Lionel Messi misses penalty and can't succeed even once in his record attempts at the goal in a World Cup game as debutants Iceland hold Argentina 1-1 in thrilling contest
Lionel Messi reacts during Argentina's World Cup tie against Iceland on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images
Lionel Messi missed a penalty as Iceland grabbed a deserved 1-1 draw with two-time World Cup winners Argentina on Saturday. Sergio Aguero's opener was cancelled out by Alfred Finnbogason's predatory finish before half-time as the smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament made a stirring debut on football's biggest stage.
And Hannes Halldorsson joined Finnbogason in the country's footballing folklore by thwarting Messi from the penalty spot in the second half to preserve a memorable point.
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Iceland's fans provided a raucous pre-match build-up in Moscow, singing "Eg er kommin heim" [I have arrived] and finishing with their trademark Viking clap, and Everton's Gylfi Sigurdsson took their first shot within 10 seconds. As promised by coach Jorge Sampaoli, Lionel Messi went where he pleased, darting and probing, while Iceland did what their manager Heimir Hallgrimsson pledged, no man-marking assignment on the mini maestro, just gang-tackling.
One-sided possession
Despite the one-sided possession statistics the sides traded near misses, with Aston Villa's Birkir Bjarnason having the best of them when he dragged a shot just wide.
So it seemed when Aguero, with his back to goal on the penalty spot, stopped a hopeful Marcos Rojo daisy-cutter with one touch and swivelled to smash a left-footed drive into the top corner.
But all week Iceland have been telling people their Euro 2016 win over England was not a miracle, their group-topping qualification was not a shock and their place here is entirely in keeping with their FIFA ranking.
They backed up those claims when Sigurdsson's cross created panic, Hordur Magnusson picked up the loose ball on the right and fired it hard and low towards Caballero's goal.
The Chelsea goalkeeper dived bravely at the feet of several onrushing players but could only palm it to Iceland's lone striker Finnbogason, who calmly volleyed home. Barely a quarter of the way through, the game was already shaping up as a classic.
Breathless first half
The rest of the half continued in this vein. Messi was menacing, Iceland unbending. As so often after a breathless first 45, the second half started slowly. But on 62 minutes Messi found himself in space on the left and spotted Maximiliano Meza charging into the area. Magnusson, who only had eyes for the ball, was ruled to have bundled Meza to the floor. Surely this was Messi's moment.
Halldorsson, a part-time film director, had his own script in mind and the Randers FC 'keeper flung himself to his right and made his mark on World Cup history. Messi was not finished, though. A wave of his left foot sent the ball whistling just wide with 10 minutes left and then in stoppage time he went right and flashed a shot past the other post.
By this stage, Iceland were massed in their defensive third. When the final whistle blew that Icelandic volcano in the corner of the stadium erupted: they have arrived.
Also Read - FIFA World Cup 2018: Lionel Messi Misses Penalty As Argentina Draw With Iceland
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