Argentine Messi Stars in Draw
In his debut as a World Cup starter, Lionel Messi did everything but give Argentina a victory.
It didn’t matter. In a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands on Wednesday in Frankfurt, Germany, the Argentines confirmed their role as title contenders and earned a second-round match against Mexico.
Fielding four second-string players, Argentina showed its depth. The Dutch were less impressive as they head to a meeting with Portugal on Sunday in Nuremberg.
As Group C winner, Argentina now has a Latin American duel in Leipzig on Saturday.
As soon as 18-year-old Messi got going, there was little doubt who was running the show for Argentina. During the 69 minutes he played, he set up chances for teammates, tested the inexperienced Dutch defense and showed skills precious few players possess.
Even fewer at such a tender age.
When Messi was substituted, Diego Maradona led the warm applause from the stands.
All that time, Dutch winger Arjen Robben, the team’s star in its first two games, was on the bench, saving his strength for the second round. The Dutch sat five starters for the game, the Argentines four as both teams were already sure to advance.
In his Dutch record-tying 112th international, Edwin van der Sar produced the save of the match, a one-handed dive to swipe out a shot from Carlos Tevez in the 74th minute.
In the 10th minute, Messi spotted a run by Esteban Cambiasso and sent the midfielder through the heart of the Dutch defense, forcing defender Khalid Boulahrouz into a goal-saving tackle. In the 33rd minute, he set up Maxi Rodriguez on the right side, but his shot went into the side netting.
Just ahead of the halftime whistle, he took on the whole Dutch defense, and Messi’s 20-yard shot whistled just wide past goalie Van der Sar.
Iran 1, Angola 1 -- Angola’s first World Cup goal wasn’t nearly enough to send the Black Antelopes into the second round of the tournament. Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh scored the tying goal in the 75th minute for Iran in Leipzig.
Needing a win, a Mexico loss to Portugal and help on goal differential to move on, the Angolans couldn’t deliver the one part they controlled. They finished in third place in Group D with two points, one ahead of Iran.
Substitute Flavio gave Angola its first goal of the tournament when he broke free from Kaabi Hossein in the penalty box to head a cross from Ze Kalanga over goalkeeper Ebrahim Mirzapour and into the net.
Angola lost, 1-0, to Portugal in its opener before playing Mexico to a 0-0 draw.
Ivory Coast 3, Serbia and Montenegro 2 -- Another 2-0 deficit wasn’t enough to stop orange-clad Ivory Coast from stomping away in its elephant dance.
Taking advantage of two handballs by Milan Dudic that led to goals, Ivory Coast beat Serbia and Montenegro on Bonaventure Kalou’s penalty shot in the 86th minute in Munich.
Aruna Dindane scored the Elephants’ other two goals in a game as thrilling as it was sloppy, with thunder and lightning overhead and strong play by two teams that had already been eliminated.
The first penalty shot by Dindane, who played sparingly as a reserve in Ivory Coast’s 2-1 loss to the Netherlands last week, cut the Elephants’ deficit to 2-1. He then headed in the tying goal in the second half.
