Lionel Scaloni calls for calm after Argentina showed their class after Lionel Messi helped keep their World Cup hopes alive in a crucial 2-0 win over Mexico on Saturday.

If Argentina had lost their last Group C game, they would have been out of the tournament. Even though they won, thanks to a great goal by Enzo Fernandez, they still need to beat Poland on Wednesday to make it to the last 16.

When asked about pictures that showed his assistant Pablo Aimar on the verge of tears during the game, coach Scaloni asked for some perspective.

“You have to have some common sense, it’s just a football match,” he said.

“I received a message from my brother saying he was crying and it can’t be like that. It’s as if it were more than a football match.

“I don’t share that. The players must understand it’s a football match. If not, it will be like this in every match.

“It’s hard to make people understand that the sun will rise tomorrow, win or lose. What matters is how you do things.”

Scaloni said that he wouldn’t be happy because his team is still in trouble. Even if they tie with Poland, the two-time winners could still go home.

“People will think I’m crazy but fine, we won, we’re celebrating, it happens,” he said.

“Tomorrow we have to prepare the game and it’s like when we won the Copa (America) final and we had to think about what came next.

“The joy doesn’t last long, you have to maintain balance.”

Scaloni also thinks that Poland, who is in first place in their group and needs a point to make it to the last 16, will play better against the Albiceleste.

“Poland are very difficult, everyone plays differently (against Argentina). And they don’t just change for Leo (Messi), but for all the other players and for the respect for Argentina.”

Photo by EPA/Mohamed Messara