Match Preview: Jordan vs Argentina
AT&T Stadium stages a dead rubber with the standings already settled: Argentina are through as Group J winners after beating Algeria 3-0 and Austria 2-0, the latter lit up by Messi's brace that pushed him to 18 World Cup goals, clear of Klose. Jordan, World Cup debutants, are eliminated on zero points despite Ali Olwan's landmark first-ever WC goal on Matchday 1, leaving them one short of the national scoring record and hunting a historic first finals win.
The story here is Scaloni's pencil: with nothing to play for, Argentina are expected to rotate heavily, Cristian Romero is out with a knee injury picked up against Austria, and Julian Alvarez — managing an ankle — could make his first start. That tempers the scoreline rather than the outcome. A reshuffled Argentina still carries overwhelming quality, and even a controlled, second-gear performance should be enough. Expect a comfortable 0-2 that denies Jordan their fairytale and keeps the champions' march tidy.

