I was too engrossed in Greece and Samaras to write a blog about that game and it’s left me somewhat disappointed in the lads (see blog below). But today’s 3pm game should see some entertainment as Argentina take on Nigeria, and Diego Maradonna makes his first appearance as manager of his country at a World Cup finals. Argentina are the team I’ve backed to win this World Cup (would have been Spain but you don’t get good odds on that!) and they’ve looked good and relaxed building up to the tournament. Nigeria will be backed by a big African support however, and their team certainly has the quality to beat the South American’s. As ever I’m watching from England and this time it is on BBC, so we have the likes of Adebayor, Shearer and Hansen analysing. They weren’t very impressed last night after they had to sit through France V Uruguay. You can follow me @Clusks and any comments are welcome:
- BBC have Jurgen Kilnsmann in the studio, and show the final between Argentina and West Germany where Argentina boiled over. They have a video package on Nigeria which shows some of their great goals from their World Cup history with videos of eagles flying. Also managed to get that Nigeria fan who was wearing the pink bra in their video montage – I love the Nigeria fans, I’m on the lookout for some more funny antics from them in this game.
- They have to show Maradonna’s belly dive from the Peru game and all the pundits are having a laugh about the Argentina coach.
- Brilliant, they say they have been speaking to Nigeria captain Kanu about his nation’s chances at the World Cup and for about a minute it just goes to Kanu warming up on the pitch with no sound. This is sort of cheering me up after the Greek disappointment!
- Oh, but now they’ve shown highlights from the Greece game. My mood is all over the place – they’ve just announced Mick McCarthy will be the co-commentator here for the Argentina V Nigeria game – brilliant, let’s see if he can fit Wolves into this game some how.
- Key men: If Messi performs then it’s game over really for Nigeria. For Nigeria, Yakubu spearheads this attack, Obina has the pace to take on Newcastle United’s LEFT WINGER who starts at right back – Jonas Gutierrez.
Kick Off!
1 Min: Messi get’s his first touch of the ball and tries to thread through Tevez but it deflects back to the goalkeeper. A lot of expectation went up in the stadium when Messi touched the ball.
3 Mins: Nigeria chance as Obasi skins Guitierrez and blasts the ball across the goal. Mick McCarthy just said ‘well if that tells you one thing about Gutierez, he’s not a right back – that was too easy’. Nigeria could try to exploit their left wing.
4 Mins: Messi has ran through the Nigeria rearguard and played a ball square to Higuain who misses what was a really good chance.
6 Mins: Odiah gives the ball away and it’s passed to Messi who tries to curl the ball into the top corner but Enyeama leaps to tip it over the bar. Mick McCarthy says ‘giving that ball away was more like Odiah, oh dear!’ The rest of the world must be envious of our commentary. The camera has panned to the Argentina bench and there’s someone on it wh0 has barely took notice of the game.
7 Mins: GOAL! HEINZE: From the resulting corner, it’s played into the box where Heinze who is running from deep, scores with a diving header. Maradonna is jubilant, and the guy on the Argentina bench who wasn’t watching the game up until now has all of a sudden realised that there is a game being played. Argentina look amazing here.
9 Mins: Nigeria have a shot which Samuel deflects out for a corner, with the goalkeeper’s position, it could have deflected in. Mick McCarthy heaps praise on Juan Seba Veron, saying ‘I’m glad to see him back’. Maybe it’s not just Maradonna then…
- One of the reasons I love Mick McCarthy so much – click this.
15 Mins: I take back my sarcastic comments about Veron from the past year. Gutierrez passes to Veron who spots a lovely ball over the top to Messi who is charging forward at pace, Enyeama manages to get there first however, but it appears Messi is proving the doubters wrong. Also, it would appear that this stadium is filled with Argentina supporters as opposed to Nigerians. Oh, and a load of vuvuzelas.
18 Mins: The ball is played to Messi who has pulled out to Argentina’s left wing, but manages to get inside quite easily and takes a curling shot towards the bottom corner, but the Nigeria keeper again is forced to make the save. Nigeria seem like they’re a bit in awe of the South American’s here – as a Newcastle United supporter I can only wonder why they didn’t exercise their option to call up Shola Ameobi. Or as we know him in the North East – Goala Ameobi.
21 Mins: Another save from Enyeama who must be the most tired Nigerian player on the pitch! The ball is passed short to Tevez who manages to play a through ball to Higuain who is out on the right wing and gets a shot away which is straight at the ‘keeper. A few seconds later and it’s a corner to Argentina. From the corner Nigeria fail to pick up on Argentina players and are let off as the ball deflects off an Argentina body and goes over. Mick McCarthy points out how poor their set piece marking is by using the work marking five times in one sentence.
