23’ GAME ON. GOAL FOR ICELAND, AND IT’S FINNBOGASON. 1-1.
Argentina can’t clear their lines ... again ... a cross from Sigurdsson is blocked, and Finnbogason is there to clean up the mess. WE GOT A SOCCER GAME.
19’ GOAL FOR KUN AGUERO. ARGENTINA LEADS 1-0.
And that’s one way to do it! Rojo the center back carries forward, rips what appears to be a shot into the box, and it’s collected by Sergio Aguero, who takes a touch back, turns his man, and rips a left-footed shot in the top corner. Argentina hadn’t looked all that great up until that moment, but when you have Aguero and Messi, you can make stuff out of nothing.
17’ — I know this isn’t that deep a thought but holy hell guys Lionel Messi is GOOD AT SOCCER.
14’ — The Soccer Content Overlords have mandated that I tell you an Iceland Viking Clap just broke out in the stadium.
10’ — Iceland has two GORGEOUS chances, after Argentina twice fails to play the ball out of the back convincingly. The last one fell to Bjarnason six yards out, and he just dragged it wide. This game is opening up!
5’ — Free kick from Messi squirts its way through and nearly finds the feet of Otamendi at the back post, but he can’t put it on frame. Otamendi my dude I just said we needed an early goal.
2’ — This game is begging for an early goal to open things up. Iceland is going to stay super organized defensively with a 4-4-1-1, and Argentina will look to pick it apart by finding Messi’s feet in that gap between the two banks of four. If we don’t get an early goal, it’s going to be 80 minutes of Argentina prodding, with a few breaks either way. We get an early goal, hopefully it gets fun.
1’ — KICKOFF. LET’S GO.
9:00 a.m. ET — I know I’m sacrificing some of my hipster soccer cred right now, but I have no idea who Maximiliano Meza is, starting at right wing for Argentina. This is his third cap! He’s just 25! Someone who’s got 47 Football Manager saves going, hit me up and let me know what to expect here.
8:55 a.m. ET — The Argentina anthem kinda slaps.
8:50 a.m. ET — If the TV promos this morning are any indication, this match is between Lionel Messi and ... Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance against Spain from yesterday? It’s unclear how Messi is supposed to beat someone who played a day before in a different city against a different opponent, but all I know is he has to do it, FOR HIS LEGACY. Seriously, Messi, if you can’t both time travel and change the rules of soccer, what the hell are you even doing out there? GOAT my ass.
8:48 a.m. ET — Good morning and welcome to the Argentina - Iceland live blog! If you’re just waking up, well, get up already. We’ve been up for like four hours. You missed the France game. They looked medium.
Starting Lineups
PREVIEW
Argentina is set to take on Iceland in a Group D match on Saturday morning. The match will take place at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow at 9 a.m. on FOX and Fox Sports Go.
Iceland, who will be playing in its first World Cup, has a tough match out the gates as the team will face Argentina, the runner-ups to the 2014 World Cup. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, the team’s top scorer, is seeking to win his first ever World Cup.
Qualifying went poorly for the Argentines, who needed a sensational performance on the final day just to make the tournament. They’ve struggled with injuries and some top players aging, and enter this World Cup with a squad that looks nowhere near as impressive as previous tournaments. But Messi is still the best player in the world, and with him, Argentina always has a chance.
Argentina vs. Iceland time, TV channel, and streaming info
Time: 9 a.m. ET
Location: Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia
TV: FOX (English), Telemundo (Spanish)
Streaming: Watch the game on Fox Sports Go (English) and Telemundo Deportes en vivo (Spanish) for free if you sign in with your TV provider. It’s also on subscription services like Fubo and Hulu.
Odds: Argentina -1 (full odds at OddsShark)
For listings from more countries, check out Live Soccer TV.
Argentina key player: Javier Mascherano
Everyone already knows Messi needs to show up, so let’s highlight someone else, shall we? Argentina has a flimsy defense and doesn’t have much defending in its midfield either. Mascherano will have to be Superman in the center of the park to keep Argentina from giving up goals.
Iceland key player: Gylfi Sigurdsson
Iceland’s best chance of scoring a goal in this match is probably from a set piece, and Sigurdsson is a dead-ball wizard.
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