Not Leo Messi's 100th Argentina cap or Gonzalo Higuaín's vindication, or Ángel di María's display of skill, could lift a game in which Gerardo Martino's side achieved their objective of finishing top of their group and Jamaica achieved theirs of not being on the wrong end of a hiding. As often happens where there is such disparity on the pitch, the goal with which the tournament favourites remained on course disfigured a match that only with the passing of the minutes and a hypothetical draw threatened to get interesting.
Argentina moved down the gears after taking the lead but despite that could still have handed Jamaica a drubbing. Martino's team didn't need to play at much more than half steam to top their group and had their eye on injuries and suspensions. Another unwritten rule of this sort of match is that the players that stand out are those who feel like substitutes. And so it was with Higuaín: the Napoli forward has been eclipsed by Sergio Agüero and all he can do is take advantage of the minutes he is given to try and redress the hierarchy.
What is certain is that his impetuosity, coupled with Di María's unquenchable energy, was the bright point of a lethargic Argentina performance. The goal came from a move between the two players. Messi cut in from the left and fed Di María, whose cross Higuaín met and finished with mastery. The forward is a curious case: he seems more at ease when the area is a forest of legs rather than a desert.
That was reflected moments later when, completely alone, Higuaín hit the bar. It was clear throughout that Di María provides the running and Messi the ideas. The Noodle was incisive but lacked accuracy, to the extent that he fluffed a one-on-one after slaloming through most of the Jamaica side. Of Messi the opposite can be said. He wanted to get involved as much as he could, dropping deep and into the middle to seek the ball, but his good intentions only amounted to a long shot that went wide.
Di María kept plugging away, first finding himself thwarted by Dwayne Miller and then the crossbar. His adrenaline was not contagious though and Argentina were halted time and again by the well-stocked Jamaica defence, which was two lines of robust defenders in a wall formation. Messi needed to amuse himself but the populous defence left him no space to work his magic. Martino tried to inject some gas into his side by bringing on Roberto Pereyra and Carlos Tévez but even with these substitutes there was no way to lift a match conditioned by circumstance, that lulled Argentina into a logical relaxation in view of the quality of the opposition and the favourable result. Messi and Argentina will shine another day. In the meantime, the captain's centenary match was one to forget.
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