Hanging from Messi, Argentina is already aiming for the quarterfinals after an ulcerative match at the start.
Until Messi, bored, put the Albiceleste at his feet to comfort Argentina and those who begged for a
little
football.
He nailed the 1-0 out of nowhere, changed the face of the game and broke an Australia that almost improvised overtime on the last play.
Australia, a day laborer team with recruits from the Columbus Crew, Melbourne or Fagiano Okayama, put a tusk and nothing else, because nothing else has.
And it is already a lot to have gone through the eighths for the second time in its history.
A team that sweated like a shower to reach Qatar after a tie with the Emirates and another harrowing one with Peru.
In Qatar, Messi through, the heroism of weakness had no further journey.
Opposite, Argentina.
A shot in the air
The one that vanished against Arabia, the one that had a pulse with Mexico or the one that gave the stretch against Poland?
In Rayán, a showy Argentina, without spark, without volume.
Messi and nothing.
Without Di María, injured, relieved by Papu Gómez, there was no way for any comrade to rhyme with the captain.
Before the dam of the
socceroos
, until Messi said enough, total Argentine blackout.
Denied by the wings, stiff by the funnel and without bite to rescue the ball.
Outside, the deficient Molina and the inconsequential Acuña did not ventilate.
Álvarez and Papu, also planted on the banks, are not flying wingers.
In passing, Argentina messed around with the ball at all.
In Australia, all the boys are twinned and well packed together.
All players with worn soles.
Until Behich, the Australian left-back, pissed off Messi, the only shock was a shot from Papu to some province of Mars.
In the middle of the torpor, Behich had a noise with the Rosario.
Bad business, genius should not be disturbed.
Instantly, Behich, still in the ring, ran over Papu.
The foul led to Mac Allister, who leaked the ball.
Otamendi wanted to interfere, but Messi, with the anger above him, was not for bagpipes.
He anticipated his teammate and parked the ball in a corner of Ryan's goal.
One of Messi's lifetime goals, seen a thousand times and nonetheless surprising his skill with his left foot to square the ball with someone else's goal.
Until Messi connected with Messi, the clash seemed like a jug if it weren't for the fact that a World Cup is a World Cup, despite everything.
Messi gave the time for Argentina and Australia remained in the bones.
He couldn't even splash around Dibu Martinez until the very end.
Messi had put the light on green.
La Albiceleste already had another choreography.
The captain had scared away the ghosts, all of them more liberated.
The Argentine players, led by Emiliano Martínez, celebrate their advance to the quarterfinals.
KAI PFAFFENBACH (REUTERS)
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is congratulated by his teammates after stopping an Australian action in the last moments of the match. CARL RECINE (REUTERS)
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Round of 16 - Argentina v Australia - Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar - December 3, 2022 Australia's Garang Kuol has his shot saved by Argentina's Emiliano Martinez REUTERS/Carl RecineCARL RECINE (REUTERS)
Messi escapes from three Australian defenders.
Pavel Golovkin (AP)
Australian Craig Goodwin scores Argentina's first goal.
CARL RECINE (REUTERS)
Australian goalkeeper Keanu Baccus reacts after Julián de Álvarez's goal.
KAI PFAFFENBACH (REUTERS)
Julián Álvarez shoots in the play that has led to Argentina's second goal.
Lee Jin-man (AP)
The Argentine Julián Álvarez steals the ball from goalkeeper Mathew Ryan in the play that has led to the second goal for the albiceleste.
Bernadet Szabo (Reuters)
Marcos Acuña clears the ball in front of Milos Degenek.
Lee Jin-man (AP)
Lionel Messi celebrates scoring the first goal against Australia in the round of 16 of the World Cup in Qatar.
Thanassis Stavrakis (AP)
A crestfallen Riley McGree, after Argentina's first goal. Frank Augstein (AP)
The players of the Argentine team celebrate Messi's goal.
Pavel Golovkin (AP)
The Australian goalkeeper, Mathew Ryan, throws himself unsuccessfully before Messi's shot in Argentina's first goal. Neil Hall (EFE)
Messi shoots on goal in the move that has led to Argentina's first goal.
Petr David Josek (AP)
Argentine midfielder Alejandro Gómez receives a kick from Australian defender Aziz Behich.KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV (AFP)
Argentine fans cheer on their team at the Ahmad bin Ali stadium in Doha.BERNADETT SZABO (REUTERS)
Nicolás Otamendi and Jackson Irvine fight for a ball.
Neil Hall (EFE)
The 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.
FRANCK FIFE (AFP)
Alejandro Gómez disputes a ball with Aziz Behich. Juan Ignacio Roncoroni (EFE)
Lionel Messi, during his team's match against Australia, which has marked his 1,000th match in his professional career.
KAI PFAFFENBACH (REUTERS)
Australian defender Aziz Behich grabs Messi's shirt. GLYN KIRK (AFP)
Mathew Leckie and Alejandro Gomez battle for the ball.
DPA via Europa Press (DPA via Europa Press)
Lionel Scaloni touched up the board as soon as the second act began.
Lisandro, a center back, cut the string to Papu, a winger with forceps until then.
Argentina, with three plants.
Too much shield for an Australia on an offensive diet at the time.
In short, cautious and suspicious that Scaloni is.
The truth is that just wanting to shield himself just in case, Julián Álvarez, he was a rascal, made it 2-0.
Ryan, the opposing goalkeeper, was his sidekick.
The man, smothered by De Paul, curled up with the ball.
And Álvarez, a youngster who is intimate with the goal, gave a little pass to the net.
Everything seemed liquidated for Argentina.
And even Messi ventured into one of those stampedes so
Maradonian
, so
messianic
.
He put gear and in his wake the defenseless Australians hunted flies.
Or not that.
But since he is already missing a point of gas, Messi could not close another goal for the football treasure in his thousand game.
As the game has its unforeseen events, with Argentina on the way to the quarterfinals, Goodwin, a subordinate recently arrived from the bench, decided to drop a shoe.
The ball bounced off Enzo Fernández and left Dibu Martínez out in the open.
Suddenly, because yes, because that's how this mysterious game is, Australia was one step away from where I had not dreamed.
Argentina, on red alert.
A spasmodic play and another game.
Such was the Australian spirit that Behich, the one who had angered Messi before the 1-0 draw, followed the trail of Rosario's genius.
He was bizarre, he did not hesitate to want to emulate the ten and he did not score a goal from the best Messi because Lisandro crossed the limit.
Several of his colleagues had fainted earlier.
Far from enchironar, Argentina once again entrusted Messi to shake off any demon.
Leo charged with the team and cited Lautaro several times with the relieving goal.
So did Leo... Nothing.
And Martínez, the goalkeeper, avoided extra time when Kuol put all of Messi's Argentina on edge.
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