Argentina’s Lionel Messi left, and Argentina’s Julian Alvarez celebrates after scoring during the World Cup semifinal football match between Argentina and Croatia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022.
| Photo Credit: AP
The playlist had run its course, and the voices were all hoarse, but they refused to stop singing as the man they were praising was there in front, crying after delivering yet another joyful night.
The long unfulfilled promise of the shiny FIFA World Cup trophy is making Lionel Messi draw up hitherto hidden weapons from his armoury. Here he scored one and created another in Lusail as he and his beloved Argentina found extra gear to ward off Croatia and move into the final.
Argentina was circumspect as Croatia’s trio of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, and Marcelo Brozovic used their experience and skill to take over the early midfield battle.
But this Argentina is more resilient and has weathered every storm. Messi led the way, dropping deep to be most involved in this World Cup — 65 touches, 10 dribbles (the most in the game) and three take-ons — to drag his team out of this mess.
As Croatia slowed to regain its breath, Argentina picked up, with Messi jolting on like an appliance suddenly plugged in and danced past a few challenges to play a one-two with Enzo Fernandez, with his pass almost reaching Nicolas Tagliafico, who had darted in from the left.
He was back soon, weaving and dancing down the middle, and Kovacic, in control till then, was suddenly looking out of place.
Argentina’s penalty came when Julian Alvarez’s bursting run was cut short by Dominik Livakovic as the striker lifted the ball over his head after Enzo Fernandez robbed Modric to play a simple through ball over the high press.
Pressure penalty by Messi
The pressure was immense; Emiliano Martinez, at the other end, turned his back to the drama as Messi stepped up and slotted it to the top right with power and rage. He ran to the right corner flag to celebrate with his teammates; Emiliano, too, was jiving with the blue-and-white fans who had started singing as soon as the ball left Messi’s feet.
Alvarez run
Alvarez then produced a moment of magic. He latched on to a ball from a Croatian corner to run past all challenges from the centre circle.
Three men in the dark-blue shirts were eager to backtrack but not ready to tackle, behaving like extras who have not been informed about their role in a movie. Josip Juranovic’s clumsy clearance came back to Alvarez inside the box, and it was worse from Borna Sosa, the next man standing, and the Argentina forward was happy to lift it over the ’keeper who could do little.
Messi had energy left for more and woke up again from his slumber in the 58th minute. Twisting past two challenges, he ran behind and received a lay-off from Alvarez and forced Livakovic to go down quickly to parry a snap shot that came rocketing his way.
And Messi then took on Josko Gvardiol, this World Cup’s standout defender, on the right.
At 35, he found the steps of a 25-year-old, and refused to be bullied by the shove of the heavier 20-year-old Croatian and danced inside, keeping him at bay.
Messi turned a transfixed Gvardiol one way, then the other, back again, and then the other way. The magician was out of sight in less than a few seconds and cut it back to Alvarez. The Manchester City forward gleefully received the present and glide the ball beyond Livakovic.
Modric, the other maestro on the field, ended his night with a deflected shot hitting his head. As the legend walked away, the stadium was up on its feet, applauding him for all those years of toil.
The game was coming to an end and the chants soon changed back to being about the patron saint.
The Maradona cut-outs were there, but Messi was ruling their hearts and this World Cup which is now just a step away.
The result (semifinal): Argentina 3 (Messi 34-pen’, Alvarez 39’ & 69’) beat Croatia 0.