The FIFA World Cup Thread #2/Sports Thread #2 For 6/12/10: Heinze The Unlikely Match Winner As Argentina Defeat Nigeria

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Yup, we all have Gabriel Heinze scoring the winner. Just like we all believe K-Swiss will have a World Cup commercial:
Argentina joined Saturday's earlier winners Korea Republic on three points in Group B with a 1-0 victory over Nigeria at Johannesburg's packed Ellis Park. Gabriel Heinze scored the game's only goal with a diving header from a corner in just the sixth minute, although the two-time FIFA World Cup™ winners would have added more if not for the heroics of Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and their own wasteful finishing.

And now, your Full Match Thread Archive if you missed all the action, down below:


The lineups for what will be an enthralling thriller in my mind folks:
ARG: Romero, Demichelis, Heinze, Di Maria, Veron, Higuain, Messi, Tevez, Samuel, Mascherano, Jonas

NGA: Enyeama, Yobo, Taiwo, Shittu, Yakubu, Kaita, Haruna, Odiah, Obinna, Obasi, Ethuhu

Prediction: I really do believe this is a 3-3 tie, or just a shared points here. It will be great to watch


1st Half analysis:
The scorer of the 1st half goal, Mr. Gabriel Heinze:
Well, first off, let's just say this once more about Gonzalo Higuain. In the big matches, he just doesn't finish. He should have scored at least once, and Argentina should be up 2-0 at the moment.

Of course, Vincent Enyeama has shown why he is arguably the best shot stopper of all the African teams, keeping Argentina in his game by denying Messi twice and Higuain the same amount of times.

Still though, that Argentina defense outside of Walter Samuel has looked shaky (oh Demichells and Guiterrez) though, and if Lars Lagerback will be willing to put in Obafemi Martins and/or Kanu, I think the scoreline may change in a hurry here.

Final Analysis :
Yes, we all had Gabriel Heinze as the goal scorer for Argentina today. And if Argentina scored just one goal today, yup, you still would have expected them to win, right? Right???

Nevertheless, that is the beauty of sports, where the only script is the one we don't know at all.

This maybe is the only contest where the clear Man of the Match comes from the losing side. That was the case with Vincent Enyeama, and how we will probably be in Lionel Messi's head and full frustration today.

Enyeama's brilliance will lead to more of the conversation that will grate at the Barcelona growing legend's mind: "Why can't he do it for country like he does for club."

But Messi shouldn't be the only one having to bear that question: Gonzalo Higuain wasted two chances they he should have scored, and questions on whether he can perform in a big game will certainly bubble up yet again.

More to come.

And of course, the deserving Man of the Match:

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