Messi saves Argentina

A moment of individual brilliance from Argentina captain Lionel Messi steered his team into the second round of 2014 World Cup in a victory over Iran match in Belo Horizonte Brazil, on Saturday. Messi scored his brilliant injury time winner as Argentina overcame Iran stubborn 1-0 to squeeze into the last 16. Four-time world player of the year Messi curled in a sublime shot from just outside the area in the first minute of stoppage time to break Iranian hearts in the Group F battle. The Argentina captain had been largely anonymous for much of the match as Iran frustrated the South American giants at the Mineirao Stadium.
Romero saves Argentina
The Asian minnows might even have snatched victory only to be denied by Argentina keeper Sergio Romero, who pulled off fine second-half saves from England-based duo Ashkan Dejagah and Reza Ghoochannejad. But with the clock ticking down, Messi picked up the ball on the edge of the area and after being granted time to pick his spot, curled in his second goal of the tournament. The result leaves Argentina assured of a place in the knockout phase, joining Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Holland in the second round. ‘We are not showing what we can do, but with a run of games I think we will get there,’ Messi said of Argentina's form. ‘We are the first ones to know we have not reached the level we would like.’ Iran’s former Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz was fuming however over Serbian referee Milorad Mazic’s failure to award his side a penalty. ‘Messi was fantastic, but the referee wasn't,’ Queiroz said. ‘I don't understand it, he had to have seen it was a penalty. He was five metres away, there is no way he couldn't have seen it,’ according to AFP.