Argentina under pressure

Argentina 0 Sweden 0

Argentina headed into the interval just 45 minutes away from being eliminated from the World Cup after failing to capitalise on their domination of the first half against Sweden.

Argentina made immediate inroads down the right, with Ariel Ortega finding Claudio Lopez for an inswinging cross which Andreas Jakobsson was forced to head clear.

But Sweden settled and should have done better in the fifth minute with a free-kick 25 yards out when Chamot brought down Marcus Allback, only for Henrik Larsson’s curler to bounce off the wall for a corner which came to nothing.

Gabriel Batistuta then had his own free-kick attempt soon after, but from 35 yards his right-foot shot was high, wide and anything but handsome.

Considering what was at stake, there did not appear to be a great deal of urgency from either team, with a half-chance from Southampton’s Anders Svensson soon driven wide from 20 yards following a chest down from Allback.

It took until the 13th minute for the game to spring to life, with Aimar feeding a ball out wide for Javier Zanetti, who produced a superb cross which Juan Sorin powered goalwards, only for Magnus Hedman to produce an excellent point-blank save.

Argentina were now beginning to find their stride, carving out another fine chance in the 16th minute, this time down the left and with Lopez whipping in a cross with pace which the arriving Sorin could only head over the bar to his frustration.

A right-wing attack followed next with Ortega and Zanetti combining, resulting in a low ball into the area which Jakobsson again dealt with efficiently and hastily as he side-footed out for a corner.

Zanetti then drilled in a raking free-kick from just inside Sweden’s half for the dangerous Sorin to flick on from the edge of the 18-yard area, with a flying Batistuta just failing to get a decisive touch at the far post.

Again Ortega and Zanetti combined down the right in the 25th minute, and again it was the latter with another dangerous pass into the area which Sweden skipper Johan Mjallby cleared.

Two minutes later Ortega delivered a looping crossfield ball into the area for Lopez to drive in an angled left-foot volley, but his 15-yard effort sailed over the bar.

It was all Argentina, with Sweden barely able to get out of their own half. Lopez sidefooted into the side-netting from close range in the 30th minute following another fine right-wing delivery, this time from Ortega.

Celtic centre-back Mjallby was proving inspirational, first clearing another low ball from Zanetti and then heading the corner clear.

Aimar and Ortega were carving Sweden open and even when a 40th minute pass seemed to have gone astray, the latter still picked out Lopez for another searing drive which flashed over the angle of bar and post.

The half then ended in controversial fashion with Rangers star Claudio Caniggia dismissed from the dug-out by referee Ali Bujsaim, presumably for mouthing off at the United Arab Emirates official.