Goals: Argentina—Kolasinac 3' (own-goal) Messi 65'; Bosnia-Herzegovina—Ibisevic 84'
Recap: A mildly entertaining affair saw Bosnia-Herzegovina blink first en route to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Argentina.
An own-goal from Sead Kolasinac gifted the Argentines the early lead. Despite having the better of the chances in the first half, Bosnia-Herzegovina was unable to capitalize. Argentina left little to chance after the break, making a tactical shift that would ultimately decide the match. After 20 minutes of build-up, Lionel Messi would land the final blow, giving Argentina an insurmountable 2-0 lead.
Vedad Ibisevic would pull one back for the Dragons in the 84th minute, but his efforts would be futile. Argentina currently sit atop Group E with three points.
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Key Moment: Argentina head coach Alejandro Sabella flirted with a 3-5-2 system for the entire first half, but to no avail. An own-goal—especially on a set piece—is far from the potency synonymous with the Albiceleste. Following halftime, Sabella reverted back to his qualifying tactics, switching to a 4-3-3. The impact was immediate. A more fluid and dangerous Argentina returned to the pitch. A more active Messi dropped further back to receive the ball. The team's efforts would be rewarded thanks to poetic combination and a clinical finish from its star player.
Man of the Match: There was a time last season where Messi was criticized for putting forth the same effort as his goalkeeper. That wasn't the case in the Maracana. The 26-year-old was active with his 97 touches, finishing with seven dribbles won and the eventual match-winner.
Lesson Learned: Go with what got you here. Sabella's decision to shift to a 3-5-2 nearly cost him. If it was good enough finish first in CONMEBOL qualifying, it's good enough to advance in the 2014 World Cup.
Up Next: Argentina travel to Belo Horizonte on June 21 to face Iran, while Bosnia-Herzegovina visits Cuiaba to meet with Nigeria.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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