If there is one flaw in Lionel Messi’s genius, it might be his failure to score penalty kicks in big games.
Add Messi’s saved attempt against Iceland on Saturday at the FIFA World Cup to misses for Argentina in shootouts for the Copa America title, and for Barcelona in a Champions League semi-final match that was later lost.
At least Messi’s miss in the 64th minute at Spartak Stadium — his fourth in his last seven penalty attempts for his club and his country — was not in a losing cause. A 1-1 draw with impressive World Cup newcomer Iceland is far from a fatal blow to Argentina’s chances of advancing from a well-balanced group that also includes Croatia and Nigeria.
Photo: AP
“It hurt missing the penalty. It could have given us the lead and that could have changed the match,” Messi said. “It would have changed their game plan, too. They probably would open a little bit more and we could get more space.”
Messi’s tally of 11 shots, only three on target, and no goals was curious.
The score was already 1-1 when Argentina was awarded the penalty after Hordur Magnusson’s tumbling fall over Sergio Aguero as both chased Messi’s floated cross. Messi placed his shot to the right of Hannes Halldorsson, but the Iceland goalkeeper dived and got two hands behind the ball.
Photo: AP
“I did my homework. I looked at a lot of penalties from Messi,” Halldorsson said. “I had a good feeling that he would go this way today.”
Messi had a final chance to redeem his team with the final kick of the game, but his free-kick from 23m failed to clear a solid defensive wall. It summed up the entire second half of resolute hard work by Iceland.
At the end, Messi retreated alone into the center circle with his head bowed and hands on his knees.
The Argentina great, considered by many to be the best player of all time, has missed more than 20 penalty-kicks in his career.
“That’s just another statistic, it’s part of the past,” Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli said of Messi’s latest miscue.
Iceland could have taken an early lead on Saturday, but Birkir Bjarnason side-footed a shot wide of goal when goalkeeper Willy Caballero was exposed.
Aguero then scored in the 19th minute. Spinning off a defender with his back to goal at the penalty spot, Aguero moved to his right and hooked his left foot around to send a rising shot high into the net.
It was a finish worthy of Argentina great Diego Maradona, who was watching in the VIP seats. The FIFA ambassador was puffing a large cigar despite smoking being banned in all World Cup venues.
However, Iceland was level four minutes later when Alfred Finnbogason scored after Argentina goalkeeper Willy Caballero pushed a low cross into the forward’s path for a volley from 7m.
FRANCE 2, AUSTRALIA 1
Technology twice helped France on Saturday as the 1998 champions labored to beat a gritty Australia 2-1 in their opening game.
The French team were given a controversial penalty kick, eventually converted by Antoine Griezmann in the 58th minute, after the referee watched the replay of a foul on the sideline.
Paul Pogba later scored the winning goal in the 81st minute, and goal-line technology was used to confirm that the ball had crossed the line after bouncing down off the crossbar.
“I’m not going to complain about the use of video today,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “It helped correct a mistake.”
Pogba had been unimpressive until the goal, but the Manchester United midfielder set up a 1-2 with substitute Olivier Giroud and beat Australia goalkeeper Mat Ryan to give France the victory.
Australia captain Mile Jedinak had briefly equalized from the penalty spot in the 62nd after France defender Samuel Umtiti handled the ball in the area.
After a balanced first half in the Group C match at the Kazan Arena, France was awarded the first penalty following a VAR review. After checking images of a tackle from behind by Joshua Risdon on Griezmann, referee Andres Cunha pointed to the penalty spot.
“When I received the knock, I believed there was a penalty,” Griezmann said. “The referee did not blow his whistle, so I moved on with that. But when he went to see if there was a penalty, I immediately thought about how I would take it.”
Griezmann hit a powerful shot that left Ryan stranded, four minutes before Jedinak then sent France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris the wrong way to put the teams level following Umtiti’s clumsy foul.
France had controlled possession and circulated the ball well before halftime, but after four shots in the first eight minutes, the French failed to get a single shot on target in the remainder of the first half.
DENMARK 1, PERU 0
Kasper Schmeichel’s slew of saves made Yussuf Poulsen’s opportunistic second-half goal stand up in a 1-0 victory over Peru on Saturday.
“It’s good to have a good goalkeeper, let me put it that way,” Denmark coach Age Hareide said. “He is acrobatic and a very quick goalkeeper.”
Poulsen squeezed his goal between charging Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and the left post in the 59th minute after collecting an accurate pass from midfielder Christian Eriksen.
“This was a very emotional game for me, especially because I made the penalty,” Poulsen said. “It seemed I was going to be the villain here, but at the end I scored and became a hero.”
Appearing at the World Cup for the first time in 36 years, Peru had overwhelming fan support in the Mordovia Arena and the bulk of scoring chances, including a late first-half penalty shot that Christian Cueva sent sailing over the cross bar.
Peru striker Paolo Guerrero made his much anticipated appearance as a substitute with about 30 minutes to go and had two scoring chances, one on a header and one on a clever back-heel that rolled just wide.
CROATIA 2, NIGERIA 0
Luka Modric set up one goal and scored another from the penalty spot on Saturday to give Croatia a 2-0 win over Nigeria.
“We scored at the perfect moment. After that it was easier for us to play our game,” Modric said. “After the first goal we started creating chances.”
The Real Madrid midfielder sent in a corner that was headed by two Croatians and then deflected into the net by Nigeria midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo in the 32nd minute.
Modric then converted a penalty in the 71st after William Ekong held onto Mario Mandzukic.
“We have the youngest team,” Rohr said. “Let them learn from this match, from this defeat.”
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