Argentina beat Netherlands on pens in WC thriller

Argentina claimed a melodramatic punishment shootout triumph implicit Netherlands connected Friday to assertion a spot successful the World Cup semifinals aft initially throwing distant a two-goal pb successful a precocious illness successful regularisation time.

Lionel Messi provided a superb assistance with a delicately threaded walk to defender Nahuel Molina who slotted past goalkeeper Andries Noppert to manus Argentina a first-half lead. The Paris Saint-Germain guardant added Argentina's 2nd connected 73 minutes with a well-taken penalty.

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Wout Weghorst scored a header connected 82 to claw 1 backmost for Netherlands to acceptable up a tense extremity that repeatedly boiled over. Netherlands were handed a last lifeline with what looked to beryllium the past footwear of the lucifer erstwhile midfielder Teun Koopmeiners stepped up to instrumentality a free-kick connected the borderline of the container earlier sliding a walk nether the partition and slotted location by Weghorst.

Both sides came agonisingly adjacent to netting a victor successful extra-time, but neither could borderline up arsenic the crippled went to penalties.

Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk and winger Steven Berghuis missed the side's opening 2 penalties, portion Argentina converted their archetypal 3 earlier Enzo Fernandez missed their fourth. However, striker Lauturo Martinez stepped up and slotted location to unafraid a drama-filled triumph and acceptable up a semifinal clash with Croatia connected Tuesday.

The nonaccomplishment for Netherlands eliminates them from the tournament, arsenic good arsenic signalling the extremity of caput manager Louis van Gaal's 3rd spell successful charge. The 71-year-old coach, who is undergoing attraction for prostate cancer, had already made wide up of the tourney this would beryllium his past successful charge.