Croatia stun Argentina 3-0 to qualify for last 16 stage
Nizhny Novgorod (Russia), June 22 : A far superior Croatia stunned heavyweights Argentina 3-0 to qualify for the knockout stages and leave their opponents' fate hanging by a thread in a crunch Group D encounter here.
Second half goals during the match on Thursday from Ante Rebic (53rd), Luka Modric (80th) and Ivan Rakitic (90+1) ensured Croatia stretched their winning run to two games after they breezed past Nigeria 2-0 in their opener.
Lionel Messi's Argentina, who drew with minnows Iceland in their first game of the competition, will now have to depend on favours from other teams in their group after winning against Nigeria in their last engagement to harbour any hopes of advancing to the next stage.
The 2014 World Cup finalists have one point from two games while Croatia have six from two outings.
The game started with Croatia's Ivan Perisic forcing Argentina goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero's into a low save for a corner in the 5th minute.
Messi nearly got on the end of a sumptuous lobbed ball into the box two minutes later, but his outstretched toe could not reach it with Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic caught in no-man's land.
Real Madrid midfield mainstay Luka Modric and FC Barcelona counterpart Ivan Rakitic combined well in midfield as the European outfit looked the better team in the opening exchanges.
For Argentina, Maximiliano Meza was found free in the middle of the box but his low shot was well-blocked by Dejan Lovren.
At the other end, Argentina's relatively untested back three found their going difficult and on a couple of occasions almost paid the price for lack of communication.
Croatian defenders led by Liverpool's Lovren too looked out of sorts on one occasion and it was due to their incoherence that the ball fell to Enzo Perez who had an empty net in front of him but hammered a shot into the side netting just before the half hour mark.
Mario Mandzukic had the best chance of the half when Sime Vrsaljko's cross found the Juventus striker but 32-year old headed inches wide of target.
In first half stoppage time, Rebic also spurned a good chance from a super Modric through ball as both teams went into the break locked level.
Moments after the break, Gabriel Mercado received a yellow card for a tackle to stop Rebic from breaking through the midfield.
Sergio Aguero forced a save in the 53rd minute with a quick turn and shot from the left of the box. Seconds later, Croatia were celebrating their opener after a Caballero blunder handed Rebic a golden chance.
The Chelsea keeper tried a chipped pass over Rebic but the ball fell to the winger, who volleyed over Caballero to give his side the lead.
Rebic came off with an injury soon after and Argentina fans whistled their disapproval when Aguero made way for Gonzalo Higuain in the 64th.
Meza's shot at the near post was well-saved by Subasic as Argentina looked to equalise.
All their hopes, though, were dashed in the 80th minute when Real Madrid man Modric curled home a remarkable effort from outside the box.
Rakitic then completed the rout in second-half-stoppage time -- the FC Barcelona midfielder passing past Caballero after the Argentine defence gave up on the play in their own box.
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BJP has always insulted Dalits: Cong leader Ajoy Kumar
Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) (PTI): Amid ongoing protests over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on B R Ambedkar, senior Congress leader Ajoy Kumar alleged that the BJP, which "adheres to the principles of Manusmriti", has always "insulted" Dalits.
The AICC executive committee member, in a statement issued here on Sunday, said that the "true character of the BJP, which practices Manusmriti, was exposed" with Shah's comments in the Rajya Sabha.
"BJP leaders' mindset has always been anti-Dalit, which often gets reflected in their statements intentionally or unintentionally," Kumar alleged.
Shah's remark on Ambedkar was not only an 'insult to him but also to crores of Dalits of the country who consider him God", Kumar, the AICC in-charge of Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, claimed. The Congress leader alleged that the "BJP was against caste-based census because of its anti-Dalit approach".
"This was not the first time when the BJP's anti-Dalit character came to the fore... there are many past instances," Kumar, who lost to BJP's Purnima Das Sahu in Jamshedpur East seat in the recent Jharkhand assembly elections, claimed.
"It was Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru's Congress which has always given respect to Dalits," Kumar said.
He demanded that Shah apologise publicly to the nation.
During a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha last week, Shah had said, "Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai - Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar Bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have attained heaven for seven lifetimes)."
On Wednesday, Shah held a press conference in which he accused the Congress of twisting facts and distorting his comments in the Rajya Sabha.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed constant protests from treasury benches and opposition members over the alleged insult of Ambedkar until both the houses were adjourned sine die on Friday.
