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#2 Inability to involve Messi and Aguero
Sergio Aguero didn't register a touch on the ball in the last 21 minutes of the first half. He got one shot away for the while he featured. Lionel Messi was a total no-show. Drifting deep into midfield when Argentina were in possession and slacking away at the other end when they were defending, Messi was nearly impossible to spot on the field.
Argentina lost the midfield battle and were simply outplayed in the centre of the park by Rakitic and Modric. Aguero was severely starved of service as crosses kept getting pinged into irrelevance from either side. He was taken off early in the second half after Argentina conceded the opening goal of the game and the forward was clearly frustrated.
Messi failed to work anything of note even when he was presented with the opportunity but the blame that will befall him after this match will, undoubtedly, be of unwarranted proportions.
Argentina showed no grit or heart and the way Messi, Mascherano and Perez just stood 3 yards behind Rakitic and watched him slot the ball into the bottom corner will be a sight the Argentine fans will take some time to move on from.
