There is a particular kind of beauty in the way Argentina make a foreign stadium feel like their own front room. In Dallas, with the stands a sea of l...
There is a particular kind of beauty in the way Argentina make a foreign stadium feel like their own front room. In Dallas, with the stands a sea of light blue and white, the World Cup's most cherished side went about their business with the kind of swagger you'd expect from the reigning champions. It is a home fixture in all but name, and within three minutes of the whistle they were already into their rhythm, pressing high and forcing Jordan onto the back foot.Jordan, to their credit, did not come to simply park the bus. They kicked off from left to right and attempted to play through the thirds, but the gulf in transitional speed was immediately apparent. Argentina's midfield, so often the engine room of their success, snapped into tackles and recycled possession with an efficiency that left the Jordanian defence chasing shadows. You have to ask: how do you prepare for a side that can shift from a patient build up to a sudden, clinical burst without warningThe answer, for Jordan, is that you don't. You hold your shape, you hope for a set piece, and you pray that the Albiceleste have an off night. But this Argentina side, even in a dead rubber third place playoff, do not do off nights. They carry an aura that turns a neutral venue into a cauldron, and the early signs suggest they are in the mood to give their travelling support something to roar about.As the clock ticks towards the first break, the narrative is already forming. Argentina are controlling the tempo, Jordan are battling for every scrap, and the Dallas humidity is doing its best to turn this into a war of attrition. The real question is whether Jordan can hold out long enough to make this a contest, or whether the champions will simply turn the screw and remind everyone why they are the side to beat.
