World Cup 2018: Group D Last Games Review

With the last fixtures in each group being played this week, the World Cup games are getting a bit more exciting. All the trash teams like Australia (no offence) who have unnecessarily taken up 90 minutes of our time are being swept aside and the teams we expected to progress are advancing to the round of 16. Let’s review the last games in group D.

Group D

If you had seen Argentina in the qualifiers you knew they were and still are a bad team. I was not surprised when Croatia beat the crap out of them, I was only shocked that is was only 3.

Argentina aren’t a good as some people think, they have its-only-matter-of-time-till-he-makes-a-mistake defenders, below average midfielders, and a few talented players, the most talented of all being Lionel Messi. The only medal missing from Messi’s cabinet is a World Cup gold* and many people thought this would be the tournament he gets it.

Croatia are a good team with plenty of talented players, Nigeria and Iceland were the teams likely not to make it out of this group but like I said before this World Cup has showed us less talented, well-organised teams can compete with the big boys.

*okay, so he doesn’t have a Copa America gold medal either but no one gives a crap about that.

Nigeria 1 – 2 Argentina

Argentina came into this game with just 1 point, they needed a win an Iceland draw or loss against Croatia. Nigeria had 3 points and felt a draw would be enough to see them through.

Argentina made changes to the side that got choked slammed by Croatia 3-0. They brought in Ever Banega into the first team who, in the 14th minute, found Messi for the first goal of the game.

I have to say Argentina looked mediocre but Nigeria chose to play this game defensively playing with 5 defenders and 11 men behind the ball at all times.

BIG FUCKING MISTAKE

It got to the break 0-1 and Argentina were conformable.

Nigeria won a penalty early in the 2nd half thanks to Javier Mascherano ‘Strictly Come Dancing‘ routine on Leon Balogun. Moses converted.

Nigeria then made their mind up to defend the draw.

Another… BIG FUCKING MISTAKE.

In the 86th minute, from a cross, Rojo (out of all people) found himself free in the Nigerian box to pass the ball into the net with his weaker right foot. 1-2 Argentina.

https://streamable.com/zfeug

I can’t believe how stupidly Nigeria played this game. First the defending for in the first 45 minutes, then the defending even deeper after scoring the goal. Argentina did get assistance from the VAR

https://streamable.com/xuku5

But, Nigeria have no one but themselves to blame.

Iceland 1 – 2 Croatia

Iceland knew that a win would most likely see them through to the last 16. They came out guns blazing from the opening whistle causing all sorts of problems for Croatia with their set pieces.

In the second half, against the run of play, Croatia found the back of the net. Iceland pushed and got a penalty after a handball by Dejan Lovren. Gylfi Sigurdsson smashed it into the roof of the net.

After hearing about Argentina’s late goal of the other side of the country Iceland went all out for a winner but their eagerness to score left them open at the back, Ivan Perisic found himself free in the Icelandic area and finished the job.

Croatia have won three consecutive World Cup matches for the first time.

 

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