24 Mins: And there it is. The ball falls to the feet of Diego Maradona on the touchline and he gives a beautiful chip to the hands of Taiwo. More magic – even in retirement.
26 Mins: Nigeria get forward and a deflection drops to Kaita on the outside of the box who attempts to volley the ball. Poor shot, but I wanted to write something about Nigeria, as they’ve been anonymous! Nigeria fans still look jubilant however, great supporters!
28 Mins: Best chance for the African’s so far. From a poor freekick hit by Taiwo, there is a throw in that Nigeria work well, Yakubu hits a beautiful ball over the head of Gutierrez which finds its way to Obasi on Nigeria’s left wing. His first touch is poor and he can’t really get a decent shot away as it goes across the goalkeeper and out for a goal kick.
36 Mins: Not much is happening here in the past 8 minutes. All I can think of is, this really helps Samaras and Greece’s chances. At the moment it is looking like everyone predicted, it’s a fight between the other three for second place as Argentina are looking good for top spot. A shot of Maradona being held back by the fourth official – not sure what he’s complaining about here.
37 Mins: Just as I say that, Messi plays a short ball that is played back to him, and despite early praise for Taiwo, it’s his left back position that is getting exploited over and over as Messi has another curling shot that the Enyeama tips away once again. I think it’s time to finish this game off with the big guns. Get Palermo on Diego.
39 Mins: On the subject of how Argentina will play against the top opposition, Jonathan Pearces talks about the lack of pace at the back and Mick McCarthy suggests that any attack with pace may see Argentina attempt to ‘suck the opposition on’.
42 Mins: Poor tackle from Newcastle’s Gutierrez and he gets booked. Nigeria have a freekick deep in Argentina territory and thump the ball in which Romero punches out to safety. Nigeria don’t look dangerous at all here, it’s been really disappointing from the African nation here.
- Interesting stat here from OptaJoao, Messi has managed as many shots on target in 37 minutes as any team did in yesterday’s two games. Ridiculous.
Half Time!
- A freekick after another Messi move is poorly hit, and another ball over the top for Di Maria come to nothing, and the half time whistle blows, Argentina have dominated here and they should be more than one goal up. Mick McCarthy has worked his way up to the number two trending topic in the UK on twitter, not much love for the Wolves manager but I still think he’s commentary gold.
- The BBC team are talking about Maradonna’s half time team talk, i’d love to hear it. Shearer makes a good point, talking about the difference in relationship between the France and Argentina with their respective managers. Argentina love their manager, the French players don’t seem like they care. Jonathan Pearce lists Maradonna’s hall of shame achievements, talking about drugs, drink, running over reporters, fighting etc.
Second Half Kick Off!
48 Mins: Tevez just touched the ball. He’s hardly starred in this dominating display – I’ve barely heard his name mentioned! I wonder if Maradona will bring on one of his other world class strikers.
49 Mins: Argentina have loads of bodies forward, and Veron drills a ball in from the right which Messi gets a touch on but it runs past everyone and across the goal for a goal kick. In contrast, Obasi put a good cross in at the start of the half and Nigeria only had one person in the box, whereas Veron’s cross was awaited by about three or four bodies. Attacking commitment is the difference here.
52 Mins: Argentina get bodies forward again and Hugain wins a corner. From the corner, Nigeria’s zonal marking catches them out again and Samuel looks surprised that the ball reached his head as he heads over. Sub for Nigeria here, Obina has come off to no surprise, and on comes the man who loves to spend his money – Oba Martins. Good decision, he’s a bit of a hit or miss player but he can smash them into the top corner. It’s either that or they end up in row Z. BBC commentator believes that we’re on nine good chances for Argentina now, they’ve also got 55% of the possession, but I thought it would have been more than that.
56 Mins: Nigeria get forward and a good cross is put in again, but Nigeria players still seem reluctant to commit themselves, and Argentina are able to counter attack as the ball falls to Messi who plays an almost perfect ball through to Higuain, but a good tackle sees a corner given away which Nigeria somehow manage to get out via a dodgy keeper punch.
58 Mins: For all Argentina’s good play I’d take off Tevez or Higuain and stick Milito, Aguero or Palermo on as it just hasn’t been their day and they’re starting to get frustrated. Obasi comes off for Uzbekistan born Odemwingie. Nigeria have a long shot from Kaita that goes high and wide. Nigeria will be glad that Obafemi Martins looked dangerous running with the ball in that move, you can’t give him too many chances. Nigeria fans coming alive here as their team gets a bit of attacking play going. A cross comes after a Nigeria corner that Romero punches out – this is better from Nigeria!
