MOSCOW, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli admitted here on Saturday that Lionel Messi was in a very uncomfortable situation in the first World Cup game against Iceland.
World Cup debutants Iceland stunned the world in their first-ever World Cup game, tied hot favorites Argentina 1-1.
Sampaoli told reporters after the match, "Messi was in a very uncomfortable situation because Iceland played very defensively."
"Messi couldn't find the space he needs," he added.
Talking about the penalty kick done by Messi but denied by Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, Sampaoli said, "It was a clear opportunity and we should have won, but the result was a frustration."
"However, we still believe in ourselves and we know that we have all the tools to succeed, and we will focus on the next match," he noted.
Argentina will take on Croatia in their Group D second match in Nizhny Novgorod on June 21.
