Matchwinner Lionel Messi and coach Alejandro Sabella admit they got their tactics wrong against Bosnia & Herzogovina and that Argentina must improve quickly if they are to go far in Brazil.
Despite benefiting from an early own goal by Sead Kolasinac, the Argentines laboured up until Messi sparked into life with a superb 65th- minute strike.
The goal was breathtaking, with Messi playing a quick one-two with substitute Gonzalo Higuain before he surged past three defenders and curled a shot past Asmir Begovic and in off the post.
“The goal was a big relief for all of us because the match was getting harder," said Messi “It was also special for me. We let them play in the first half, we gave them the ball and it was very hard for us to make it to their goal because we were far far away. We still have things to improve.”
Sabella was more blunt, adding: “I’m happy with the result and with how we played in some periods of the game. But it’s also true that we failed in some stages, partly because of my mistakes.
“We improved with Higuain’s entrance in the second half. The 2-0 was too much – I think the 2-1 was a fair result.”
Sabella certainly took a gamble with the 5-3-2 formation that he has only used when Messi was unavailable, and it was only when he reverted to a more conventional 4-3-3, with Messi dropping off the front two, that the Barca man came alive.
For the first hour or so it looked like the doubts would continue that maybe Messi could not impose himself on the biggest stage of all.
Apart from the third-minute freekick that led to Bosnian defender Kolasinac scoring an own goal, Messi had been quiet, but all that changed with a flash of genius midway through the second half.
“That is Messi; he waits for the right moment and when the team needs him, he stands up and shows his class with a goal like that,” said Bosnian midfielder Haris Medunjanin. “It’s impossible to stop him. The only player who can stop Messi is Messi himself.”
Begovic agreed, saying: “The reason we lost was the best player in the world. Every time he got the ball, he made a difference. You can feel the pace of his play.
“He makes that kind of difference. Argentina have match-winners all around the pitch but Messi was special. Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep him out.”