Argentina 1, Switzerland 0: Messi and Di Maria breakthrough in extra time

They survived. One of the tournament favorites didn’t play an immaculate game, getting stretched to the limit by an organized Swiss team that refused to die.

In the end a moment of genius from Lionel Messi was the difference. For an Argentinian side that displayed little cohesion, it was always going to be on Messi.  

The Goals

GOAL! Angel Di Maria (ARG) 118 min. Argentina’s game plan was a jumbled mess, but “give the ball to Messi” ended up working. The Barcelona star garnered the attention of Swiss players as he strode towards the Swiss goal. Fabian Schar dove in with a tackle but that didn’t stop him. Messi looked up and saw Di Maria unmarked on his right. The 26-year-old made no mistake.

The Man of the Match - Diego Benaglio

Like Guillermo Ochoa before him, Diego Benaglio was the star in a losing effort. A series of spectacular saves kept the Swiss in the game as the Argentinians set up camp in the attacking zone. In total the Argentines registered 29 shots and eight on target. The majority of the latter were threatening strikes that required Benaglio’s protection. He nearly scored the goal of the tournament as extra time wound down and Switzerland trailed, attempting an audacious bicycle kick that, if successful, would’ve blown up the internet forever.  

The Controversy

Listen, we all have our own styles. Some of us like to wear overalls, baseball hats or even suspenders. That’s cool. To each their own.

Rodrigo Palacio’s rat tail isn’t a style. It’s an abomination that needs to be eradicated. Palacio’s standing as important veteran on Argentina is in jeopardy the longer he keeps this atrocity on the back of his head. Someone needs to step in.  

What did Argentina do to win?

Alejandro Sabella’s game plan remains a mystery. Overload the right side? Sure, but there they ran into Ricardo Rodriguez, Switzerland’s fantastic left back. Gonzalo Higuain and Ezequiel Lavezzi were very ineffective, showing how big a loss Sergio Aguero is going forward.

In the end it came down to Messi and Di Maria doing something special. Messi nearly broke the game open with a daisy cutter in regular time that required a fantastic save by Benaglio.

Argentina’s defense was strong, but Switzerland’s toothless attack, led by Josip Drmic and Haris Seferovic provided zero hold up play whatsoever.

The Takeaway

Argentina, like Brazil, came into this tournament as the co-favorites. Like Brazil, Argentina hasn’t looked that impressive compared to teams like Colombia, France and the Netherlands.

That doesn’t matter now, as Argentina is safely in the quarterfinals. They’ll be the favorites in that clash, but their lack of cohesion upfront is a worrying sign as the business end of the tournament approaches.

The 1,000 Words

Heartbreak 

Joy

Stray Thoughts

Roger Federer could barely watch as his countrymen nearly achieved the impossible. Tough one, Roger. Now go win Wimbledon.

Xherdan Shaqiri, the Swiss Messi, was lively again. He created a wonderful chance for Granit Xhaka in the first half. Sergio Romero made a big save but Xhaka should have done better. 

Playing all over the pitch and attacking with glee, Shaqiri warranted the comparison to Messi on this day. 

Drmic had the miss of the day, launching an awful, awful chip attempt on a breakaway that softly fell into the hands of Romero. 

Higuain's header with a half hour remaining might have been Argentina’s best chance but Benaglio, like he did  all game, stood tall. 

Lavezzi was thoroughly disappointing, but the entire Argentine squad displayed a lack of cohesion. Relying on Messi can only push them so far. 

What was Argentina’s game plan? I honestly have no idea.

All seven group stage winners advanced to the quarterfinals prior to Belgium's clash with the United States.