Messi’s ‘magic’ prevails

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This article was published 13/06/2010 (5956 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Even though Lionel Messi baffled Nigeria’s defenders, Argentina still had to sweat out Diego Maradona’s first World Cup victory as a coach.

Gabriel Heinze scored on a diving header in the sixth minute, the only one of seven shots on goal Argentina converted in its 1-0 win Saturday.

Heinze took advantage of weak defence to power in his header from 12 yards off Juan Sebastian Veron’s corner kick. After that, it was nothing but missed chances for Albiceleste.

“The team made good moves, but we ended up suffering. That’s the law of soccer,” Maradona said. “Thank God we won the game.

“To begin a World Cup in winning fashion gives you a certain sense of calmness. The only thing that concerns me is that we won a big game.”

Messi often struggles to reproduce his brilliant Barcelona performances for his country, but the FIFA World Player of the Year posed an immediate threat to the Nigerians in Maradona’s first World Cup match as a coach.

“I felt comfortable,” Messi said. “We knew that Argentina had to show its class and I think we did.”

Maradona prowled around the technical area with hands clasped behind his back. For the first time as Argentina coach, he wore a suit — a stark contrast to the image of him hurling himself, track-suited, into a puddle on the field when Argentina all but secured qualification with a last-gasp win over Peru last year.

He praised Messi’s contribution.

“Football wouldn’t be beautiful without seeing Messi touch the football,” Maradona said. “He performed magic today on the pitch.”

After seeing Higuain spurn the early chance, Messi tried a solo effort two minutes later, forcing a flying, one-handed save from goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.

Enyeama then leaped to thwart Messi after he had cut in from the right-hand touchline and sent in a curling strike.

Nigeria responded with some fluent passing and the main threat to the South Americans came from the imposing Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi, who repeatedly got the better of fullback Martin Demichelis and Verón in midfield, bursting down the left side, but watching his crosses eventually come to nothing.

— The Associated Press

Argentina 1 0 — 1

Nigeria 0 0 — 0

First Half

1. Argentina, Gabriel Ivan Heinze 1, 6th minute.

Second Half

No Scoring.

Shots — Argentina: 20; Nigeria: 11.

Shots On Goal — Argentina: 7; Nigeria: 1.

Attendance — 55,686.