63 Mins: Nigeria get a good freekick even though it looked like Demichelis got a bit of the ball – Mick McCarthy had nothing but praise for that tackle! It’s headed clear from Veron and Taiwo tries one of the most outrageous efforts you’ll see at this world cup, the most hopeful volley I’ve ever seen.
65 Mins: Nigeria have a corner after a good pass from Martins plays them in. A decent ball in is headed away, and all of a sudden after Nigeria had a bit of dominance, Argentina find themselves with four of the best attackers in the world against two Nigeria defenders. Tevez has his pick and finds Messi who attempts another placed shot which just goes wide.
66 Mins: Another chance for Argentina and Higuain, another save from Enyeama, and all of a sudden, Nigeria are on the counter attack with substitutes Odemwingie on the ball and Martins forward. Odemwingie has a good first touch but then his second is terrible and it goes out of play. He’s complaining at someone but I’m not sure who, he could have played that ball in to Martins but instead has wasted the chance. It’s getting exciting in this game, and Mick McCarthy has resorted to calling Odemwingie by his number after admitting he can’t pronounce his name.
70 Mins: Odiah plays a ball to Odemwingie that probably wasn’t intended for him. He holds the ball up well and plays it to Taiwo who’s ‘toe punt’ (as McCarthy describes it) threatens the goal but goes wide. Looks like that one hurt, although it might be a bit of cramp for Nigeria’s left back. Argentina need to get a second here, despite their dominance, Nigeria could easily nick a goal.
74 Mins: Jonathan Pearce scolds Maradona after seeing him demand a yellow card for Odemwingie commits a foul on Messi which is in a good position for Argentina. This came from Yakubu giving the ball away, but in his defence he was the only player running forward when they had the ball. Messi’s freekick is poor and it remains 1-0. Taye Taiwo has come off so it looks like a bad injury for the left back, Kalu Uche comes on in his place suggesting that Nigeria are going more attacking. Be surprised if this actually makes a difference considering how lacklustre they’ve been.
78 Mins: Romero, the Argentine goalkeeper, has actually made a save, as Oba Martins makes a good touch to set himself up, and blasts a shot at the keeper which he fists out. Finally, Higuain is coming off and Diego Milito comes on, a change I think should have happened 10 minutes ago in order to finish this match off.
81 Mins: Everyone is giving the ball away! The commentators have mentioned the A word (altitude) being a factor here. Saying that, Argentina have passed the ball around and it looked for all the world as if Messi was going to finish this game off, but Enyeama keeps it out again. McCarthy says he hopes Enyeama get’s man of the match, so expect a firm bid from Wolves for him in the coming days.
83 Mins: Chance for Nigeria. They get a few bodies forward and Uche is free in the box but snaps at a chance that should have been taken down and it goes over the bar. Head in hands for Nigeria players. Messi and Co. have went down the other end of the pitch but Nigeria defend. It’s becoming end to end here.
85 Mins: Nicolas Burdisso, who spent the season at Roma, comes on to play at right back, for Di Maria, suggesting Maradona will shut up shop here and they’ll take the 1-0 victory. Gutierrez goes to left back.
87 Mins: Yakubu turns and shoots from about 30 yards out, and it’s decent but more out of frustration from the Everton man. Still a bit of time left here, but Argentina are trying to kill this game off.
89 Mins: Both teams are exhausted here and Argentina are forcing Nigeria to chase the ball as they hold onto it. It’s like a kick about in the park now. All of a sudden though, Messi get’s a hold of it and plays a one-two with Milito and is almost in for a goal. Tenth corner for Argentina, as they look to keep it in the corner.
93 Mins: Argentina have defended well here and now have the ball. It’s basically over.
Full Time!
- It’s all over. Argentina are happy with the win but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the front two change in the next game. Messi has been amazing here and when the full time whistle went, Gutierrez let out a massive roar, while Maradona hugs and kisses all of his players. As an African nation, Nigeria have disappointed, and now their game with Greece next week becomes massive for both countries. A good game, and I’d give man of the match to Vincent Enyeama who was brilliant in goal, but having a goal keeper as man of the match isn’t what you’d want if you’re a Nigeria fan.
- South Korea V Argentina will be an interesting tie considering both teams have won and looked quite impressive. Obviously Argentina will be favourites, but unlike Nigeria you feel that Korea can put a chance away and there are some questions regarding Argentina’s defensive options. BBC have also pointed out a moment in the second half where it appeared that someone was using a laser pointer when Messi was taking a freekick. They didn’t really have much to say about it though as an awkward silence came over the studio. Hmmm.
- Enjoy England V USA later on everybody, I’ll be down the pub for that one! Thanks for reading.