Messi misses but mesmerises as Arg win 1-0

After a goalless first half and after numerous chances went abegging, Lionel Messi and Argentina finally gave the 100,000 fans at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan memories of a lifetime as they beat Venezuela 1-0 in a FIFA friendly here on Friday.

Even though Messi himself did not score the goal, he set up a beautiful ball for Nicolas Otamendi from a corner kick who headed into the Venezuelan goal in the 71st minute to end the agony for Argentina, who had till then done everything except find the back of the net. That was the only time the Venezuelan defence and goalie Rafael Romo, who otherwise stood like a rock between the Argentinians and the goalmouth, failed to protect their citadel.

It was a game that went from the sublime to the ordinary as Argentina looked brilliant in patches and at other times like Barcelon on a bad day. But the Kolkata crowd - even though surely seeking a result in favour of Argentina - cheered every move and even applauded the Venezuelans who were quick to counter-attack. Messi, undoubtedly, was the toast of the crowd and he obliged them playing the full 90 minutes.

It was also his first with the captain's armband and for one who has often been unfairly accused of being a better player for Barcelona rather than Argentina, the win must have been a sweet one, even though the margin could have been a bigger one.

The first half was a story of oohs! and aahs! without the ball finding the back of the net even once even as Lionel Messi turned on his magic time and again to raptorous cheers and applause from the capacity crowd.

Argentina took early possession and when Messi was fouled in the fourth minute at the top of the box, it seemed that prayers of seeing him score a goal early were going to come true. However, Messi's shot from the set piece hit the Venezuelan wall. The Argentinians kept the pressure up and in the ninth minute were in with a second chance when Rosales slided in the box to send Messi's through ball wide. The Barcelona man nearly found Di Maria perfectly in the box but the defender did well to eliminate the threat.

The first 15 minutes surely belonged to the blue and white brigae, but then Venezuela almost drew first blood. Rondon, with a solid look in the box after a stellar pass from wide, failed to get a solid touch on the ball. Messi and Co. responded by upping the pressure as balls from the captain, Di Maria and Alvarez flew around the Venezuelan box three times in a span of five minutes.

While Di Maria's shot from the left side of the box went wide, Venezeulan keeper Romo came out of the box to knock the ball from Messi and Alvarez's shot off a rebound was stopped by the defence.

Minutes later, another shot from Messi from a corner set piece went by the post yet again. In the 35th minute, Feltscher nearly put Venezuela up with a solo effort from the right side of the box, but his shot passed the post. It surely would have beaten Romero had it been on goal.

From then on the momentum swung Venezuela's way as they decided to go full steam ahead with minutes to go to the half-time whistle. And in the 43rd minute, Argentina and all the fans would have had their hearts in their mouth as Fedor nearly found the net in front of the goal, but Demichelis did well to slide and save Romero. Immediately, Rondon drilled a shot in the outside net, nearly catching the goalkeeper out of position.