on penalties, Argentina dismisses the Netherlands – Liberation

Argentina snatched the victory (2-2, 4 tab to 3) against the Netherlands this Friday in the quarter-finals. She will have to face Croatia, victorious over Brazil, on Tuesday in the semi-finals.

Buenos Aires 1978, Marseille 1998, São Paulo 2014… The encounters between Argentina and the Netherlands are classics among classics. Meetings that mix romance and drama which the spectator delights in and where the history of football is written. There is no doubt that, when we look back a few years from now, Lusail’s quarter-final this Friday, December 9, 2022 will have made a place for itself in the big story. A long fight, more choppy than aesthetic, ended in a penalty shootout that will have smiled on the Argentines (2-2, 4 tab to 3).

Three hours before the big outcome, however, the meeting begins with a long and pale round of observation. Two blocks well in place that take little risk. A tense start where fouls rain down and during which referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz (already) drops cardboard on cardboard (four in 45 minutes, including two for each bench). And not much to chew on.

boredom, genius

And then suddenly, out of nowhere as the Dutch started to fall asleep, a flash of genius. When Argentina lack inspiration, they know their score: give the ball to Messi. La Pulga receives a ball from 40 meters, advances by making Nathan Aké dance and releases a low pass, blindly, between the legs of the latter who arrives straight at the feet of Nahuel Molina. No one had seen him. But Messi felt, we don’t really know how, that his teammate was there. Not clumsy, Molina pushes the ball in front of him with control, then beats Noppert with his toe. A real attacking pawn for the right-back of Atletico who had never previously scored with the Sky and White. 1-0 in the 35th.

Too serene, or too bad, the Batavians, although led, continue on their rhythm of old man: static and amorphous, without really playing higher and without creating the slightest opportunity. To the delight of the Argentines who see the chrono scroll without being worried. A single strike after 70 minutes for the Dutch, zero on target. Difficult at this rate to score. Memphis berates a Gakpo who is dragging his feet after losing the ball. Van Dijk groans after having sent, alone, a cross 10 meters from any teammate.

In short, nothing is right. The Argentinians seem to have more desire and aggressiveness. And what had to happen happened: in the 73rd, Dumfries mowed down Acuna on a ball that was not very dangerous on the entry line into the penalty area. Lahoz whistles penalty. Messi has a semi-final ball in his feet and does not shake, scoring his fourth goal since the start of the World Cup. 2-0.

La magic de van Gaal

The case seems folded, the Dutch are stunned. Out of nowhere, however, the Netherlands are reviving. Steven Berghuis crosses for Wout Weghorst, both of whom came on in the second half. The second crosses his head well (2-1) and his team starts to believe it. The Argentinians play it in vermin, roll on the ground at the slightest contact and do not fail to cut an Oranje when they have the opportunity. Mateu Lahoz loses the course of the match and distributes more crackers than one would find at the buffet of a continental (16 for the whole match).

In the middle of this wrestling game, Argentina commits the fault too much, at the entrance to the surface, at the end of the end of additional time. Rather than hitting the free kick directly, Koopmeiners feigns a wonder ball low to the ground towards Weghorst who does it again, finishing with his toe. The kind of stroke of genius straight out of the hat of head magician, Louis van Gaal. 2-2, big blow of air conditioning on Lusail and thirty minutes of rab. To warm up, Argentines and Dutch come (again) to hands.

The lottery for Sky and White

Of the first twenty-five minutes of extra time, nothing will be remembered, apart from two additional yellows. Before six times in five minutes the Argentines are on the verge of putting a third, stumbling each time on a head, a leg or a hand of Noppert. And even a post for Enzo Fernandez in the 120th. Nothing helps, the match will be played on penalties.

Too bad for the Argentinian sports daily Ole which posted on its front page on Friday morning: “Scaloni, we are together: we don’t want to think about penalties” – the Argentinian coach who expressed the day before his fear of “lottery” what are the shots on goal -, the fate nevertheless leans in favor of the Sky and White. Two parades from Emiliano Martinez and Argentina file to join Croatia which had experienced the same outcome against Brazil four hours earlier. Messi’s dream can continue.