Established 1961 Sport WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018 Iran coach Queiroz blasts VAR as Jos Buttler to open for Dull Danes and flat French play 25Ronaldo escapes sending off 26 England in Australia T20 27 out mutually beneficial 0-0 draw Rojo rescues Argentina from early exit Nigeria denied a second penalty after a controversial VAR review SAINT PETERSBURG: Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi (C) and Nigeria’s midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo watch the ball during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group D football match between Nigeria and Argentina at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg yesterday. — AFP SAINT PETERSBURG: Marcus Rojo’s stunning finish group game. However, Argentina avoided the abyss by Novgorod five nights ago, but he was back to close to his But he couldn’t recreate those heroics as Nigerian four minutes from time kept Lionel Messi and Argentina’s the skin of their teeth to fight another day against the Barcelona best at the heart of all Argentina’s best moves defenders swarmed around him everytime he was hope- World Cup hopes alive to see off Nigeria 2-1 yesterday highly-fancied French in Kazan on Saturday. in a positive first 45 minutes. fully shovelled the ball by Argentine team-mates. and set up a last 16 meeting with France. Sampaoli made five changes from the Croatia game, Higuain just couldn’t flick the ball beyond the onrush- There was further VAR controversy when Nigeria Messi’s first goal of the tournament got the two-time with veterans of the Albiceleste’s run to the final four ing Francis Uzoho from a defence splitting pass before were denied a second penalty when Rojo headed onto his winners off to a perfect start in Saint Petersburg, but years ago Gonzalo Higuain and Angel di Maria returning, Uzoho then tipped a Messi free-kick onto the post. own arm before substitute Odion Ighalo fired wide. Victor Moses’s 51st minute penalty had Jorge Sampaoli’s but it was the recall of Ever Banega in midfield that pro- Argentina escaped just before the break when no penalty Ighalo missed another glorious chance when he shot men headed for a humiliating group stage exit until Rojo’s vided the launchpad for Messi. was given for Rojo’s high challenge on Kelechi too close to Armani and Nigeria were made to pay for late intervention. The Sevilla playmaker was restored to bring some Iheanacho. their profligacy from the most unlikely source. The Manchester United defender, who had escaped order to an Argentine midfield overrun by Croatia’s Ivan Nigeria felt that injustice was rectified just five min- Sergio Aguero had been thrown on from the bench to conceding a second Nigerian penalty moments earlier Rakitic and Luka Modric and proved his worth inside 15 utes after the break, though, when this time Turkish refer- join Messi and Higuain in attack, but it was Rojo who after a controversial VAR review, thundered home minutes. ee Cuneyt Cakir did point to the spot when Javier produced a striker’s finish on his weaker right foot to Gabriel Mercado’s cross to send the under-fire Banega’s brilliant pass over the top of the Nigerian Mascherano tangled with Oghenekaro Etebo at a corner. spark delirious scenes of celebration among the tens of Sampaoli running down the sidelines amid wild scenes defence picked out Messi’s run perfectly and, after cush- Moses confidently stepped up to send Franco Armani thousands of Argentines in the stands. of celebration. ioning the ball on his thigh, the five-time world player of the wrong way on his international debut and Argentina Chief among them was legendary 1986 World Cup Messi missed a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Iceland and the year erased the frustrations of his World Cup so far back to square one. Messi produced a magical perform- winning captain Diego Maradona who reacted by raising was largely bypassed in a 3-0 thrashing by Croatia that with an arrowed right-foot finish into the far corner. ance in Argentina’s final qualifier with a hat-trick in the middle finger of both hands in just his latest contro- saw calls for Sampaoli to be sacked before their final Modric claimed Croatia “cut off Messi” in Nizhny Ecuador just to get his country to Russia. versial moment as a spectator in Russia. — AFP top spot, Croatia dominated early on, with Real first ever World Cup victory to have a chance of Iceland crash out Madrid pair Modric and Mateo Kovacic dictat- advancing and, urged on by fans chanting their ing the tempo without creating clear chances. famous Viking thunderclap, almost equalised Midway through the period it was the Nordic within minutes. of World Cup side, who had beaten Croatia in qualifying for First, a flick-on from another Gunnarsson Russia, who took control, threatening from set- long throw found Sverrir Ingason whose header pieces and interceptions. was tipped over by Kalinic. Moments later after Croatia loss On 25 minutes a trademark long throw from Ingason, who plays for Rostov, went even closer Iceland captain Aron Gunnarsson was headed but his header hit the crossbar. dangerously across the goalmouth by the indus- On 73 minutes Bjarnason fluffed a close- ROSTOV-ON-DON: Croatia secured first trious Magnusson. Everton’s Sigurdsson tested range opportunity but Iceland’s lifeline arrived a place in Group D yesterday after a hard-fought Lovre Kalinic from a free-kick, while Birkir minute later when Dejan Lovren handled a cross 2-1 win over gallant Iceland in Rostov, setting up Bjarnason, who suffered a nosebleed early on, by Sigurdsson in the penalty area. a last-16 tie with Denmark. While most eyes had shots blocked in quick succession. Sigurdsson had ballooned a penalty over the were on Argentina and their do-or-die match Just before the break, a drive by Alfred bar against Nigeria, but this time dispatched his with Nigeria in Saint Petersburg, Croatia Finnbogasson whistled past the post. Then on shot into the roof of the net with Kalinic diving wrapped up top spot in Group D in Rostov-on- the stroke of half-time Gunnarsson forced an the wrong way. But as Iceland strained for the Don thanks to a slick second-half volley by acrobatic save from Kalinic. Ten minutes into the winner and a berth in the last 16 it was Croatia Milan Badelj and a late strike by Ivan Perisic, second period the match turned when who threatened, free-kicks by Perisic and sandwiching a penalty equaliser by Gylfi Fiorentina striker Milan Badelj first clipped the Rakitic worrying Halldorsson. Sigurdsson. bar with a long-range drive, then made no mis- Then on 90 minutes, Perisic delivered the Croatia were already through to the last 16 take a minute later. final blow. Sent into space on the left of the area ROSTOV-ON-DON: Croatia’s midfielder Mateo Kovacic (L) vies with Iceland’s and coach Zlatko Dalic rested most of the side The 29-year-old got his right foot over a the Inter Milan winger blasted a shot that ended that thumped Argentina 3-0, with only captain deflected cross and fired a superb volley wide both the game and Iceland’s World Cup and put midfielder Emil Hallfredsson during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group D foot- Luka Modric and the winger Perisic keeping of Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson to Croatia through to a match against the Danes in ball match between Iceland and Croatia at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-On- their places. Needing a point to make certain of give Croatia the lead. Iceland had to claim their Nizhny Novogrod on Sunday. —AFP Don yesterday. — AFP.