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Saudi Arabia leaves Argentina dreaming

2022-11-22T13:07:22.507Z


The astonishing Saudi team, with nine starters from the fourth in their league, goes back to Messi's albiceleste


A team with nine starters from the fourth-placed league in Saudi Arabia took Messi's Argentina ahead on Tuesday.

Soccer is amazing, a spell like few others.

The albiceleste failure was resounding.

A team without entry volume and rudimentary when they had to row against a Saudi Arabia with more physical lining and an overdose of enthusiasm when in an avalanche as soon as the second act began, it left the albiceleste resounding.

A period scourge for the two-time South American champion, without any margin before his harrowing duels with Mexico and Poland.

At the end of the match, in the imposing Lusalil stadium - built for the occasion at the same time as a city of the same name - Arabia and its noisy and numerous fans felt like world champions.

Of the universe.

To make matters worse in Argentina, damn winks of fate, Al Hilal, the group of nine colossi that the Frenchman Hervè Renard initially recruited, is led by Ramón

El Pelado

Díaz, legend of River and Argentina.

Team, by the way, for which myths such as the Brazilians Zagallo and Rivelino paraded in their day.

Messi, crestfallen, after Saudi Arabia's first goal.

DYLAN MARTINEZ (REUTERS)

The Saudi defender, Abdulelah Alamri, takes out one of the clearest chances Argentina has had in the second half.

GLYN KIRK (AFP)

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez looks at the ball in the back of the net after Saudi Arabia's second goal, from Salem Al-Dawsari's boots.

Ricardo Mazalan (AP)

Firas Al-Buraikan battles for a ball with Nicolás Tagliafico.

KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV (AFP)

The Saudis Saleh Al-Shehri and Al-Bulaihi (number five) surround Messi during a launch of the game. GLYN KIRK (AFP)

Saudi fans celebrate one of their team's goals against Argentina.

Natacha Pisarenko (AP)

Saleh Al-Shehri celebrates the first goal he has scored for Argentina.

PETER CZIBORRA (REUTERS)

Al Shehri scores Saudi Arabia's first goal against Argentina.

KHALED DESOUKI (AFP)

Saleh Al-Shehri hits the Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with a formidable shot.

HANNAH MCKAY (REUTERS)

Argentine fans follow the development of Argentina's premiere in the World Cup in Qatar.

Noushad Thekkayil (EFE)

Lionel Messi celebrates the first goal against the Saudi Arabian team.

ODD ANDERSEN (AFP)

Argentina players celebrate Lionel Messi's goal with the stands.

Rodrigo Jimenez (EFE)

Pineapple of the Argentine players after Messi's first goal.

MANAN VATSYAYANA (AFP)

Lautaro Martinez and Ali Al-Bulaihi fight for a ball.

Luca Bruno (AP)

The Saudi Saleh Al-Shehri controls a ball in the presence of the Argentine Rodrigo De Paul.Luca Bruno (AP)

In Lusail, of course, nothing presaged the outcome.

Not only because of the billboard, which announced an applicant in front of an opening act.

Especially when before ten minutes some referees wanting to march were activated.

Football allowed itself to be tricked by technology that predicted poetic justice and it is no longer football.

It is something else.

Today the games are virtual.

The only real meeting takes place in a small room in which a group of referees —they call themselves VAR, AVAR 1, AVAR 2 and AVAR 3—, flip through images in a fantastic way.

So fabled that the same image you saw yesterday you don't see today;

or, what today deserves to be seen did not deserve it yesterday.

Because yes, or because not.

It is the new arbitration law, or whatever.

For example, that of the Slovenian Slavko Vincic and the Dutchman Paulus Van Boekel.

Yes, the same couple from Inter-Barcelona on October 4.

So they didn't want to review a Dumfries hand, but they did see one of Ansu's under the microscope.

In Lusail, the Dutchman, again in the VAR, told the Slovenian.

Because yes, because he gave it that way.

It is true that a Saudi was buttoning Paredes inside the area.

Since soccer was soccer, the areas were bumper car tracks.

Today, depending on the day, penalties are called or allowed to pass.

And why whistle the grab of a Saudi, or an English, it doesn't matter, and not the simultaneous ones of the opposing team?

Why yes, why not.

In Qatar it was because yes and Messi sat down the goalkeeper.

By the way, according to the statistician Mr. Chip, he became the fifth player to score in four World Cups after Pelé, Uwe Seeler, Klose and Cristiano.

It was of no use to Lionel Scaloni's team that Messi took the lead.

The rest of the encounter was calamitous.

From the outset because the albiceleste wanted to play to the rhythm of Messi and only Messi can play at the pace.

Arabia seemed like a simple team, determined to go over the cliff, with the defense 40 meters from the goalkeeper.

A whole horizon for Argentines, confident in the face of the apparent Saudi suicide.

With nothing to show off, with a certain simplicity, Argentina holed out three more times before the rival's pierced defense.

The three in fencer duels with goalkeeper Alowais, beaten by Messi and twice by Lautaro.

Messi, Lautaro and other Argentines were defeated by VAR.

An elbow here, a hair there... Three goals out of place.

Between suffocation and suffocation with the damn VAR, just a shot from the Argentine captain that Alowis rejected in a wonderful way.

Nothing was known about Emiliano Martínez, albiceleste goalkeeper.

With just enough, Scaloni's team had an advantage and without warning from the opponent, coarse until then.

Nothing to do with the overturn that was to come.

Renard, a globetrotter who has led Zambia, Angola, the Ivory Coast and Morocco, caused a turning point.

Arabia, always huddled together, stepped forward.

He began to win each round, without regard, hand-to-hand with Messi's Argentina.

Almost nothing.

Suddenly, a brittle Argentina, a flat team, nothing expansive.

A selection submitted in just five minutes.

From Alsheri's goal after a swipe at Messi to Aldawsari's great goal with a warped shot.

Obviously, the two enlist in Al Hilal.

Bite for bite, with a stiff jaw, the spirited Saudi group resisted until the end and improvised glory, which is also what football is about.

The response from those of Scaloni was lukewarm, with more zeal than subtlety.

Ambushed Messi, Argentina only managed to hang the ball in the perimeter of Alowais, magnificent in a shot in his nose by Tagliafico.

Papu and De Paul —erratic all day— did not give consistency to the midfield.

Neither was Paredes destiny.

Sacaloni gave a reel to Julián Álvarez, from Manchester City, to Lisandro Martínez, from United, to Enzo Fernández, from Benfica, to Marcos Acuña, from Sevilla... And there were Messi, Di María, Lautaro... The Qatari morning was from Al Hilal and Arabia.

A historic shock for Argentina.

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Source: elparis

All sports articles on 2022-11-22

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