RUSSIA 2018 IS ALL OR NOTHING FOR ARGENTINA AND MESSI

BUENOS AIRES (dpa) – Argentina have qualified for every World Cup since 1970, but this time they found it particularly difficult: they only obtained their berth in the last round of qualifiers, with a 3-1 win over Ecuador.
Lionel Messi, who had come under fire in prior games, took charge of his national team and scored a hat-trick in the decisive game, to silence his many critics. However, they will again speak loud and clear if the Barcelona superstar fails to lead Argentina to a World Cup title they have not managed to win since Diego Armando Maradona became a living legend in Mexico 1986.
Jorge Sampaoli replaced Edgardo Bauza when Argentina were struggling and managed at least to get them to the World Cup. The former Chile manager now stands before a tougher task: winning the trophy. Reaching the finals, as in Brazil 2014, will no longer do.
The issue is not whether the “Albiceleste” has enough men to help Messi, because that can hardly be doubted in the presence of Angel Di Maria, Sergio Aguero, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain. The problem is rather whether they can all rally around their leader or they will continue to be a group of soloists who sound awful together.
The historic 6-1 thrashing Spain dealt them in March, at a friendly in Madrid, exposed the magnitude of Sampaoli’s challenge. "We are going to face national teams who have had different, very long processes. We are going to try to get there as best we can," the manager told dpa.
Sampaoli’s goal is to build a team that can boost Messi’s level.
"Messi is a lot more mature,” Jorge Burruchaga, the Argentinian hero of the 1986 World Cup final, told dpa. "Not just in terms of play, but also in everything else, in preparations, in how he manages his energy. Let’s hope the team can help him from there on."
All eyes will obviously be on Messi, whose only pending challenge in the sport is to win a tournament with his national team. Argentina’s group in Russia 2018 is tricky, because Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria can all upset any rival and there is no room to make amends at a World Cup.
THE STAR: Lionel Messi is set to turn 31 in Russia and he wants to finally cast off the huge burden of losing the 2014 World Cup final against Germany and two Copa America finals, both against Chile in the penalty shootout. He seems to be physically fitter and psychologically stronger than in Brazil 2014. Many guess that this will be Messi’s last World Cup and even predict that he will retire from the national team if they do not do well in Russia. He seems desperate to win the one major title he does not yet have: the World Cup with Argentina.
THE MANAGER: Jorge Sampaoli left Sevilla through the back door because his greatest longing was to manage Argentina’s national team. His next dream is to lead them to the title. Their qualifiers were not exactly great, but the World Cup is a different thing. What Sampaoli wants is a side where all players can make their contribution, so they are not simply Messi and 10 others. If he can do that, they may not be that far from their ultimate goal.
SCHEDULE: Argentina-Iceland (16/6 in Moscow), Argentina-Croatia (21/6 in Nizhny Novgorod) and Nigeria-Argentina (26/6 in Saint Petersburg).
BEST RESULTS: World champions in 1978 and 1986.
DID YOU KNOW THAT... Argentina will again face Croatia at a World Cup, 20 years after a game the South Americans won 1-0 in the first round in France 1998?