Well that was an exciting game in the end wasn't it?

We shall leave you for the night, here's the highlights, and come back tomorrow for a bit of Brazil...

Asked about Messi's performance, Sampaoli replied: "He is our captain, he leads the team and we quite simply couldn’t pass to him to help him generate the situations he is used to. We worked to give him the ball but the opponent also worked hard to prevent him from getting the ball. We lost that battle."

Asked whether he had a message for the fans, he added: "I would beg for their forgiveness, and I repeat, I am the one responsible for the result. I am just as dreamy-eyed as any fan and I am very hurt. I did the best job I could and I couldn't find a way to give them what they wanted."

Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli added: "In the first half we managed to neutralise the opponent but it was very hard to pass the ball to Leo Messi. In the second half we hoped with Christian Pavon on the pitch it would help but after that first goal, the team couldn’t find a way out. We tried to put in players that could change he situation, and in such a short tournament as a World Cup, you need to take risks. The second goal was almost the finishing touch. Our morale was low and it didn’t allow us to move forward."

Asked about his formation, Sampaoli said: "We thought the back three would lead to a distribution of pressure and then we could count on our wingers, but we didn’t count on their positional play. We thought if we tweaked some things in the second half we could take advantage with more possibilities but neither with the first or second changes allowed us to generate any improvements. After all that, they scored when we least expected them to, that was a big blow."

It's worth a reminder that Argentina are NOT out yet.

Asked about the comparison between Ronaldo and Messi, Jorge Sampaoli said: "Cristiano is a great player and he has achieved a lot with club and country. Right now it is hard to compare these two players because the reality of the Argentinian squad clouds the judgment. Leo is in a difficult position because the squad doesn’t gel with him. As coach I have to accept that. I don’t feel shame but I definitely feel pain. It has been a long time since I have gone through this experience as a coach and obviously it is more painful when I’m wearing the colours of my country.

"We have no alternative but to give it our all in the final match. We have not performed at the level the country expects. We were ambitious ahead of the game but now it is harder for us as a group. We did think this would be the match we can take off as a team, but it wasn't in the end. I think this is an excellent squad but we didn’t gel or come together. We need to take advantage of the next match, when the pressure will be on, and hope to progress."

"First and foremost I beg for the fans' forgiveness," says Jorge Sampaoli as he leaves the news conference.

I wouldn't get the papers in the morning if I was you JS.

Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli added: "I have always looked for the best position on the pitch for my players. The players have a special responsibility as well, but we didn’t manage to find relationships that Argentina or Lionel Messi benefited from.

"Croatia were an excellent team, but after we conceded we lost our way and we were emotionally broken. We couldn’t change the course of events. Everything that has to do with the team has to do with the drivers that weren’t there. It is difficult to move forward without that motivation. Some players probably didn’t adjust themselves to the formation. I am very hurt by the defeat but I probably didn’t understand the match as I should have."

Jorge Sampaoli is getting an absolute grilling. Anyone who thinks that the English press are the most brutal are well off the mark.

The media are not having his style of play at all.

Michael Scarn: Messi nearly guided Argentina to the trophy 4 years ago, but apparently he's still "not a leader", and "can't cut it on the international stage".

Babatunde: Horrendous display from Argentina squad. Absolutely unpardonable!!!!!

Marcim Klina: Ronaldo is leading his country into the knockout stages, Messi is leading his country back to the airport!

Asked why he selected Willy Caballero, Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli said: "I am the one who needs to make the final decision. The key to our defeat related to my responsibility because I am the coach. Had I set things out differently, things may have turned out better, I don't think it is right to put the burden on Caballero."

Tom Tailby: Credit to Croatia today albeit against a rubbish Argentina side. Looked sharp and moved the ball well. Can't wait to see what more they can do!

Mesud Zaman: Football is a simple game, play your best players and win the game. It's a shame that Jorge Sampaoli doesn't understand how good of a player Paulo Dybala is to leave him out of squad for players like Meza and Perez.

Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli is coming out with some great stuff.

"The reality of the Argentina squad clouds Lionel Messi's brillance. The team doesn't gel as well as it should."

"We were emotionally broken," says Jorge Sampaoli.

Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli is in to face the cameras. The first question is a zinger:"Coach, there are 40m Argentinians who hold you responsible for playing Caballero. Why didn't you give Sergio Romero more time?"

Enjoy the moment again and again if you support Croatia...

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic added: "Every coach has their own style of work. Over the last few days we haven't looked at tactics because I wanted to relieve my players of the stress. I recently said this was going to be our best match because we played with fluidity and confidence and the whole of Croatia enjoyed it.

"In the first half we were compact and created three sitters but we failed to score. That's why I told the players in the second half that we will create more chances but we had to press higher. We knew their back three were weaker so we had to press higher. We had good scouts and we analysed the opposition well. We adapted our style to them and let's enjoy this moment."

Dalic also said he would make changes for the Iceland game.