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It was an interesting match in group D as Argentina played out a thrilling 1-1 draw with World Cup newcomers, Iceland. The Albiceleste looked destined to win the game when they took an early lead in the 19th minute. However, Iceland responded with a brilliant equalizer after just 4 minutes.
The South Americans got a chance to put the game beyond the Icelanders, winning a crucial penalty in the second half. But Halldorssen denied Lionel Messi from the spot to earn the debutants a vital draw at the Spartak stadium.
Therefore, let's look at how each of the players fared during the game:
Iceland
Hannes Halldorsson- 9/10
The goalkeeper had a brilliant day in between the sticks denying Lionel Messi on several occasions including a penalty kick in the second half.
Kari Arnason- 7/10
The defender put up a rock-like performance at the back, clearing almost everything that came his way.
Birkir Mar Saevarsson- 7/10
Saevarsson had a nice outing, troubling Lionel Messi throughout the game. He poked the ball away from the Argentine wizard with just 10 minutes to go.
Ragnar Sigurdsson- 8/10
The Rostov superstar offered attacking threats throughout the 90 minutes. He also did well to deny Ever Banega with a sliding tackle late in the game.
Hordur Bjorgvin Magnusson- 7/10
Magnusson played a brilliant role in Iceland's equalizer, forcing a save from Caballero which Finbogasson rebounded. However he was lucky not to be penalized in for a hand-ball in the first-half.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson- 6/10
The midfielder did a great job in marking the Argentina attackers.
Aron Gunnarsson- 7/10
The captain was a true leader on the pitch, displaying great confidence throughout the game.
Emil Hallfredsson- 6/10
A calm performance from the midfielder, Hallfredsson did well in linking up with his teammates.
Bikir Bjarnason- 8/10
The Aston Villa superstar was a constant attacking threat during the game, linking up perfectly with Sigurdsson on multiple occasions.
Alfred Finnbogason- 8/10
Finnbogasson played a decisive role, scoring Iceland's first-ever World Cup goal during the game. However, he struggled to impress in the second-half.
Gylfi Sigurdsson- 7/10
A great performance from the Everton man. His brilliance was what Iceland needed to maintain their inspiration.
Substitutes
Rurik Gislason – 6/10
Gislason replaced the injured Gudmundsson and slotted in perfectly.
Ari Skulason – 6/10
The superstar served as a brilliant reinforcement to the tiring captain as the game wore on.
Bjorn Sigurdsson N/A:
The player came in as a late substitute and couldn't influence the game much.
Argentina
Willy Caballero- 5/10
The goalkeeper failed to impress during the game and struggled with the ball at his feet.
Nicolas Tagliafico- 6
Tagliafico almost scored a header early in the game following a Lione Messi free-kick delivery.
Nicolas Otamendi- 5.5/10
Otamendi wasn't his usual self at the back. However, he did impress offensively, creating a couple of chances and almost got on the scoresheet in 29th minute with a decent header.
Marcos Rojo- 5/10
Marcos Rojo had a poor outing, finding it difficult to handle Iceland's counter-attacks on several occasions.
Eduardo Salvio- 6.5/10
Despite Argentina's unconvincing display, Salvio managed to threaten Iceland with some incredible attacking runs down the right flank.
Javier Mascherano- 7.5/10
The former Barcelona superstar was Argentina's brightest player during the game. He worked hard to control the midfield and tried to make the team click.
Lucas Biglia- 5/10
The midfielder made a few runs during the game but found it difficult to break through a pack of white shirts.
Maximiliano Meza- 6/10
The attacking midfielder made a couple of threatening runs but ended up producing nothing out of them.
Lionel Messi- 6/10
The playmaker had a poor outing by his own standards. He missed a golden opportunity, failing to convert a penalty that could have granted Argentina the win. But, he did have some shots on target during the game.
Angel Di Maria- 6/10
Di Maria made a couple of crosses into the box during the second-half. However, the Paris Saint-German superstar failed to influence the game.
Sergio Aguero- 7/10
The Manchester City striker scored the opening goal, turning inside the box before beating the goalkeeper from close-range.
Substitutes
Ever Banega - 6/10
Ever Banega introduced offensive contributions but still couldn't find a way out.
Cristian Pavon - 6.5/10
The attacker forced a decent save from Halldorsson after coming in later in the game.
Gonzalo Higuain - N/A
Higuain came in too late to have an impact on the game.
Will Argentina bounce back from this setback? Sound off in the comments section below?
