Argentina on Tuesday rescued their World Cup hopes in dramatic fashion as defender Marcos Rojo scored a stunning volley to snatch a late 2-1 win over Nigeria and set up a last-16 match against France.
Lionel Messi set the two-time winners on their way with his first goal in Russia, but Victor Moses equalized from the penalty spot and as time ticked away, the increasingly ragged South Americans appeared to be heading home.
However, Rojo made a surprise appearance in the box to turn home a cross from Gabriel Mercado with a crisp side-footed volley in the 86th minute to send the Argentine fans in St Petersburg, including legendary 1986 World Cup winner Diego Maradona, into raptures.
Photo: Reuters
A highly emotional Maradona rushed to the front of the VIP box where he was watching and gave a one-fingered salute with both hands and shouted an obscene insult.
Maradona later became unwell and a video emerged of him being helped by two people in his entourage into a chair. Photographs showed the 57-year-old being tended to by paramedics, although Argentinian daily Ola reported he later went to his hotel.
Argentina’s escape came after Rojo came close to having a penalty awarded against for handball minutes earlier until he was saved by a controversial video-assisted review.
Photo: EPA
“It is marvelous to have won it in this manner. It is a deserved joy,” Messi said in quotes on Argentina’s Twitter account. “We knew God was with us and wasn’t going to let us go out.”
At the drama played out, 1,500km away in Rostov-on-Don, Croatia snuffed out the challenge of Iceland, scoring late through Ivan Perisic to seal a 2-1 win and complete a perfect group stage.
Croatia are to face Denmark in the first knockout round in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday, but Nigeria and Euro 2016 surprise package Iceland are to head home.
Croatia took the lead thanks to a slick second-half volley by Milan Badelj. Gylfi Sigurdsson equalized from the penalty spot before Perisic struck late.
Croatia were already through to the last 16 and coach Zlatko Dalic rested most of the side that thumped Argentina 3-0, with only captain Luka Modric and Perisic keeping their places.
“Our goal is achieved,” man-of-the-match Badelj said. “We are top of the group and we are ready to compete in the second round of the World Cup. Now we can concentrate on preparations for the knockout stage.”
Earlier, France and Denmark produced the first goalless match of the tournament in front of 78,000 spectators in Moscow.
Didier Deschamps rested goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and midfielder Paul Pogba among six changes and his side struggled to create any clear-cut chances against a determined Denmark.
Deschamps quickly switched his focus toward what he called the “second competition” after the uninspiring contest.
“There’s a second competition that’s going to start, the last 16 is straight elimination,” said the coach, who must now prepare his players to face Messi and Argentina. “There’s a mountain in front of us now, but we’re there and we’re full of ambition to get to the next stage.”
Australia are to go back to the drawing board after they ended on the bottom of Group C with a solitary point following a 2-0 defeat to Peru, who are also heading home.
Andre Carrillo and Paolo Guerrero, the veteran who was only cleared to play days before the tournament after having a ban for taking cocaine lifted, scored in Sochi.
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