Argentina, illustrated by Messi and culminated by Julián Álvarez, is already waiting for the World Cup final.
Croatia succumbed early to a rival that pays more than it's worth.
An Albiceleste conspired to finally take Messi to paradise.
And well that Messi himself has opened the way for him.
In the semifinals, his fifth goal of the tournament and a
Messianic
or
Maradona
assist , as you like, to Julián Álvarez for his second bingo.
The day closed with the well-deserved and honorary farewell to Modric pending the match for third place on Saturday and a continuous session for Leo on Sunday.
ARGArgentina
3
Emiliano Martínez, Cristian Romero, Otamendi, Nahuel Molina (Juan Foyth, min. 85), Tagliafico, Paredes (Lisandro Martínez, min. 61), Alexis Mac Allister (Correa, min. 85), Enzo Jeremias Fernandez, De Paul (Exequiel Palacios, min. 73), Messi and Julián Álvarez (Paulo Dybala, min. 73)
CROCroatia
0
Dominik Livakovic, Gvardiol, Borna Sosa (Mislav Orsic, min. 45), Juranovic, Lovren, Brozovic (Petkovic, min. 49), Kovacic, Modric (Lovro Majer, min. 80), Kramaric (Livaja, min. 71), Pasalic (Nikola Vlasic, min. 45) and Perisic
Goals
1-0 min.
33: Messi (p).
2-0 min.
38: Julian Alvarez.
3-0 min.
68: Julian Alvarez.
Referee
Daniele Orsato
Yellow cards Kovacic (min. 31), Dominik Livakovic (min. 31), Cristian Romero (min. 67) and Otamendi (min. 70)
It was Croatia, so capable of playing not to play, patient as few as a rival skid arrives to penalize him, the one who stayed in a thong.
The game was warm, without fangs, with more fear than bad luck, when a pass to the horizon from Paredes was caught by Julián Álvarez, a boar.
Lovren, a Croatian central defender, was disoriented, and Livakovic ran over the young City striker.
Penalty, the fencer duel of the night.
Messi, not always categorical in that kind of game, against the infused Livakovic, with four saved shots in Qatar.
The Rosario gave him no choice: he aimed his left foot and splintered the net at the height of the Croat's left corner.
A left foot, the prodigious Messi, who minutes before seemed to worry the 10, touches the rear area, with sad gestures.
A liberating goal for Messi and for the game, very thick at the time.
None was willing to make the slightest concession.
Nobody wanted to hug the adversary in his yard.
Argentina left the ball to Croatia, the Croatians did not risk it even with shots.
Everyone pleased, no one hurt.
The first warning was delayed 25 minutes, a shot by Enzo Fernández that Livakovic rejected.
Croatia, which survives with Modric as its flag and as much faith as self-sacrifice, lacks jackals.
Kramaric and Pasalic are not.
And this time he did not have the defensive scaffolding that characterizes him.
The 2-0 as evidence.
From an attack by Zlatko Dalic's men on the left, he went in the blink of an eye to an illusory adventure by Julián Álvarez.
A good footballer, but he is not Diego or Leo to cross the middle of the field to his ball until he holed it.
As is, there was no Croatian who arrested him.
Much less Sosa, confused in the final clearance attempt.
With Álvarez as a shuttle, 2-0 for the Albiceleste in less than ten minutes.
Leo Messi, Argentina, one finger away from his sixth final, the captain's second, as Maradona played two.
Mac Allister, from a successful saga and with an infinite story —the father played with Diego,
the son with Messi— he almost scored a header to send the runner-up adrift.
Livakovic was cat.
Argentina, with two slaps, had the semifinal within reach.
He had to manage a booty, ideal for Messi's canchera brotherhood.
Regarding the duel with the Netherlands, this time sheltered with a fourth midfielder (Paredes) to the detriment of a central defender (Lisandro Martínez).
The move came on time, when the second took over from the first and Argentina once again closed with three brigades in the central sector of the trench.
Lionel Scaloni and his distinguished advisors —Aimar, Samuel, Ayala— vary each day.
At each appointment, a suit.
What does not change is the ambient clothing that the Albiceleste has, also with a lot of local pull, with a lot of Argentine scarf hung over the tunics.
Dalic also intervened, who took advantage of the truce to give clues to Orsic and Vlasic.
Without remedy.
It is difficult for him to row in attack.
His thing is to surprise when nobody expects it.
Who still surprises is Messi.
He has rope and more rope.
He walks slowly.
He watches the matches from his vantage point.
He doesn't lose strength unnecessarily.
Each intervention threatens to be terminal.
He almost went against the Croatian goal after a wall with Enzo Fernández.
Messi plus Messi, the fascinating one, was about to burst in.
At 35 years old, he caught the ball at the height of midfield on the right bank of the Scaloni attack.
As sentinel the promising Gvardiol, perhaps the most valued defender in Europe.
The Argentine captain fixed him, threatened him, here and there, accelerated him and slowed him down.
There was time to tie the waist already inside the area.
With the Croatian on the brink of fainting, Messi paid homage to Julián Álvarez, who left the ball in the net like someone blowing out a birthday candle.
With the finalist resolved, Qatar was the scene of an emotional second leg of destiny.
On March 1, 2006, at the Saint Jakob stadium in Basel, Argentines and Croats met in a friendly.
Croatia won (3-2).
The result mattered a laugh.
On that historic day, Modric (20 years old) made his international debut and Messi (18) scored his first goal for the Albiceleste.
So, 13,138 viewers unaware of their fortune.
In Qatar 88,966 fans to say goodbye to the great Modric with honors and enjoy with the most
Maradonian
Messi.
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