Messi comes out flying as Argentina brush aside Algeria in opener
Argentina made a winning start to the defence of their world title. Up against an Algeria side that showed no fear from the first whistle, the Albiceleste took control and ran out 3-0 winners in Kansas City on Tuesday night. It was built around one man, of course: Lionel Messi, who scored all three goals.
The Fennecs held firm before the world champions took over
The scoreline might suggest a comfortable night for Argentina. It was anything but. In the opening minutes, Algeria played with real intent and even thought they had grabbed the lead through Farres Chaibi. The flag went up. Messi had already felt that same sting moments earlier. It made no difference in the end, though, with the world champions steadily finding their rhythm.
As the match wore on, Argentina’s control grew. Cleaner in possession, sharper in the press, Lionel Scaloni’s team slowly suffocated their opponents. Algeria, so lively early on, lost their bite and stopped troubling the South Americans. From there, it became a familiar Argentina story: keep the ball, kill the game, wait for the moment to strike.
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Messi adds another chapter to the legend
At almost 39, Lionel Messi is still collecting records like most players collect caps. On his 200th appearance for Argentina, the captain struck three times. First with a finish only he seems capable of producing. Then by pouncing on a rebound in front of goal. And finally with a precise effort from the edge of the box that sent the Argentina fans in Missouri wild once again.
The hat-trick takes him to 16 World Cup goals, drawing him level with Miroslav Klose at the top of the all-time scoring list in the competition. Beyond the numbers, Argentina will simply be relieved to have got their title defence up and running. There were a few early alarms, enough to remind everyone that no World Cup match is ever a stroll. But when Messi is in this sort of mood, the rest tends to look far too easy.
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Photo credit: JUAN MABROMATA / AFP
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