Hanging on Messi, Argentina are already aiming for the quarter-finals after a sore opening game. Until Messi, bored, laid the Albiceleste at his feet to comfort Argentina and those who were begging for a bit of football. They made it 1-0 out of nowhere, changing the face of the duel and breaking Australia, who almost improvised extra time in the last game.
Australia, a day laborer team with recruits from Columbus Crew, Melbourne or Fagiano Okayama put a tusk and nothing else because nothing else has. And it’s a lot to have gone through eighths for the second time in its history. A team sweating to reach Qatar after a draw against the Emirates and another harrowing one against Peru. In Qatar, Messi through, the heroism of weakness had no further journey.
Opposite, Argentina. A shot in the air The one that disappeared towards Arabia, the one that pulsed with Mexico, or the one that gave way towards Poland? In Rayán, a flashy Argentina, without sparks, without volume. Messi and nothing. Without Di María, injured, relieved by Papu Gómez, no comrade could rhyme with the captain. In front of the Socceroos dam, until Messi said enough, total Argentine blackout. Denied by the wings, stiff by the hopper and without a bite to save the ball. Outside, the defective Molina and the inconsequential Acuña have not aired. Álvarez and Papu, also planted on the banks, are not flying wingers.
In the pass Argentina played around with the ball at all. In Australia all boys are twins and well packed together. All players with worn soles. Until Behich, the Australian left-back, pissed off Messi, the only shock was a Papu shot in a Martian province.
In the midst of the paralysis, Behich had a row with the Rosario. Bad deal, genius shouldn’t be bothered. Immediately, Behich, who was still in the ring, ran over Papu. The foul resulted in Mac Allister licking the ball. Otamendi wanted to get involved but Messi was not for bagpipes with his anger. He got ahead of his teammate and parked the ball in a corner of Ryan’s goal. One of Messi’s life goals, seen a thousand times and yet surprising with his ability to use his left foot to hit the ball with someone else’s goal. Until Messi linked up with Messi, the duel seemed like a pitcher if it wasn’t for the fact that a World Cup is a World Cup after all.
Messi kept the time for Argentina and Australia in his bones. He couldn’t even splash Dibu Martínez around until the very end. Messi had turned the traffic light to green. La Albiceleste already had a different choreography. The captain had chased away the ghosts, all freer.
Argentina’s players, led by Emiliano Martínez, celebrate reaching the Quarters. KAI PFAFFENBACH (Portal)
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is congratulated by his team-mates after stopping Australian action in the final moments of the game. CARL RECINE (Portal)
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for Australia’s Garang Kuol shot. CARL RECINE (Portal)
Messi escapes from three Australian defenders. Pavel Golovkin (AP)
Australia’s Craig Goodwin scores Argentina’s first goal. CARL RECINE (Portal)
Australia goalkeeper Keanu Baccus reacts after Julián de Álvarez’s goal. KAI PFAFFENBACH (Portal)
Julián Álvarez shoots in the game that led to Argentina’s second goal. Lee Jinman (AP)
Argentina’s Julián Álvarez steals the ball from goalkeeper Mathew Ryan in the game that resulted in the Albiceleste’s second goal. Bernadet Szabo (Portal)
Marcos Acuña clears the ball in front of Milos Degenek. Lee Jinman (AP)
Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his first goal against Australia in the World Cup round of 16 in Qatar. Thanassis Stavrakis (AP)
A dejected Riley McGree after Argentina’s first goal Frank Augstein (AP)
Argentina team players celebrate Messi’s goal. Pavel Golovkin (AP)
Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan unsuccessfully throws himself in front of Messi’s shot in Argentina’s first goal. Neil Hall (EFE)
Messi has an effort on target in the move that led to Argentina’s first goal. Petr David Josek (AP)
Argentina midfielder Alejandro Gómez gets a kick from Australia defender Aziz Behich. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV (AFP)
Argentina fans cheer on their team at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Doha. BERNADETT SZABO (Portal)
Nicolás Otamendi and Jackson Irvine fight for a ball. Neil Hall (EFE)
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni gives instructions from the sidelines. Juan Ignacio Roncoroni (EFE)
Antonela Rocuzzo, wife of Messi, in the stands of the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha. FRANK FIFE (AFP)
Alejandro Gómez denies a ball with Aziz Behich. Juan Ignacio Roncoroni (EFE)
Lionel Messi during his team’s game against Australia which was his 1000th game of his professional career. KAI PFAFFENBACH (Portal)
Australia defender Aziz Behich snaps shirt from Messi.GLYN KIRK (AFP)
Mathew Leckie and Alejandro Gomez fight for the ball. DPA via Europa Press (DPA via Europa Press)
Lionel Scaloni touched the board as soon as Act II began. Lisandro, a centre-back, cut the string to Papu, a winger, by then with tweezers. Argentina, with three plants. Too much shield for an Australia that was on an offensive diet at the time. In short, Scaloni is cautious and suspicious. The truth is that Julián Álvarez, he was a rascal just to cover himself just in case, made it 2-0. Ryan, the opposing goalkeeper, was his sidekick. The man, choked by De Paul, curled up with the ball. And Álvarez, a youngster familiar with goal, gave a small pass into the net.
Everything seemed liquidated for Argentina. And even Messi ventured into one of those rushes, so Maradona, so messianic. He donned gear and in his wake the defenseless Australians chased flies. Or not. But since he is already missing a point of gas, Messi was unable to close another goal for the football treasure in his game of thousands.
With the game having its unforeseen events and Argentina heading into the quarter-finals, Goodwin, a subordinate who recently came on from the bench, decided to drop a boot. The ball bounced off Enzo Fernández, leaving Dibu Martínez out in the open. Suddenly, because yes, because of this mysterious game, Australia was one step away from where I had not dreamed. Argentina, red alert. One tight game and one more game. Such was the Aussie spirit that Behich, who had upset Messi before the 1-0 draw, followed in Rosario’s genius trail. He was bizarre, he didn’t hesitate to emulate the ten and he didn’t score the best Messi’s goal because Lisandro crossed the line. Several of his colleagues had previously passed out.
Far from Enchironar, Argentina once again confided in Messi to shake off any demon. Leo rushed with the team and quoted Lautaro with the relieving goal several times. Leo too… Nothing. And Martínez, the goalkeeper, avoided extra time as Kuol enraged all of Messi’s Argentina.
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