Martin Demichelis struck a late goal to set up Argentina for a 2-0 World Cup win over Greece on Tuesday, top spot in Group B and a second-round showdown with Mexico.
The Bayern Munich defender ended the brave resistance of the Greeks with goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas to the fore by slamming the ball into the net from point-blank range on 77 minutes after a corner was not cleared.
And veteran substitute Martin Palermo added a second 60 seconds from full-time when he pounced on a rebound and hammered the ball into the corner of the net.
World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi captained the two-time champions in the absence of midfielder Javier Mascherano as coach Diego Maradona made seven changes from the side that triumphed 4-1 against South Korea.
Argentina thrashed Greece 4-0 in the World Cup 16 years ago with Maradona among the scorers, but he later failed a drugs test and never played in the competition again. — AFP