Never worried by Croatia, Argentina quietly qualified for the World Cup final on Tuesday, December 13. She will face the winner of Morocco-France.
In Lusail, the Albiceleste is like in its own garden. After a bad harvest for its entry into the running in the biggest stadium in Qatar (2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia), Scaloni’s men have only had success there. It was here that they beat a Mexico who had brought their bus back to the lawn for their second group match. It was here, too, that they overcame the Dutch in an ultra-challenged meeting in the quarter-finals. It is here, finally, that they crushed Croatia (3-0) this Tuesday evening, qualifying for the final of the World Cup. Lionel Messi is only one match away from the ultimate coronation which would crown a career where he has already won everything. A match he will play at Lusail, again and again.
From start to finish, the meeting will have been in line with what we could have predicted. On one side, Croatians in navy blue who keep the ball, spinning it in midfield with the delicacy of a watchmaker. On the other, Argentinians in sky blue and white, who watch without panicking Modric, Kovacic and Brozovic in their works, satisfied not to have, finally, to play the game, waiting for the slightest error to take them from behind.
Straight
The marines’ foul will come shortly after the half-hour mark. Julian Alvarez receives a long ball in the race between two defenders, pushes the ball before impaling himself on Dominik Livakovic, the Croatian goalkeeper, who messed up his exit: penalty for Argentina, the fourth since the start of the tournament. Messi is responsible for transforming it with a praline sent to the right side. 1-0.
Touched, the Vatreni stutter their football and take a second five minutes later. On a corner played by two and lost as quickly as it was taken, Croatia is taken from behind. First by Messi, who then drops the ball to Alvarez in the center circle. The Argentinian number 9 goes back 40 meters on his own. An option on the right is offered to him, another on the left, but the attacker favors the straight. The leather bounces twice on Croats and each time returns to the feet of Alvarez who shoots, once again, straight. The Argentinians are even one headline from Livakovic close to tripling the bet from a corner before the break. 2-0 to lemons.
Then back
Upon returning from the locker room, the pattern of play is repeated and amplified. Revamped by a third, Croatia play higher and still keep the ball. Argentina is betting more than ever on the counterattacks. The meeting seems to be able to switch to one side or the other. And once again, the Croats, too naive or too soft, it depends, get caught behind their backs. Messi finds himself in one against one against Gvardiol.
La Pulga offers a tango lesson to the masked giant along the sideline then serves Alvarez back in the area who only has to push it to the bottom. 3-0, the Albiceleste holds its final. Messi’s second in the World Cup after the one lost in 2014 after extra time against Germany at the Maracanã. It remains to be seen whether, this time around, Scaloni’s team will succeed in “win the third” (winning the third), as Argentine fans have been singing endlessly for three weeks in the streets of Doha. Or if, forever, there will be a hole in his trophy cabinet.