Argentina’s World Cup defence hung by a thread as Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the final minutes of normal time, forcing the champions into extra time against Spain at the MetLife Stadium. The midfielder received a second yellow card for a rash challenge, leaving his team to face the European champions with 10 men.
Tempers flared even before the red card. In the 105th minute, Spain’s Torres pushed Argentina’s Tagliafico over off the ball. “Spain are starting to lose the head, which is not the way to beat this Argentina team,” reported The Guardian.
“Enzo Fernandez sent off as Argentina and Spain go to extra time; Roy Keane’s Shakira quip steals half-time show headlines.”
The drama on the pitch was preceded by a half-time show that divided pundits. Shakira and Madonna headlined the money-spinning performance, with Brazilian legends Ronaldinho and Ronaldo joining Madonna for her rendition of “Music” as they drove her onto the pitch. Justin Bieber also made a brief appearance.
Roy Keane, watching from ITV’s stunning rooftop studio next to the Brooklyn Bridge, was asked for his view. “It was a bit of an anti-climax, but I think the people in the stadium probably enjoyed it more than us. But it’s always nice to see Shakira,” said the Manchester United legend. Fellow pundits Gary Neville, Ian Wright and host Mark Pougatch burst into laughter, while fans rushed to social media. One said: “Roy Keane over on ITV was delighted to see Shakira.” Another added: “Game’s gone.” A third chimed in: “What did I just hear Roy Keane say?”
Wright admitted he was unimpressed with Bieber’s performance: “I felt like maybe he should have been a little bit more upbeat and livened us up a bit. It felt a bit down.” Neville, however, was a fan: “I quite enjoyed it. Let’s hope the second half picks up and there’s loads of energy.” On BBC, Wayne Rooney delivered a brutal verdict: “I like a lot of them artists, but I thought it was crap.”
ITV’s coverage from its New York studio has drawn criticism. One viewer, David Wall, wrote to The Guardian: “I think their coverage has been less than the sum of its parts, as usual. They’ve not had people other than the commentators in the stadiums so all that studio showed was that it was quite windy in New York sometimes.”
With the score still 0-0 at the end of normal time, Argentina face an uphill battle to retain their crown. The extra-time period will test whether the defending champions can hold on without Fernandez – or whether Spain’s rising frustration will prove costly.