India, July 8 -- Thirteen minutes into the second half, the packed Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday witnessed a dramatic swing in emotions. Egypt were in dreamland. Yasser Ibrahim's 15th-minute opener had just been followed by Mostafa Ziko's 58th-minute strike, prompting wild celebrations from the Egyptian players, who believed they had moved 2-0 up against the defending champions. It was a scoreline few had imagined. Argentina had never recovered from a two-goal deficit at a FIFA World Cup, and Lionel Messi's side suddenly found themselves staring at a stunning Round-of-16 exit. As Egyptian fans celebrated, Messi looked on helplessly while the sea of Argentine supporters fell into stunned silence.

The silence, however, lasted only a few momen...