ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — So where did this Argentina come from?
For nearly two years, one of the world’s great soccer powers had been largely missing in action. The team stumbled through qualifying and appeared lost in its first two matches in Russia, a disappointing draw with tiny Iceland and a thorough beating from Croatia.
Then Tuesday night happened. Here, for all but a handful of minutes, was the Argentina with the unstoppable striker, the stifling midfield, and the lightning quick attacks, all of which combined to deliver a thrilling 2-1 win over Nigeria on a night when there was no margin for error.