Argentina 2-0 Mexico: Lionel Messi picks his moments at the best time to keep World Cup 2022 dream alive

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utside the Lusail Stadium, an Argentine supporter held a banner emblazoned with a smiling image of his hero, arms unfold huge in that acquainted, nook flag-bound celebration.

“I’ll sacrifice all my desires for Messi’s World Cup dream,” the slogan above it learn, just a little clunky, maybe, however typical of what we had been led to consider in regards to the distinction between this iteration of Argentina and its predecessors coming into the match.

This, supposedly, was a group not solely united behind its chief however decided to uplift him, blessed by the presence of the best participant of all-time, however decided to not be reliant solely on him for deliverance. It was, allegedly, a two-way road, all just a little bit JFK: ask not what Lionel Messi can do in your nation, however – at his fifth and certain remaining World Cup – what you are able to do for him.

This was, evidently, all nonsense. For having didn’t create a easy opening of word in 64 minutes right here, Argentina had been as soon as once more left within the palms of their god.

Messi had hardly been innocent within the malaise. At one level, Rodrigo de Paul had his pocket picked on midway and as Mexico broke and teammates in blue and white hared again in alarm, Messi merely wandered off the opposite manner, like a person who’d sooner cross the road and carry on strolling than need to file a witness report a mugging.

That is what Messi does as of late, walks the place others can be duty-bound to run, a lot so that you simply fancy the moderately animated Lionel Scaloni would possibly’ve lined extra floor in his technical space than his maestro did in the midst of the park. At 35, Messi, now greater than ever, picks his moments, however he doesn’t half decide them properly.

A 2-0 win over Mexico, solid by Messi’s beautiful opener and finally accomplished by substitute Enzo Fernandez’s roller, may not have been probably the most emphatic of responses to the freak 2-1 reverse towards Saudi Arabia on Monday, nor did it go a lot of the way in which to justifying the Copa America champions’ place among the many pre-tournament favourites. However on an evening when defeat would have been terminal, Argentina are properly and actually alive, understanding victory over Poland on Wednesday will see them into the last-16.

The outward response to the Saudi loss, Argentina’s first in additional than three years, had been to induce calm however Scaloni’s 5 modifications recommended a level of inside panic.

The image forward of kick-off should’ve sparked related feeling in Argentina’s followers, one in every of nightmarish deja vu as they returned to the scene of their Saudi humiliation simply 4 days on and once more discovered themselves confronted with a wall of inexperienced.

These two nations are reported to have introduced 140,000 followers between them to Doha, fairly one thing when you think about there are barely greater than 300,000 Qataris in the complete nation. Between them, they created the match’s greatest environment to this point, so loud as to even often be heard over the ear-splitting PA.

A notable addition to the staple pre-match playlist was Opus’ ‘Reside Is Life’, the tune to which Diego Maradona jinked and juggled his manner by means of that iconic warm-up forward of Napoli’s 1989 Uefa Cup tie with Bayern Munich.

The hope was that Messi, maybe the one participant to have ever been able to related ranges of artistry, might elevate this fixture past the scrappy stereotypes of Latin American soccer however by half-time, when there had been 15 fouls and only one shot on the right track, it was proving wishful considering.

There was play-acting and dramatising, sure, however principally it was brutal. Lisandro Martinez took a boot to the face, Marcos Acuna managed to maintain management of the ball with one foot whereas inadvertently stamping on his challenger with the opposite and Gonzalo Montiel went into the guide for nearly chopping somebody in half. At one level, the massive display confirmed a child asleep on a mom’s shoulder in central Doha’s fan park, the toddler nodding off each comprehensible and simply as properly. This was post-watershed stuff.

Argentina reside to struggle one other day in Qatar

/ AFP through Getty Pictures

It was a sport filled with stops, with too-long pauses between the begins. For as soon as, 5 minutes of added time didn’t appear sufficient and solely deep into it did Argentina assemble their first first rate assault, profitable a nook cleared by the primary man.

Lautaro Martinez, who couldn’t keep onside towards the Saudis, couldn’t get into the sport in any respect right here, departing quickly after the hour-mark having had simply 14 touches. Messi had managed 40-odd by then however too lots of them on midway, jinking previous one, two, three and nonetheless discovering seven, eight, 9 between him and the Mexican aim.

Lastly, although, he discovered area – not a lot of it, however simply sufficient – to obtain Angel Di Maria’s move, and drag intentionally low to Guillermo Ochoa’s left.

After which he was off, these arms unfold huge once more, Argentina nearly on their manner.

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