Argentina haven't won a major trophy since they lifted the Copa America in 1993. Supporters of the England football team, starved of success for 48 years, may be inclined to instruct Argentinian fans to cry them a river as long and wide and deep as the Paraná. But fair's fair: Argentina are a serious football nation, and actually should be winning stuff. That 21-year wait is way too long for la Albiceleste; it's about that time. But you sense they've been waiting for a reason: the unearthing of a new hero to fill El Diego's boots. Well, it's beginning to look like they've found one. Lionel Messi's achieved just about everything in football bar making a serious impression on the biggest tournament of all. Now it appears he's ready to make that mark. He glides in from the right against Bosnia and Herzegovina and BOOM! He drops a shoulder in the last-minute of a struggle with Iran, looks for the top corner, then BOOM! He wanders onto the field in that insouciant way of his and sees off a spirited Nigeria with a DOUBLE BOOM! Three matches down, four to go, and he'll be safe and snug in the pantheon alongside Maradona, Mario Kempes and Antonio Rattin (who admittedly wasn't the star of an Argentinian World Cup winning team, but he made his mark, you have to say he made his mark).
Argentina 2014 certainly need Messi. They've not been particularly impressive otherwise, Angel Di Maria and Marcos Rojo apart. Three slightly stuttering performances will give Switzerland succour, though having said that, the Swiss haven't been particularly brilliant themselves. They could quite easily have lost a game they snatched at the death against Ecuador. They were obliterated by France. And while they did run out comfortable winners against Honduras, the Hondurans were a disgraceful rabble, and in any case it was one man doing all the work, hat-trick hero Xherdan Shaqiri their own crack-papering Messi. BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Pull back to look at the bigger picture, though, and the Swiss can claim to be form horses. That capitulation to France - which can in part be explained away by Steve von Bergen getting his nose hoofed clean off his face, forcing Ottmar Hitzfeld to fling the hapless Philippe Senderos into the fray - was their first competitive defeat since losing a Euro 2012 qualifier in Wales nearly three years ago. And they've won four of their last five matches, a record not to be sniffed at. Goals are sometimes a problem if Shaqiri isn't on form, but Josip Drmić is a prospect and Granit Xhaka looks busy and troublesome. Argentina will not have this all their own way.
Two teams threatening to click into gear, then, having not quite managed it yet. It's probably a good time to manage it. We could have quite a match on our hands if they both find their groove this afternoon. And even if they don't, Lionel Messi versus Xherdan Shaqiri is not a bad consolation battle. It's on!
Kick off: 1pm at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo, 5pm in London, 5pm in Buenos Aires, 6pm in Bern.
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