Most American soccer followers went to mattress Monday evening able to skip Tuesday’s opening recreation. Better to get some sleep than watch a blowout when Argentina goes to be within the event for some time proper? Saudi Arabia entered Group C’s opening match as a +1800 underdog (per BetMGM odds) to win and gave up a aim to Lionel Messi within the tenth minute. Right the place the Saudis need to be.
In one of many largest upsets in World Cup historical past, Saudi Arabia scored two early second-half objectives to take down Argentina and put an enormous dent into the South American large’s possibilities of advancing to the knockout stage, a lot much less successful the entire rattling event.
“It is a very hard blow for everyone, we did not expect to start this way,” Messi stated after the sport. “Things happen for a reason. We have to prepare for what is coming, we have to win, and it depends on us.
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“There are no excuses. We are going to be more united than ever. This group is strong, and we have shown it. It is a situation that we haven’t gone through in a long time. Now we have to show that this is a real group.”
In a gaggle accomplished by Mexico and Poland, Argentina’s path to successful Messi his first World Cup in what’s seemingly his ultimate alternative simply received loads more durable. Saudi Arabia was written off as Group C’s punching bag, with Argentina simply advancing alongside another person. That script is over. It’ll take an enormous push for Messi and buddies to make the ultimate 16 now.
Multiple Argentina objectives had been taken off the board by VAR, with every of these callbacks being inches from standing. That’s why the largest event on this planet has assist from video officers, to get the calls proper. And with these appropriate choices, Argentina is on the unsuitable aspect of one of many largest upsets in World Cup historical past.
“We have to get up,” stated Argentina coach Coach Lionel Scaloni after the loss. “It’s a sad day today but we need to have our heads up and continue. We are hurt but we need to turn things around and win our next games.
“We continue to believe the same as we did before. The World Cup has this, you can be infinitely superior, and things don’t go your way.
“Fortunately, we have two group games, and we are going to get it done.”