Argentina reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar thanks to a great Dibu Martínez on penalties against the Netherlands

The players continue to celebrate. People continue to celebrate. And it is no less. The Argentina national team It is already in the top four on the planet. He did everything to get through to the semifinals. And she understood it. But she had to suffer too much. The distractions in the last ten minutes of the 90s and in the ten minutes of recovery granted by the Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahozwith a weak performance, they were too great a punishment for a team that has always looked for an opponent to take them to play in the Qatar desert.

Argentina won 2-0. again at the hands of a masterful Messi. But the Netherlands didn’t give up, they came close with a goal found as a gift and got their excessive reward with a last minute laboratory play. La Scaloneta, courageous, looks for him in extra time. He should have won it again there. But had to wait for a penalty shootout for a huge Dibu Martínez, with two saves that will be legendary, gave him the ticket to get to Croatia. Yes, Argentina has crossed the Rubicon again. And he will play all seven matches of this World Cup, as exotic as it is magical, in Qatar.

Thirty-two minutes were enough for this deafening Lusail to kick on goal, once again with an Argentine majority in the stands. A shy shot by De Paul, who didn’t see he could unload on Mac Allister, ended up in the hands of the giant Noppert.

It was a warning. 120 seconds passed and Messi dressed up as a wizard king. It doesn’t matter if he’s Melchor, Caspar or Baltazar. What matters is that he received a ball on the right after a pass from Nahuel Molina, got rid of De Jong and gave Nathan Aké a walk. One step here, another step there. And the big man from the City didn’t know what to do anymore. Nobody really knew what he was going to do. Only Molina, who punted his lane, ate Blind’s back and, after checking, punctuated from right before Noppert’s exit.

That goal unlocked the game. Until then everything had been measured. It had all been nervous. I had started better Argentina national team controlling the game and trying to advance, always keeping a short team, with the three central defenders far ahead to recover quickly.

De Paul, with no signs of discomfort, albeit with a bandage on his right thigh, had prevailed with a shot that crashed into Julián Álvarez’s humanity. The first quarter of an hour was of territorial dominance for those of Scaloni.

But at a certain point De Sciglio enters and Holland starts to take possession of the ball. He needed to go deeper. But he has become the master of the game. So he started wandering around the area Dibu Martínez. The clearest was a combination between Memphis and Bergwijn, which the Ajax forward finished off with an imperfect shot.

At that moment the Argentine fans, the vast majority in this huge nest of the Energy City, understood that a little encouragement was needed. And he began to push from the outside. Coincidence or not, the Scaloneta began to climb. And then came that shot by De Paul. And the genius of Messi so that Molina became an unexpected scorer.

The Netherlands tried to fight back. And it went a little deeper. The game crashed a little more. And the yellow ones have arrived. First for Timber, then for Acuña -who received the two yellow cards- and to the touch Cuti Romero who put his hand where he shouldn’t have. Van Gaal’s team, however, are only concerned with centres. And Dibu, who hadn’t touched the ball up to that moment, gave security in the air.

Van Gaal is not at all satisfied and in the second half takes out De Roon and Bergwijn, from the weak initial 45 minutes, and charges at Koopmeiners and Berghuis – who hook up and run towards Gakpo as pointer-.

However, despite the changes, the Netherlands remained disconnected and Argentina used the ball better. Especially when Messi appeared. Back in imperial mode. Three appearances before 15 minutes blew up the stadium. The first two didn’t end well – a safe cross from Acuña and a bad pass from Mac Allister to De Paul who went on alone -. The third, which started by leaving Blind sitting on the floor, was turned around as he entered the penalty area. Perfect punishment. To Noppert’s dress. I didn’t go in by inches.

Van Gaal kept moving the bench. Is strong. He eliminated Blind, a winger, to put in the other De Jong, Luuk, so that he headed everything they threw. Scaloni has also activated spare parts. De Paul, with a great performance, made way for Paredes 25 minutes from the end. Obviously, the Atlético de Madrid midfielder wasn’t whole. However, he played a great game without sparing any effort.

The Netherlands had already regained control of the match. Advance a few meters and De Jong, the Barcelona player, begins to patrol the field with elegance. Argentina, on the other hand, is well organised. and he didn’t back down.

