FIFA World Cup™ 2018: Nigeria 1 -2 Argentina FT

[sinequanon]

One thing: Argentina did not outplay us.
We actually had more shots on goal and for the most part Argentina did not penetrate our defence. They had just 8 shots on goal, 4 on target. We had 9.

I feel that if Rohr had subbed the visibly tired Idowu with Ebeuhi we would have won this game.
Or at least subbed in Iwobi or Ogu for Musa to help Idowu on the left.

I also feel that if we had taken or started any other striker than Ighalo we would have had a great chance to get 9 points. Kayode? Umar? Simy? I don't know who, but playing a non-scoring striker was the beginning of our end.

Also - Iwobi is a must. How can a player so pivotal to out qualification be relegated to bench duty?

It took two very good goals to beat Nigeria. Nothing for anybody to complain about.

Easy goals did not come for Argentina, so the defence did a commendable job. The Argentine goals were not down to defensive/tactical error. They were just brilliantly taken on the day.

Nigeria had chances. (Also learned how to flop realistically to the ground in the penalty area. VAR FTW ) Another day the game could go another way. Nigeria certainly showed up the bravado (probably media generated, rather than popular Argentine sentiment), for what it was.

Nigeria did well. Head up. No bad blood. No ill will towards Argentina. Next horizon. Build on a decent foundation.

[camex]

One thing: Argentina did not outplay us.
We actually had more shots on goal and for the most part Argentina did not penetrate our defence. They had just 8 shots on goal, 4 on target. We had 9.

I feel that if Rohr had subbed the visibly tired Idowu with Ebeuhi we would have won this game.
Or at least subbed in Iwobi or Ogu for Musa to help Idowu on the left.

I also feel that if we had taken or started any other striker than Ighalo we would have had a great chance to get 9 points. Kayode? Umar? Simy? I don't know who, but playing a non-scoring striker was the beginning of our end.

Also - Iwobi is a must. How can a player so pivotal to out qualification be relegated to bench duty?

Another day the game could go another way. Nigeria certainly showed up the bravado (probably media generated, rather than popular Argentine sentiment), for what it was.

Nigeria did well. Head up. No bad blood. No ill will towards Argentina. Next horizon. Build on a decent foundation.

I disagree, the coach got his tactics wrong. Before the 1st argentinan goal Nigeria was already defending. There were virtually no nigerians in the argentinan half. Hence Argentina scored first. The coach should have told them to come and attack from the 1st minute, not just like after the equalizer.

[sinequanon]

I disagree, the coach got his tactics wrong. Before the 1st argentinan goal Nigeria was already defending. There were virtually no nigerians in the argentinan half. Hence Argentina scored first. The coach should have told them to come and attack from the 1st minute, not just like after the equalizer.

If you look at the scoring chances, the balance seems good. Nigeria just didn't take the chances. Trying to half-volley that heavily spinning ball was a mistake. That should have been a volley. Argentina took their chances better.

[Bigpokey24]

can we unsticky this thread

[metalalloy]

One thing: Argentina did not outplay us.
We actually had more shots on goal and for the most part Argentina did not penetrate our defence. They had just 8 shots on goal, 4 on target. We had 9.

I feel that if Rohr had subbed the visibly tired Idowu with Ebeuhi we would have won this game.
Or at least subbed in Iwobi or Ogu for Musa to help Idowu on the left.

I also feel that if we had taken or started any other striker than Ighalo we would have had a great chance to get 9 points. Kayode? Umar? Simy? I don't know who, but playing a non-scoring striker was the beginning of our end.

Also - Iwobi is a must. How can a player so pivotal to out qualification be relegated to bench duty?

It took two very good goals to beat Nigeria. Nothing for anybody to complain about.

Easy goals did not come for Argentina, so the defence did a commendable job. The Argentine goals were not down to defensive/tactical error. They were just brilliantly taken on the day.

Nigeria had chances. (Also learned how to flop realistically to the ground in the penalty area. VAR FTW ) Another day the game could go another way. Nigeria certainly showed up the bravado (probably media generated, rather than popular Argentine sentiment), for what it was.

Nigeria did well. Head up. No bad blood. No ill will towards Argentina. Next horizon. Build on a decent foundation.

I agree with everything you wrote but the highlighted. This was a very dirty game played by Argentina and we really need to start matching them foul for foul like Uruguay does. Maradona's gesture said it all.

[marko]

We did everything but put the ball in the net, take away the penalty, we did not score from open play despite the host of scoring chances we had, we were definitely more organised, so its seems we were lacking decent strikers at this competiton besides Musa, Ihenacho needs to improve his game, we can understand why Pep got rid of him, not good at this level, Ighalo, well average player