Pineda ran into the box in the 36th minute and headed down a through pass from Ariel Ortega before slamming the ball past Drazen Ladic with his next touch.

The strike by the Udinese player, winning his eighth cap, was one of the bright spots in a game which often lacked fire.

With both teams already qualified for the second round, there was little incentive for the players to risk too much in attack. Goran Vlaovic came closest to getting an equaliser for Croatia, hitting the woodwork in the second half.

Argentina, who have won all their group games in the tournament without conceding a goal, were generally on top of the match in Bordeaux's Stade Lescure and stepped up a gear after Pineda's goal.

Ortega almost doubled Argentina's lead just before halftime. His initial free kick went into the Croatian wall but Ortega hit a sweet shot from therebound which a diving Ladic just manage to turn round his left-hand post.The sides showed initial signs of life but less willingnes to go forward as the game wore on.

Davor Suker sent a looping header just over Carlos Roa's bar in the second minute. Pablo Paz had Argentina's best early opportunity of the early stages heading just wide in the fourth minute after a free kick from Marcelo Gallardo.

Gallardo, granted a starting place for his impressive performance as a substiute against Jamaica, sent a free kick straight into Ladic's arms in the 20th minute.

Zvonimir Boban provided one of Croatia's best moments in the first half with a powerful run from midfield in the 34th minute. The AC Milan player shrugged off several Argentine challenges before blasting his shot over the bar.

Vlaovic, brought on in the interval for Silvio Maric, came within a whisker of putting Croatia on level terms in the 63rd minute. After some neat build-up work from Boban, the Valencia striker unleashed a fierce shot whichbounced off the junction of post and crossbar.

The 22-year-old Gallardo showed his tremendous talent in the 71st minute with a blistering solo run which left his opponent for dead. But the River Plate midfielder sent his shot just past the post.