Argentina's Scaloni Marks 100th Game With a Sigh of Relief

Lionel Scaloni reached a landmark 100th match in charge of Argentina on Friday, and he could hardly have scripted a more nerve-shredding occasion, according to Reuters. The reigning champions were twice pegged back by Cape Verde before scraping through 3-2 in extra time, a result Scaloni called an extremely difficult match despite insisting his side deserved to go through.

Scaloni pushed back at those who had called Argentina's path through the draw an easy one, pointing out that Cape Verde gave 200 percent and that in football that levels things out. His summary of the Argentine condition was blunt and vivid: to be Argentine is to suffer.

For all the drama, Scaloni was generous toward his opponents, congratulating Cape Verde and acknowledging they are a great team. Argentina now advance to the last 16, but their coach is making no assumptions about what lies ahead.