Ahmed Musa double hands Argentina boost with Nigeria victory over Iceland
Just when
it seemed that Iceland were crafting another masterclass in defensive
suffocation, despite a Volgograd evening hot enough to remind them of
their geothermal springs, Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa struck twice to derail
the dream. At a stroke, the complexion of Group D was transformed, while
the Icelandic fans’ much-loved thunderclap chant rang out, by the end,
with barely a fraction of its customary Viking menace.
For Iceland, alas, described by their own captain Aron Gunnarsson as
“everybody’s second favourite team”, the chance of a last-16 place
became slender at best. Nigeria, inspired by the irrepressible Ahmed
Musa, exploited their second-half lethargy with gusto.
It was a revelatory performance by Musa, who claimed a distinction here as Leicester City’s first World Cup goalscorer. The turning point came at half-time, when Nigeria’s players gathered in a huddle on the pitch, while their opponents ran back indoors to cool down.
The effect was instant, with Musa exemplifying a new-found purpose and hunger. First he caught Ragnar Sigurdsson dithering, seizing on Victor Moses’ pass to launch a strike beyond Hannes Halldorsson’s reach. For his second, he bolted down the left, turned sharply to befuddle Kari Arnason, and lashed a shot high into the open net.
The repercussions were felt far
beyond the confines of this stunning stadium, nestled in the shadow of
The Motherland Calls, Russia’s colossal monument to the Battle of
Stalingrad. Argentina, such strange underachievers at this World Cup so
far, were gifted an unexpected last chance to qualify, while Croatia
could be all but assured of starting the next round as winners.
It was a revelatory performance by Musa, who claimed a distinction here as Leicester City’s first World Cup goalscorer. The turning point came at half-time, when Nigeria’s players gathered in a huddle on the pitch, while their opponents ran back indoors to cool down.
The effect was instant, with Musa exemplifying a new-found purpose and hunger. First he caught Ragnar Sigurdsson dithering, seizing on Victor Moses’ pass to launch a strike beyond Hannes Halldorsson’s reach. For his second, he bolted down the left, turned sharply to befuddle Kari Arnason, and lashed a shot high into the open net.
Two years
on from the day that Iceland sealed their improbable advance to the
knockout phase of Euro 2016, they wobbled in the face of Nigeria’s
energy and endeavour. For all that Nigeria had been numbingly bereft of
creativity in their opening match against Croatia, they had lost only
through an own goal and a penalty, and last night they recaptured their
verve in open play.
Moses was switched to his favoured position on the right, where he has usually played for Chelsea, while John Obi Mikel, now chasing one final payday in China, relished his marshalling duties in the centre of midfield. “In the second half it was a different team,” Gernot Rohr, Nigeria’s German coach, acknowledged. “We realised that we needed to do much more. They key was to make more counter-attacks.”
Moses was switched to his favoured position on the right, where he has usually played for Chelsea, while John Obi Mikel, now chasing one final payday in China, relished his marshalling duties in the centre of midfield. “In the second half it was a different team,” Gernot Rohr, Nigeria’s German coach, acknowledged. “We realised that we needed to do much more. They key was to make more counter-attacks.”
The vast
travelling band from the North Atlantic had dared to expect more.
Astonishingly, almost 10 per cent of Iceland’s entire population of
334,000 was crammed inside the Volgograd Arena, with the supporters in
royal blue exhorting their team with unrelenting noise. They formed
quite a spectacle, touring the sights of Mamayev Kurgan, the city’s
memorial complex, and offered some extraordinary accounts of their
journeys. Two friends from Reykjavik had travelled all the way to
southwest Russia in a battered Lada. “You know the Vikings were great
explorers, sailors and fighters,” Gretar Jonsson, a film student,
explained. “So, we have a little bit of their desire to have an
adventure.”
In football, the Icelanders know all about what it means to be intrepid. They eclipsed every expectation two summers ago by beating England, before reaching a first World Cup atop a qualifying group that included Croatia, whom they must beat on Tuesday if they are to have any hope of extending their stay. Their coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, who famously moonlights as a dentist, was not about to sound too pessimistic at the prospect.
In football, the Icelanders know all about what it means to be intrepid. They eclipsed every expectation two summers ago by beating England, before reaching a first World Cup atop a qualifying group that included Croatia, whom they must beat on Tuesday if they are to have any hope of extending their stay. Their coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, who famously moonlights as a dentist, was not about to sound too pessimistic at the prospect.
“It was just not our day, in so many ways,” he reflected after this
defeat. “But we didn’t think we would go through this World Cup without a
loss. Now, we only need to beat Croatia, and while that is easier said
than done, we have beaten them once before in Iceland, and we finished
ahead of them in our group. We have played each other four times in four
years. We always say that we are like a married couple ‒ we try to
break up but we always get back together again.”
Hallgrimsson expects a bruising battle against the Croatians, likely to rest a couple of their stars, since Iceland have picked up a red card in three of the past four contests. One accusation that can never be levelled at his side is a lack of appetite for the fight. Although visibly wilting in these temperatures, they never stopped pressing forward even when 2-0 down, earning a late penalty thanks to a VAR replay that resolved a foul by Tyronne Ebuehi on Alfred Finnbogason in the area. But Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson could not grasp the moment, with his spot-kick sailing high into the stands.
While crestfallen, Iceland’s loyal disciples did not despair, sustaining their signature chant long into the night. There was, they recognised, still a mathematical chance of a reprieve. That was a truth not lost on Argentinian fans, either, however much Nigeria plan to spoil the party. Who will join Luka Modric in the second round: Musa, Messi or, just possibly, Hordur Magnusson? It promises to be a thrill finding out.
Hallgrimsson expects a bruising battle against the Croatians, likely to rest a couple of their stars, since Iceland have picked up a red card in three of the past four contests. One accusation that can never be levelled at his side is a lack of appetite for the fight. Although visibly wilting in these temperatures, they never stopped pressing forward even when 2-0 down, earning a late penalty thanks to a VAR replay that resolved a foul by Tyronne Ebuehi on Alfred Finnbogason in the area. But Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson could not grasp the moment, with his spot-kick sailing high into the stands.
While crestfallen, Iceland’s loyal disciples did not despair, sustaining their signature chant long into the night. There was, they recognised, still a mathematical chance of a reprieve. That was a truth not lost on Argentinian fans, either, however much Nigeria plan to spoil the party. Who will join Luka Modric in the second round: Musa, Messi or, just possibly, Hordur Magnusson? It promises to be a thrill finding out.
What next
These two
teams don't play again until Tuesday, when Iceland face likely group
winners Croatia and Nigeria play Argentina. The games happen
simultaneously so that nobody has an advantage in knowing the other
result before they play.
It's all to play for.
It's all to play for.
Something happens to Iceland at half time...
- First half shots: 13
- Second half shots: 4
- First half shots conceded: 11
- Second half shots conceded: 32
A game of two halves
All 16 of Nigeria's shots came in the second half. What a team talk it must have been.
Full time - Nigeria 2 Iceland 0
That's it. What a result for Nigeria and Group D has been blown wide open. With a game to go, this is how it looks:
That means Croatia have basically won the group. Nigeria, Iceland and lucky, lucky Argentina can all still make the next round.
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