Messi`s Penalty Miss Not to Blame for Draw with Iceland: Maradona
18 June 2018 13:42 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Diego Maradona says Lionel Messi`s second-half penalty miss was not the reason Argentina failed to defeat Iceland at the World Cup on Saturday.
Messi saw his spot-kick saved by goalkeeper Hannes Por Halldorsson after Alfred Finnbogason had canceled out Sergio Aguero's 19th-minute opener.
"I don't blame the players," Maradona told Venezuelan television channel Telesur.
Read: Ronaldo and Messi Three Goals and One Failed Penalty
"I could blame the lack of work rate. But I can't blame the players, much less Messi, who gave it all he had.
"I missed five penalties on the spin and I was still Diego Armando Maradona. I don't think that they dropped two points because Messi missed a penalty."
Argentina take on Croatia on Thursday before their final group game against Nigeria next week.
REUTERS
