It wasn’t alleged to go like this. This is Lionel Messi’s last World Cup and Argentina are already on the brink of elimination after a staggering 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia of their opening recreation.
It wasn’t alleged to go like this. Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes. Only a good offside name on Lautaro Martinez stopped Argentina from operating away with it in the first half. And then… after which the World Cup occurred, or Herve Renard’s earthquake of a half-time speech.
Where does that go away Argentina now? Let’s discuss our means by it, therapy-style, in the very first version of crisis nation of the week, a really particular column coming your means all through Qatar 2022.
Quick facet notice directed squarely to the complete nation of Germany: you guys are very, very fortunate to not be right here in Argentina’s place. See you subsequent week, most likely.
It’s easy. After avoiding defeat for 36 matches, Argentina went and misplaced. In their first recreation. At the World Cup. The World Cup many had them as favourites to win. Football, eh?
Not solely that, it was to an unfancied Saudi Arabian facet ranked outdoors the world’s prime 50. A staff many predicted to be propping up the desk in Group C. Lionel Scaloni and Argentina now have the somewhat unappealing activity of going through Mexico after which Poland, two cussed groups who will not roll over simply, understanding that something lower than two wins might properly end in group stage elimination and a interval of nationwide mourning.
Beyond that, the proven fact that this can be Messi’s last World Cup amplified expectations and can accomplish that to any fallout if they’re knocked out. Fans and pundits throughout the globe had been envisioning Messi signing off from worldwide soccer with the trophy in his arms and GOAT standing confirmed. It would have been fairly the technique to bow out. That dream, nevertheless, is shortly fading – if not already extinguished totally.
It’s tough to say. In the first half, Argentina had been getting behind the perilously-high Saudi line virtually at will. The offside lure labored twice on Messi and Martinez earlier than the Inter striker’s second disallowed objective was dominated out in a reasonably scandalous method by VAR.
Had Lautaro’s shoulder protruded a fraction much less then Scaloni’s males would have gone into the dressing room two targets to the good and cruising. In distinction, Saudi Arabia would doubtless have been fully deflated somewhat than inspired by the proven fact that they had been nonetheless inside touching distance at 1-0.
The second half can solely go all the way down to complacency. Emiliano Martinez ought to most likely have executed a bit higher for the two targets however each had been beautiful finishes from Saleh al-Shehri after which Salem al-Dawsari.
In response to going behind, Argentina created little or no and appeared – as is usually the case – over-reliant on the singular inventive power of Messi, regardless of the glittering staff round him. In Mohammed al-Owais additionally they got here up towards a goalkeeper having one of the video games of his life.
In the immortal phrases of Taylor Swift: shake it off, shake it off, shake it off, shake it off, shake it off, shake it off.
One outcome would not simply all of the sudden make Argentina a nasty staff. This is a facet solely a 12 months faraway from beating Brazil at the Maracana to seal the Copa America. In Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez they’ve one of the most devastating attacking tridents in the match – with Paulo Dybala nonetheless to return.
All in all, they’re greater than succesful of beating each Mexico and Poland, significantly after the pretty dire exhibiting by each of these groups of their 0-0 draw, though Mexico did look barely extra threatening.
They must also take confidence from that end in phrases of the group standings. Had Robert Lewandowski managed to beat Guillermo Ochoa from the spot, Poland might have snatched the three factors and made advancing an much more difficult prospect.
Simply put, they should beat Mexico. Do that and issues will begin to look an entire lot brighter once more, even when their standing as one of the main contenders for the trophy has been put in severe doubt.
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