.

 

[Savi]

What a weird, chaotic game.

Those fans were amazing btw. So many Argentina fans, almost felt like this game was played in Buenos Aires

 

[SenorDingDong]

My top 3 teams so far are Belgium, England and Croatia. Nobody else has really impressed.

Though France has made it through while looking like they have barely tried so far. Doing the bare minimum, taking a page from Italy's book.

 

[Live in the Now]

You mean a team that easily won their group with their top striker not playing his best and essentially coasting through the last game with half of their starters on the bench. Argentina needed to play with 5 forwards just to score a 2nd goal against Nigeria. Couldn’t even beat Iceland. Murdered by Croatia. Yeah, France will eat them alive.

Both teams didn't beat anyone of value.

France is the better team, Argentina has the better player. The better player can often decide these games. I would bet on France though.

 

[Dr Pepper]

I'd put France over Argentina as well. Going to be a short honeymoon, methinks.

 

[maclean]

You mean a team that easily won their group with their top striker not playing his best and essentially coasting through the last game with half of their starters on the bench. Argentina needed to play with 5 forwards just to score a 2nd goal against Nigeria. Couldn’t even beat Iceland. Murdered by Croatia. Yeah, France will eat them alive.

While it's a fair assessment, France has yet to be really challenged, so it's hard to say how they will rise to one (though also whether Argentina will give them one)

 

[NyQuil]

My top 3 teams so far are Belgium, England and Croatia. Nobody else has really impressed.

I wonder if we would be saying the same if England and Belgium had faced off first.

Some teams faced off against the best group competition in their first match.

As it stands, Belgium and England played two very weak sides.

 

[Live in the Now]

While it's a fair assessment, France has yet to be really challenged, so it's hard to say how they will rise to one (though also whether Argentina will give them one)

Messi will. Whether or not the rest of the team does is a totally different story.

Mascherano plays as horrible as that, it doesn't matter what Messi can do, they'd lose.

 

[Ivan13]

correct, but aren't considered a top side, but still.

And England and Belgium are?

 

[ViD]

What a weird, chaotic game.

Those fans were amazing btw. So many Argentina fans, almost felt like this game was played in Buenos Aires

The arena hold about 65k, looks like at least 40k from Argentina

 

[maclean]

Messi will. Whether or not the rest of the team does is a totally different story.

Mascherano plays as horrible as that, it doesn't matter what Messi can do, they'd lose.

Don't underestimate his ability to strike fear with his living dead impression