The proof: Acuña recovered a ball and faced the goal. He faked the centre, but hooked up and Dumfries caught him. Yes, criminal. very clear Noppert wanted to talk to Messi. Dibu looked at the other booth. And Leo did not fail this time. He waited and waited and with a short run he crossed him against the left post. Two to zero and twenty minutes ahead.

Holland went into nervous breakdown mode. Dibu Martínez helped a bit by waving after collecting a cross. Skirmish and distribution of yellow cards for Depay and Licha Martínez. While the players were fighting, an invader entered the field. a mole. They were supposed to get him out in five. His nerves were already too much for the ones in orange. Scaloni, out of prudence, takes out Acuña and Romero, the other two scolded. Fresh air also to defend.

The Netherlands has put forward another one. I enter Weghorst, who had seen the yellow card from the bench, from Depay, who had been well tied up. And in the first one he touched, headbutt and goal out of context with seven minutes, without the discount, go ahead. repeat the movie

The Dutch were a barrage towards the end. In addition to Weghorts and De Jong, Van Dijk was a centre-forward for a while. A powerful shot from Berghuis went just wide.

The stadium looked like an Argentine soccer field. The nerves multiplied. Paredes got a yellow card for a hard tackle on Aké which he followed up with a ball against the orange bench. Another skirmish. The ex Boca miraculously came out of the red. The ex Boca entered well.

Ten minutes off given to Lahoz, who let him play and hit in equal parts. A foul on Gakpo on the handset turned into a very dangerous free-kick. Berghuis’ shot crashed into the barrier. Relief.

At that point Messi and Lautaro Martínez, who came on from Julián, also stopped near their own box and blew it up. Argentina never played again. He had lost his way. I held on. Seconds lasted minutes. Minutes were years. Dibu Martínez has done as long as possible.

A foul on Paredes, two minutes from the end, celebrated as a goal. Holland was betting on its highs. And Pezzella, desperate, committed another stupid foul near the croissant. there was nothing left. Messi got a yellow card in protest. And Van Gaal, who knows how old and diabolical he is, pulled out the laboratory. Koopmeiners didn’t hit hard, but played for Weghorst, who controlled the penalty spot and faced with the marking of an Enzo Fernández who failed to block him, the Besiktas striker grazed the goal. Incredible. Stretch. It was an undeserved blow.

Far from discouraged, after an emphatic technical intervention by Scaloni, the national team came out better planted at the start of extra time. He seemed to be getting closer to Noppert after a long time, but Messi couldn’t control well and the ball went the other way in a risky new free kick. Luckily Otamendi, like all night, is back in the lead.

The minutes passed faster. Messi looked tired. The game no longer flowed. One center falls short. Another goes long. And another goes long, but just when Otamendi entered alone. It was the most dangerous part of the first overtime.

In the second extra time Scaloni, who still has two substitutions, inserts Montiel in place of Molina. An early corner kick generated some excitement. But Noppert brought out his two-meter-three to restore calm to the oranges.

And started looking and searching for La Scaloneta. Messi tried to do the usual when coming out of a free kick. He didn’t come out. The ball once again went far. Di María entered the last ten and Licha Martínez left, starting from the highest to the lowest.

Di María worked as a repulsion. And Enzo Fernández also lit up. An overflow with a central defender finds Lautaro who is blocked by Van Dijk. Enzo immediately tries from outside, deflected the ball and goes to kiss the crossbar. And there’s more: a corner from Fideo and a header from Pezzella, which ends just wide.

Argentina is better. Argentina was looking for him. Now it’s the Orange who are holding out, and Lautaro has almost found what he was looking for throughout the World Cup with a reversal. And Messi was just blocked. And Di María came close to the Olimpico. And Enzo popped a stick. Incredible. Yet.

And the sanctions have come. Dibu Martínez flew from side to side in the shots of Virgil and Berghuis. And he gave the necessary air so that Enzo’s failure wasn’t noticed. The glory, deserved and expected, was left to Lautaro Martínez. It won’t be Brazil. Wait Croatia. See you on Tuesday, again in Lusail.

Lusail, Qatar. Special delivery.