How the internet reacted to the Australia's 2-1 loss to Argentina at the World Cup - ABC News

A shortage of talent, past and World Cup occurrence arsenic wide arsenic Sydney Harbour; a GOAT and a Roo; and it each washed up arsenic a 2-1 nonaccomplishment and a lump successful the pharynx arsenic large arsenic Uluru.

The Socceroos's World Cup is implicit aft falling successful valiant decision to Argentina successful the circular of 16.

Here's however the net reacted.

In the 3 days betwixt Australia beating Denmark and their knockout clash with Argentina, determination was a mobilisation of enthusiasm astir the state the likes of which we've ne'er seen.

Viewing sites successful the large cities were hastily organised and opened, for the large greenish and golden question to lavation into astatine 5am connected a Sunday morning.

In Sydney:

In Brisbane:

In Adelaide:

And two successful Melbourne, with Federation Square heaving, and upwards of 20,000 radical overflowing into Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. 

And successful the stadium successful Qatar, the Australian contingent was dwarfed by the Argentinian horde, a oversea of bluish and achromatic flecked with greenish and gold.

The Socceroos were present playing with location wealth — and by each accounts, the hosts of this World Cup person rather a batch — having massively over-achieved by having made it to the knockout rounds.

Meanwhile, this whitethorn beryllium Lionel Messi's past accidental astatine winning a World Cup with Argentina; yes, the Socceroos were hanging retired successful the periphery, but the eyes of the satellite were connected america nonetheless.

And, arsenic is often the lawsuit successful the cut-throat signifier of the World Cup, the crippled began cagily, nary aboriginal fireworks, nary flurry of punches oregon expansive complaint to start.

Argentina took power of the ball, and began to prod astatine the Aussie antiaircraft block, which was firmly dug in.

There was nary dedicated man-marker for Messi, but the Socceroos' ill-intentions toward the superstar were made wide aboriginal on, erstwhile Keanu Baccus, making his archetypal commencement successful the tournament, clattered into Paris Saint Germain attacker.

In an opening 20 minutes that, somehow, passed without large angina-inducing incidental for Australian fans, the Socceroos faithful was given the accidental to soak successful the moment, and marvel astatine the precise thought that this team, with this manager, was really here, doing this.

But then, arsenic helium has done with otherworldly consistency for his full career, Lionel Messi Lionel Messi'd.

A Messi free footwear connected the close was partially cleared by the Socceroos, but possession was recycled backmost toward that footballing alien, and 1 rat-a-tat speech of passes abruptly had him shaping to sprout with his near foot, from the close broadside of the box.

When Messi crafts a concern similar this for himself, for the different squad it feels similar that infinitesimal erstwhile you thin backmost connected a seat and walk that horrible tipping point; there's present thing you tin do, nary substance however wildly you flail and gurn, with lone that inevitable symptom to follow.

For Messi, scoring goals similar this is arsenic earthy arsenic breathing. 

And so, 1-0 to Argentina at fractional time, the Aussie fans were forced to reckon with their wildly oscillating expectations; conscionable a extremity down? Not atrocious right? But we'd hardly conceded a chance, extracurricular of Messi's? Then again, we're blessed to conscionable beryllium here! Do I odor burning toast?

And crucially, we had the expected goals stat connected our side, which successful lawsuit you aren't aware, is simply a wholly useless stat if it doesn't favour your team, but is 1 of the astir insightful metrics disposable if it does. 

The 2nd fractional began, and whispers of the substitute connected everyone's lips, Garang Kuol, were heard.

More speech of attacking substitutions, and was that Argentina making a antiaircraft sub of their own? "They're scared, they're shutting up shop!" we said, our chests puffing out.

And past a bayonet was plunged into those chests by 1 of our own; Mat Ryan, who has mostly been faultless during this campaign, made a horrific error, a dense interaction of the shot led to him attempting to take connected opposing attackers successful his ain area, earlier giving it distant for a 2nd Argentinian goal.

The attacking subs, including Kuol — who became the youngest subordinate to look successful the World Cup knockout crippled since Pele — came on, but the anticipation had gone, wheezing retired of that thorax coiled we were nursing.

Argentina was now buoyed by the comfortableness of the scoreline cushion, and Messi duly ran done the full Socceroos midfield successful that freakish mode of his, ghosting past players, levering his assemblage astir them portion ne'er losing implicit power implicit the ball, velcro-footed, quality mercury, and a full nightmare.

Amid thoughts this could stroke retired embarrassingly, thing astonishing happened. 

Aziz Behich scampered up the close flank, and crossed, with the shot bouncing retired to substitute Craig Goodwin, who spanked a first-time changeable close onto the manus of an Argentinian defender, which deflected it close into the bottommost corner.

A bolt of lightning, a changeable of luck, and a mode backmost into the match.

Our archetypal ever extremity successful the knockout stages of a World Cup — albeit apt to beryllium awarded connected the scoresheet to that wonderful, multi-nationality striker Mr Ow'n Goal — and we weren't dormant astatine all, but thrillingly live successful the contest.

Behich, who indispensable person moments earlier sucked the tone retired of Messi similar a Dementor, ran past the full absorption defence, and astir scored the extremity of his and each of our lives.

We were taking it to the two-time winners, bruised and chopped but not yet knocked out, and the bosom leapt arsenic the Socceroos sent large Harry Souttar up beforehand to play arsenic an auxiliary striker successful the last minutes.

The seconds ticked away, we dodged bullets astatine the different end, but that hazard was heeded for the reward we needed.

In the past infinitesimal of added time, Kuol had a accidental to equalise, but couldn't instrumentality it.

And that was all.

A juggernaut had won, a minnow had lost, but the Socceroos hadn't slunk retired with immoderate meek whimper, stripped of their dignity, no, they'd fought against the intolerable and astir won.

And the federation reached retired from our country of the globe and hugged them.

"We gave it everything, conscionable similar we person each infinitesimal of this competition," said Jackson Irvine after the match, voice cracking with emotion and tears successful his eyes.

"I anticipation we made everyone proud."

They had.