The Argentina national team was ready to fight and ended up suffering, but they reach the quarter-finals and go with the Netherlands

I had to suffer, apparently. Without necessity and without justice, but this crazy World requires it. But long before that, you had to find that little, almost invisible light among the great Aussies. Almost nothing happened, but Messi hit that billiard left foot to clear the way. It is known: Leo sees what no one else sees, and the ball obeys him.

So far, 35 minutes, Argentina he had failed to annoy an Australia who played as much as expected. Closed in a 4-4-2, very little pressing, and with eleven players behind the ball that the national team obviously managed. But Scaloni’s team was unable to generate space. Enzo Fernández was pulled far back, as a central third defender, so Molina and Acuña played very open and high up. But almost everything was a long pass from behind, without surprises and without pitting two against one on the sides that could overbalance. Argentina had 70% ball possession, but without going deep. The first shot was after 16 minutes, from Papua Gomez, tall.

Indeed, the first auction a gate It was from Messi. The goal, after 35 minutes. About ten before Papua He had moved to the right, in a position more of midfielder than striker who gave results to the team, he teamed up with Messi and from there the scoring play was born. Papua to Leo, thence to Mac Allister, to Otamendi, up to Messi has found it again and the Australian resistance is over.

They say it’s their thousandth game, they say it’s the Argentine record for attendance at the World Cup with 23 games, you can see at every corner that the boys from the most remote countries put on their shirts without speaking a word of Spanish. All this, in this moment, on the night of Al Rayyan, Messi didn’t care. He stared at the ball, it seemed he was talking to her, reassuring her. Already you come in, he will have told her.

They said that in his five World Cups he had not scored a goal from the round of 16 onwards. He didn’t care either, the streaks are there to demolish them.

In a World Cup there may be equivalences where there are none. A team, the Argentine one, listed for 643 million euros. Another, the Australian, at 36. Argentina participates in its 18th World Cup, missing only four; Australia played their sixth World Cup and lost 16. For the national team it was their 85th match, for the Australians it was 20. As for the names, it is not even necessary to make comparisons.

For many minutes the differences did not recognize these parameters, beyond the thermal sensation that Argentina could liquidate them by hitting just a couple of passes. However, Scaloni noticed that the team was starting to struggle and made a substitution four minutes into the second half. Lysander Martinez of Papua Gomez. Pragmatic and allergic to surprises, the coach put together a row of three central players plus two full-backs. Line five, actually. The idea was to secure the ball in the background (Lisandro is a specialist) and come out quickly against the obligation without too many resources from Australia.

But those in yellow slipped behind, De Paul realizing goalkeeper Ryan could hesitate and the pressure left Julián Álvarez, once again, in front of the exultation. With the 2-0 Australian resistance seemed to collapse after 12 minutes and the national team had all the space to decorate a victory. So it was, when the discount came with an unfortunate bounce from Enzo Fernández who invited the ghosts.

There was some suffering at the end, useless. A providential closure by Lisandro Martínez, as if to be in tune with this crazy World Cup. Then Lautaro Martínez missed two incredible goals, given by the generosity of a Messi who refined the whole orchestra. After, the shortcut of I drew Martínez, also essential for relief.

Argentina is among the eight best. It wasn’t a huge leap in terms of football, against a tough but lesser rival, although it will undoubtedly be in terms of spirit. It will have to be ratified before the Netherlands, where the difficulties will increase. That’s what the World Cup is all about.

Al Rayyan, Qatar. Special delivery.

GL