SI:AM | Saudi Arabia Stuns Argentina

Plus, where the U.S. stands after its draw against Wales.

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I would have woken up earlier if I knew Saudi Arabia was going to pull off a massive upset.

In today’s SI:AM:

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia crashes Messi’s party

🇫🇷 France’s relationship with its soccer diversity

🇺🇸 What a draw against Wales means for the U.S.

If you're reading this on SI.com, you can sign up to get this free newsletter in your inbox each weekday at SI.com/newsletters.

An upset for the ages

A World Cup favorite’s hopes were dealt a serious blow when Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia this morning in a shocking upset. A day after Lionel Messi said this was likely his final World Cup, Argentina allowed two quick goals early in the second half to drop its opening game of the tournament.

It was a stunning result for a team that came to Qatar with hopes of winning the World Cup and was riding a 36-game unbeaten streak dating back to July 2019. Argentina is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, while Saudi Arabia is No. 51. Before the tournament, you would have said that the Saudis were clearly the weakest team in their group, which also includes Mexico (No. 13 in the world) and Poland (No. 26). But Saudi Arabia’s win has turned the whole group on its head.

Argentina took an early lead after VAR awarded a penalty and Messi converted from the spot but it had three other apparent first-half goals ruled out due to offside calls. Messi and Lautaro Martínez each had one called off by the assistant referee and Martínez had another goal waved off after VAR showed he was offside by the slimmest of margins.

Saudi Arabia lost its captain, midfielder Salman Al-Faraj, due to injury just before halftime but was able to rebound in the second half. Saleh Al-Shehri scored the equalizer in the 48th minute on a shot that just evaded the reach of Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Five minutes later, the Saudis took the lead on a long-range goal by Salem Al-Dawsari. Argentina had a chance to equalize in stoppage time but Abdulelah Al-Amri headed a shot away from the open Saudi net.

It was just the fourth World Cup win ever for Saudi Arabia, which also beat Egypt in 2018 and Morocco and Belgium in 1994. For Argentina, it was another crushing defeat that makes it all the more difficult for the country to be able to win a World Cup with perhaps the greatest player in the history of the game. After losing the 2014 World Cup Final to Germany, Argentina bowed out in the round of 16 in ’18 against France.

The good news for Argentina is that it has been in a situation like this before. In 2018, it opened the World Cup with a 1–1 draw against Iceland and then lost 2–0 to eventual finalist Croatia before beating Nigeria 2–1 to escape out of the group stage. Still, losing what should have been the easiest game of the group stage this time around makes advancing to the knockout stage more difficult than it needed to be. Argentina will try to get things back on track against Mexico on Saturday.

Speaking of disappointing World Cup results

In soccer, draws can sometimes feel like losses. The U.S. men’s national team’s 1–1 result against Wales yesterday was one of those games.

The U.S. controlled the game in the first half but only managed one goal and while Wales threatened several times in the latter stages, it felt like Wales stole a goal when Walker Zimmerman committed an obvious penalty on Gareth Bale late in the match. (On top of that, the referee may have missed an important call just before the equalizer.) Coming away with a point is acceptable, but it definitely could have been three points instead. Here’s Avi Creditor’s assessment of the United States’ chances:

[T]he U.S. has at least positioned itself to have a chance. England’s rout of Iran in the group’s other match was a statement from the Three Lions, whose vulnerability entering the competition may have been a bit overstated. But with a point in the bag and Iran looking shaky at best, as it plays through considerably more serious circumstances regarding what’s been going on at home, there’s still an upside for a U.S. team that had seemingly limped into the competition. Beating Iran will be a must, and progression to the knockout stage could just come down to whichever one of the U.S. and Wales fares better against England.

The best of Sports Illustrated

In today’s Daily Cover, Andrew Gastelum explores France’s fraught relationship with the diversity of its national soccer teams. As former French international Patrice Evra puts it: “When you win, you’re a French player. When you lose, you’re [not].”

Brian Straus writes that the U.S.’s draw against Wales showed what the team is capable of, as well as its obvious shortcomings. … The No. 1 spot in Conor Orr’s NFL power rankings was a tough choice between two teams. … Tom Verducci has 10 things to know about MLB’s upcoming ban on infield shifts.

Around the sports world

Aaron Judge is reportedly meeting with the Giants today. … Virginia shooting survivor Mike Hollins has been released from the hospital. … Virginia and Virginia Tech have canceled their football season finale. … The NFLPA is keeping a close eye on Matthew Stafford’s status for next week’s game after he was evaluated for a concussion for the second time in three weeks. … Lane Kiffin denied (in typical Lane Kiffin fashion) that he’s leaving Ole Miss for the Auburn job. … Jets coach Robert Saleh won’t guarantee that Zach Wilson will start this week. … The revived EA Sports college football video game has reportedly been delayed.

