The Crossbill Sports Desk
Argentina wrapped up their Group J campaign with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Jordan in Arlington on Saturday (June 27), with Lionel Messi once again finding the scoresheet and extending his remarkable World Cup record despite starting on the bench.
With qualification for the knockout stages already secured, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni opted to rest his captain from the starting lineup.
The defending champions, however, showed little dependence on their talisman in the opening hour. Giovani Lo Celso put Argentina ahead in the 19th minute with a well-taken free-kick before Lautaro Martinez doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 31st minute.
Argentina appeared to be cruising until Jordan's Musa al Tamari pulled one back in the 55th minute, injecting a brief sense of uncertainty into the contest. But any hopes of a comeback were extinguished after Messi was introduced in the second half.
The 39-year-old made his impact count in the 80th minute, curling home a trademark free-kick to register his sixth goal of the tournament and the 19th of his World Cup career. After being fouled just outside the penalty area, Messi stood over the ball from a familiar position. Jordan erected a solid defensive wall while goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila carefully organised his defenders and covered the far post.
Instead of sending the ball over the wall, Messi opted for a low strike to the goalkeeper's left. Abulaila, anticipating a different trajectory, was caught flat-footed as the ball nestled into the net, sparking celebrations among the crowd in Texas.
The goal carried additional significance, making Messi the first player in history to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches.
It also placed him alongside Brazilian legend Rivellino, France's Bernard Genghini and England's David Beckham as only the fourth player to score two direct free-kicks in World Cup history.
Messi's previous World Cup free-kick had come during the 2014 tournament when he scored twice against Nigeria in a 3-2 group-stage victory, helping Argentina on its run to the final.
More than a decade later, the Argentine captain continues to rewrite the record books as his side heads into the knockout rounds with growing momentum.
With qualification for the knockout stages already secured, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni opted to rest his captain from the starting lineup.
The defending champions, however, showed little dependence on their talisman in the opening hour. Giovani Lo Celso put Argentina ahead in the 19th minute with a well-taken free-kick before Lautaro Martinez doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 31st minute.
Argentina appeared to be cruising until Jordan's Musa al Tamari pulled one back in the 55th minute, injecting a brief sense of uncertainty into the contest. But any hopes of a comeback were extinguished after Messi was introduced in the second half.
The 39-year-old made his impact count in the 80th minute, curling home a trademark free-kick to register his sixth goal of the tournament and the 19th of his World Cup career. After being fouled just outside the penalty area, Messi stood over the ball from a familiar position. Jordan erected a solid defensive wall while goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila carefully organised his defenders and covered the far post.
Instead of sending the ball over the wall, Messi opted for a low strike to the goalkeeper's left. Abulaila, anticipating a different trajectory, was caught flat-footed as the ball nestled into the net, sparking celebrations among the crowd in Texas.
The goal carried additional significance, making Messi the first player in history to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches.
It also placed him alongside Brazilian legend Rivellino, France's Bernard Genghini and England's David Beckham as only the fourth player to score two direct free-kicks in World Cup history.
Messi's previous World Cup free-kick had come during the 2014 tournament when he scored twice against Nigeria in a 3-2 group-stage victory, helping Argentina on its run to the final.
More than a decade later, the Argentine captain continues to rewrite the record books as his side heads into the knockout rounds with growing momentum.
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