It was not pretty, but the ultra-defensive game plan Iceland used to scratch out a point against Argentina in Moscow on Saturday worked.

Putting all 11 players deep behind the ball in their own half was not a recipe for attractive soccer, but Iceland knew it was their only path to a result, and they owned it.

"We are bluntly honest in our ability," said the plan's architect, Iceland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson.

"We know how we can win football matches, and against a team like Argentina, it is just a fact that they have superior individuals with superior skills. They play in better teams, in better leagues than the Icelandic players."

So Iceland played within themselves, stayed attached, moved as one and shut Argentina down, leaving them frustrated and impotent in the 1-1 Group D draw.

"We came very motivated and we came to win against a team that had a very strong defensive structure with a lot of people in the box," said a resigned-sounding Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli.

"(It) prevented us from capitalizing on ball possession. We tried to work better in the second half to generate opportunities, but what can you do?"

Pointing to Argentina's lack of creativity when faced by a wall of Icelandic defenders, Sampaoli said his team missed opportunities born from a numbers advantage on the left, not to mention the glaring issue of superstar Lionel Messi's missed second-half penalty kick.

"We should have used greater offensive presence and taken advantage of Maxi (Maximiliano Meza) winning the penalty in the second half. I think that this offensive creativity can give Argentina opportunities to move on to the next stage."

On Messi's performance, Sampaoli was circumspect, perhaps in the understanding that as goes Messi, as goes Argentina.

"To evaluate and characterize his work is difficult because it was an uncomfortable match...Iceland were playing very defensively, blocking all possible spaces," said the former Chile boss.

"I know that Leo is very committed to Argentina, for us to move forward."

Understandably, Hallgrimsson, a man who will never have to buy a beer in Reykjavik again, was not too concerned with looking forward, rather he was happy to live his moment in the Russian sun, even daring to suggest his team could have come away with more.

"We were lucky (when they) had good opportunities, but we also had good opportunities, and the game could have gone either way, actually," he said.

"If you think about it, tactically, with individuals like Argentina has, they tried to create a position where they can get one-on-one and get space and the ball."

"We were just ready for this and we never gave them a runway to get anywhere...We defended like a team and that's how we are best."