The top five...

… things I saw yesterday:

5. The Pelicans’ 128–83 blowout win over the Warriors. (That’s the biggest margin of victory in the NBA this season.)

4. The Bucks fan who made a halfcourt shot for $10,000. (That should be worth more than $10,000.)

3. Niners tight end (and wrestling superfan) George Kittle meeting AEW wrestler Penta El Zero Miedo before Monday Night Football in Mexico City and receiving a custom luchador mask.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s poster dunk.

1. The Hurricanes’ comeback against the Jets. They scored three goals with the net empty in the final five minutes to force overtime. (Carolina lost in OT, but still.)

SIQ

On this day in 2016, the NHL expansion franchise in Las Vegas announced that it would be known as the Vegas Golden Knights. But what was owner Bill Foley’s top choice for the name?

• Black Knights
• Silver Knights
• Desert Knights
• Knight Hawks

Yesterday’s SIQ: Which two Baseball Hall of Famers not only share a birthday (Nov. 21) but also were born in the same small town?

• Cool Papa Bell and Chipper Jones
• Stan Musial and Ken Griffey Jr.
• Wade Boggs and Bob Feller
• Satchel Paige and Craig Biggio

Answer: Stan Musial and Ken Griffey Jr. They were both born Nov. 21 (Musial in 1920, Griffey in ’69) in Donora, Pa., a small town on the Monongahela River less than 30 miles south of Pittsburgh.

The Griffeys have deep roots in Donora. Ken Griffey Sr. was born and raised there, and so was his father, Buddy. Buddy played high school baseball and was teammates with Musial.

The town has a population of about 4,500 people today, although there were some 14,000 people there when Musial was born. Nonetheless, Donora has produced its fair share of athletes. Bob Coulson, a big league outfielder in the early 20th century, was born in nearby Courtney and lived for a time in Donora. Former Rams running back Dan Towler was from there, as was Arnold Galiffa, who played baseball, basketball and football at Army and finished fourth in voting for the 1949 Heisman Trophy. Joe Montana grew up next door in Monongahela, which merged high schools with Donora in the ’60s.

Ahead of Junior’s Hall of Fame induction in 2016, ESPN sent Jim Caple to Donora, if you’re interested in reading more about the town.

From the Vault: Nov. 22, 1982

Mickey Pfleger/Sports Illustrated

Deaths in boxing are tragically common. A 2011 survey found that, over the course of the previous 121 years, an annual average of 13 boxers died as a result of in-ring injuries.

In that way, Kim Duk-koo’s death after his 1982 match against Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini was sadly not unusual. But because Kim’s death was the result of injuries suffered in a world title match that was broadcast live on CBS, it sent shockwaves through the boxing world.

Kim had dished out his fair share of punishment in the fight but in the 14th round, Mancini hit him with a flurry of punches that ended the fight. Here is how Ralph Wiley described the sequence:

Kim’s left hooks and slashing rights had exacted a toll, but Kim had been punished too, though he showed it less. When the fighters began the 14th, the mirror’s image was still there. Mancini broke the pattern by stepping to the right as Kim’s left whistled by. Mancini hooked his own wounded left ineffectually, but now Kim was off-center, exhausted and facing Mancini’s corner. Mancini drove off his right foot and delivered the first of the final pair of rights on the point of the Korean's chin.

A glancing left hook followed, then a crushing right which sent Kim to the canvas. Kim landed heavily on his back and head, rolled over in slow motion, grabbed a middle strand of the ropes and stared blankly at the timekeeper. Kim’s eyes dilated while the outdoor stadium rocked in celebration.

Though Kim was able to get back to his feet, his legs were wobbly and his eyes unfocused. Referee Richard Green stopped the fight. Shortly after, Kim slipped into a coma and was transported by ambulance to a hospital. He never regained consciousness. When SI went to press, Kim was still alive but doctors had said his brain damage was terminal. He died on Nov. 18, 1982, as a result of a subdural hematoma that Dr. Lonnie Hammargren said was the result of a single blow to the head.

The impact of Kim’s death was felt almost immediately. Less than a month later, the World Boxing Council announced that it would shorten its title matches from 15 rounds to 12.

Check out more of SI’s archives and historic images at vault.si.com.

Sports Illustrated may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.