LUSAIL, Qatar — If Lionel Messi is to finally lift the world cup, he is doing it the hard way. Genius can only take you so far, especially if your team is as flawed as Messi’s Argentinabut fairy tales can still have a happy ending.
It can even happen with the last return line of cristiano ronaldo on the other side with Portugal (if they emerge from the edge of the included holder France, England and Maroc) when it happens. But for now, let’s stop fantasizing.
After 80 minutes of the quarterfinals against Netherlands at Lusail Stadium, all those watching could have been forgiven for getting carried away with Messi’s story – that Qatar 2022 will end with the 35-year-old getting his hands on the only major trophy he has won. have not yet won.
Messi produced his best performance of this World Cup – and miraculously – putting Lionel Scaloni’s team 2-0 up and looking set to reach the semi-finals with Croatia on Tuesday. The Paris Saint-Germain forward created Nahuel MolinaHis first half opened goal with a sublime pass before doubling Argentina’s lead from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute.
The ending stages should have been in cruise control, but Wout Weghorst scored twice — a header in the 83rd minute and then one of the best and smartest free kicks you can see, in 11th minute of stoppage time, to equalize for the Netherlands. And that’s not in the script. Messi’s story should not have turned into a nightmare because a giant striker was signed by Burnley to keep them in the Premier League last season. A task he failed to do by scoring just two goals in 20 games.
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Craig Burley couldn’t believe the Netherlands had taken such a cheeky free-kick in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
But just when one of football’s most brilliant careers seemed to be turned down by a salaried striker for a poor Dutch team, the sports gods turned their backs on Messi and Argentina. when the Copa America champions tried to win the penalty shootout, with Messi scoring the first in win 4-3.
It ended a bad game, with Argentina being booked 11 yellow cards, two mass confrontations between two groups of players and some provocative, provocative celebrations at the end of Argentina’s game against opponents who were banned. their defeat. But there is so much emotion and despair in this Argentina team, maybe in Messi, that the ugly spectacle of victory is perhaps understandable.
And when the dust settles, perhaps this World Cup needs an Argentina win, despite the negativity at the end. After all, football at the highest level should be about magical moments, images that last a lifetime, and Messi accomplished one of them with a stunning back pass to Molina.
Before Messi’s game-changing contribution, the Dutch risk strangling this encounter with passive, adventurous football. Coach Louis van Gaal has been heavily criticized by the Dutch media for his tactical approach — a reporter told the Dutch coach that watching his team is like “grinding your teeth” – – but it brought them to the brink of a semi-final clash with Croatia (who had previously ousted Brazil about punishment in An equally memorable match), so van Gaal cannot be criticized for trying to make the most of his limited squad.
But imagine a World Cup semi-final between the Netherlands and Croatia on Tuesday, with Messi watching from afar and Argentina and their incredible fans back home, still waiting to be over. years of waiting to win the World Cup for the third time. That’s not what this World Cup needs. It takes the Messi element and his relentless pursuit of achievement to make him equal to Diego Maradona in the heart of the Argentinian.
It needs thousands of Argentina’s fans to fill stadiums with their color and noise, it needs a South American giant to chase its first World Cup title since Brazil in 2002, and it doesn’t need the Netherlands to play old fashioned football as Messi said after the game “long ball for tall players.”
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Shaka Hislop said it was “beyond his ability” for the referee to allow Leandro Paredes to stay on the field after he kicked the ball into the Dutch fence.
But no matter what Argentina do from this point on, Messi at least gave us a clear picture of Qatar 2022’s pitch with his pass to Molina. Messi’s feet no longer move as fast as his intelligent mind. You can see that at times when he gets away from opponents with a turn or lure, instead of the explosive speed he once possessed at his absolute peak.
But Messi knows his limitations and he has changed his play to overcome them. A few years ago, when he entered goal, he would press the gas and rush away, but this time, he knew he couldn’t get past the packed Dutch defence. So he left the centre-back Frenkie de Jong after he ran across the edge of the box before spotting full-back Molina out of the corner of his eye and immediately freeing the defender with a back pass into the box. Virgil van Dijk tried to foul Molina as soon as he hit the goal, but Liverpool defender could not take Argentina out of his stride.
Bb watched this pass of Messi all day 😍🎯 pic.twitter.com/5EM4CBwktN
– FOX Football (@FOXSoccer) December 9, 2022
Messi burst into joy with his teammates. He couldn’t escape the shadow of Maradona, who almost single-handedly won the World Cup in 1986. But Messi’s pass resembled that of his great predecessor against Brazil at the 1990 tournament, when Maradona saved a swarm of defenders before delivering an accurate pass. pass to Claudio Caniggia, who scored to win the game. Check it out and compare two visions crossed.
But while Messi’s excellence was evident in that pass, so was his determination and tenacity as Argentina struggled in extra time and when he showed steel spirit to take the free-kick. the first temple in the penalty shootout.
Messi may not be the same, but he has shown to the Dutchman that he can do anything to bring Argentina to glory – good, tough and ugly. Whether in silk or steel, Messi is still raising hopes for himself and Argentina. And the World Cup is so much better for it.
