Argentina had a stroke of genius, suffered, suffered, complained, almost slapped the Dutch, conceded two goals in the final minutes, but left the Lusail stadium, this Friday (9), with a place in the semifinal of the Cup of the World of Qatar.
That’s thanks to goalkeeper Dibu Martínez’s defenses, provocations and dancing.
After a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, the South American team won 4-3 on penalties. Martínez saved two kicks from van Dijk and Berghui. As it had already been in the 2021 Copa America title, he grew up in the decision.
The genius was, of course, Lionel Messi. With an inexplicable pass, he opened up the opposing defense and left Nahuel Molina in front of goalkeeper Noppert in the 34th minute of the first half. It was the first goal of the side with the Alviceleste shirt. The number 10 himself would later score from the penalty spot.
Next Tuesday (20th), also in Lusail, Argentina will face Croatia, at 4 pm (Brasília time) for a place in the decision.
It will be the chance for the South American team to avenge the humiliation of 2018. The Croatians took advantage of a series of individual defensive mistakes by their rivals to thrash them 3-0 and leave them on the brink of elimination in the group stage in Russia.
Croatia have the same spirit as four years ago, able to overcome successive extensions to reach an improbable final. Argentina are very different from the disastrous team led by Jorge Sampaoli.
Lous van Gaal, coach of the Netherlands, delivered what he promised. He did everything this Friday to cut the pass line for Messi. It was the belief that the best way to prevent him from deciding was to make him not have the ball. Or that this at least happened as far away from the goal as possible.
Congesting the midfield was also a way to make passing through the center of the defense and quick exchanges of passes more difficult. There was also a belief that the South American full-backs weren’t as good. One of them (Acuña) is a midfielder.
It was a good theory. The problem is the player who was the greatest fear of the Dutch team needed just one move to change the whole story of the match. That’s what Messi did at 34 with the launch for Molina.
Scaloni also entered cautiously with the traps of the Netherlands and used three defenders. With a line of five without the ball, it made it difficult for the three pieces of the European offensive line to work. Especially Memphis Depay, who would come back sometimes to pick up the game and get the ball. It was just like Messi did.
Now 28 years old, Depay is a more mature striker on and off the field, although he still has a strong personality. He no longer seems to be the player who, relegated to Manchester United’s reserve team in 2016 (by the same Louis van Gaal) and advised by the older members of the squad to adopt a more discreet attitude, arrived for the next game driving a Rolls Royce.
He is still the Netherlands’ most important offensive player. But it’s not Lionel Messi, who seemed entitled even to commit fouls that any other player would be warned against.
Even when deliberately putting his hand on the ball in the second half, he did not receive a yellow card. Defender Virgil van Dijk spread his arms, nonconformist.
Argentina fans party in Buenos Aires
The Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz pretended not to be with him. But in the additions, he had no way.
Holland and van Gaal were also looking for their revenge. In the 2014 semifinal, in a match fought for 120 minutes and with few chances to score, Holland was eliminated by the same South American opponent on penalties.
In desperation and behind by two goals, he put center forward Weghorst, an area player, in Depay’s vacancy to try to bother the rival defense.
The striker made Argentina suffer and tied the match with two goals. The second of them, in the last bid of regular time, in a play rehearsed in the training field and created by van Gaal.
Overtime had all the drama possible in 30 minutes. Goal chances for both sides, ball on the post (in a shot by Enzo Fernández) and exchange of pushes. In a penalty shootout, after defeating Chile in the 2016 Copa America final, Lionel Messi resigned from the national team for the first time. In another, this Friday, the story was very different because of Dibu Martínez.
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