The Albiceleste got the better of Australia (2-1) this Saturday, in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup, and will meet the Netherlands on Friday in Lusail, in the quarters.
Special Envoy to Al-Rayyan
It passes for Lionel Messi and company. Not without a few scares at the end… Eliminated in the round of 16 by France in 2018, Argentina will see the quarters in Qatar. Lionel Scaloni’s players indeed got the better of Australia (2-1) on Saturday, at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, after a long dull match but which had its share of twists and turns, from suspense to the end. For his 1000th career game, Leo Messi split his 94th selection, the third in this World Cup. Man of the match, the engine of Argentina for a long time sluggish, then clumsy and finally… not unhappy to avoid extra time. Julian Alvarez took charge of the break and Enzo Fernandez … to reduce the score, against his side. The Albiceleste has an appointment with the Netherlands, who defeated the United States (3-1). It will be December 9, in Lusail.
Despite this crazy final, this round of 16 will not go down in history, a match for the most part closed, a festival of inaccuracies on both sides, with courageous Australians facing Argentineans without a solution. Fortunately, the South American supporters set fire to the stands… On the meadow, a good half-hour in darkness. Messi turned on the light. Action at three following a free kick. From his right wing, Messi for McAllister just outside the area, the latter relied on Otamendi, a small discount for number 10. Although, the Benfica defender may have especially missed his control … Only at that doesn’t matter. The rest is poetry. Little silky kick from the left at ground level, the one we’ve already seen hundreds of times, that we’d pay to see again, and obviously string the ball magnetized by the back of the net (1-0, 35th ). A few moments earlier, Behich was bickering with the sevenfold Golden Ball (34th). As if he had awakened the beast. And that he himself was a little lost, forgotten on that one…
Not much else to eat before the break (1-0 MT). Not much more after the rest in fact, we were bored on the side of Al-Rayyan. There was indeed this counter strike from Messi (50th) and a risky Argentinian recovery which made Duke’s mouth water (53rd) to animate the debates. That’s all, and it was frankly not heavy for a world round of 16.
Fate and Miracle
In terms of risky recovery, the Socceroos landed there too… Playing with fire, you get burned. And Australia was consumed by this monumental blunder of its goalkeeper and captain, sent to fire by its defense of course, but who played the arsonist firefighter while trying to dribble two Argentines. One too many. Alvarez did not ask for so much, Ryan only had his eyes to cry (2-0, 57th). Enough to stoke the fire of the supporters and extinguish the little hope that remained for Australia, on the verge of correctional for a few minutes under the blows of Messi (63rd, 64th, 65th), with also this strong center in front of the goal taken back…by no one. End of the story ? Logically, yes. But football logic…
On a ball badly repelled by Otamendi, Fernandez deflected a shot from Goodwin, off target at the start but it ended in goal (2-1, 77th). Stroke of fate. Taken back from six meters by Lisandro Martinez after having played with four defenders (!), Behich was close to the masterstroke (80th) and Lautaro, the coup de grace (88th, 90 +2, 90 +5), in a end of the game all to the advantage of the Argentines, Ryan being on the grill and saving his people several times after his blunder. The last word, it is nevertheless Emiliano Martinez who had it, with an exceptional parade in front of the so-called Kuol after additional time (2-1 final score). Argentina, who largely deserved their victory, finally needed a miracle to breathe, exult, commune for long minutes with their fiery fans.
Beaten by Hervé Renard’s Saudi Arabia (1-2) when they entered the competition, the Argentines, without Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria or Leo Paredes in the eleven at kick-off, therefore remain on three victories ( Mexico, Poland, Australia) before battling it out with the Oranje next Friday. Beaten by France (1-4) for their first outing in Qatar, the Australians, who then beat Tunisia (1-0) and Denmark (1-0) in the pool, stop there . Back “down under”. Limited but combative, they believed in it, they fought, even at 0-2, even against an opponent who was in every respect superior to them. Let’s hope that the Blues, opposed to Poland this Sunday (4 p.m.), will have understood the message: there is no easy match, you have to kill the suspense when you have the chances and a match is never over whatever either the score or the time on the clock.