Embrace the conflict

They were seamless in the last two World Cups, winning five of their six group games and were hardly troubled in making it to the knockout phase. But the two-time World Cup winners and the 2014 runners-up are facing the biggest crisis in their football history in Russia 2018.

Argentina will suffer the ignominy of a first-round exit unless they beat Nigeria today, while at the same time praying for any result other than an Iceland victory against Croatia for a place in the last 16 and a potential blood and thunder clash with France.

For a country where football is almost a religion, the Albiceleste the expression of their dream and Diego Maradona -- who singlehandedly won the World Cup in 1986 -- a living god, the onus will be on Lionel Messi and his men to avoid a catastrophe.

It is not that Argentina are in such an embarrassing situation for the first time. They were twice eliminated from the group stages -- in 1958 and in 2002. They also have a history of overcoming adversity. In 1974 they lost their opening game against Poland and drew 1-1 against Italy. But a 3-1 win against Haiti sent them through to the next round. In 1982 they lost their first game against Belgium 1-0 but came back strongly against Hungary (4-1) and El Salvador (2-0).

But the present crisis is bigger. The rift between the coaching staff and the players is as wide as the Neva River. And on the field, they have so far lacked the cohesion and hunger to fight till the end. Coach Jorge Sampaoli's different selections in every game have also made things more difficult. He will surely go for a different team against Nigeria and it will be his last if he fails to strike the right balance.

This is a situation that epitomises Argentina as a whole where they have picked a wrong coach who could have done better in the long term. They have a captain in Messi who lives far away from the everyday struggle that an Argentinian faces. Former Argentina coach Gerardo Martino depicted the whole scenario perfectly when in a recent interview he said: "It would give the feeling that without conflict we can't live in Argentina in general. I'm not talking exclusively about football; what happens every day in society is transferred in that way. This group of the national team is Argentine, and it is what happens every day to those who live in Argentina."

Still, this great South American nation has won two Olympic football gold, 10 Copa America titles. Their biggest sporting hero is Maradona. Ask any Argentine and he will tell you that even if Messi wins three World Cups, Maradona will remain their biggest sporting idol. It will also give you an indication that they not only cherish the Maradona magic, but like his way of life, which is in stark contrast to the way Messi lives.

An angry Messi hit a hattrick against Ecuador to confirm a dramatic World Cup qualification a few months ago. The Albiceleste will once again need an angry Messi to bail them out of another desperate situation.