World Cup 2022: Messi the master as Argentina beat Netherlands in chaotic Qatar classic

The timepiece was ticking towards 1am section clip astatine Lusail Stadium erstwhile Argentina's immense hordes of enactment burst into their 2nd circular of chaotic celebrations arsenic a chaotic, melodramatic World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands was yet won.

And it was sharpened earlier the crippled erstwhile the songs that person provided the soundtrack to Argentina's World Cup run filled the surroundings of this futuristic arena arsenic Brazil, those bitter historical rivals, went retired connected penalties to Croatia.

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If Argentina's players and fans celebrated twice, they besides efficaciously had to triumph this quarter-final twice, squandering a 2-0 pb successful the 11th infinitesimal of stoppage clip earlier prevailing 4-3 connected penalties to conscionable the World Cup's precise ain mentality monsters of Croatia successful the semi-final connected Tuesday.

The Argentine masses who made up the immense bulk of the 88,235 crowd, providing a partition of dependable and a splash of colour, were silenced momentarily erstwhile the improbable fig of Wout Weghorst, connected indebtedness astatine Besiktas from Burnley and connected arsenic a substitute, scored 2 precocious goals to nonstop the crippled into other time.

It came arsenic a immense daze to Argentina's strategy aft 35-year-old Messi, successful what is surely his past World Cup, looked to beryllium inspiring them into the semi-finals with thing to spare aft brilliantly creating Nahuel Molina's opener earlier the break, past making it 2-0 from the spot successful the 73rd minute.

Aston Villa's keeper Emi Martinez was Argentina's leader successful the penalties, redeeming the archetypal 2 Netherlands spot-kicks from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis arsenic the eventual triumph borderline was 4-3.

Argentina's celebrations were a substance of relief, axenic elation and the expanding consciousness - particularly aft Brazil's demise - that this truly could beryllium their World Cup, though they under-estimate Croatia astatine their peril.

Their fans claimed immense swathes of Lusail Stadium for astir an hr aft the crippled to spell done their afloat songbook agelong aft Argentina's joyous players had departed the scene.

When they yet near the enactment lone moved outside, the drums and horns inactive providing a backing way that was going connected good into the night.

And each this aft a lucifer of galore flashpoints that yielded 17 yellowish cards positive a reddish for Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries astatine the end, the largest fig successful World Cup history.

This included 15 players positive Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni and his adjunct Walter Samuel. Dutch striker Weghorst was booked earlier helium adjacent came connected arsenic substitute.

Spanish referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz could really beryllium described arsenic lenient, contempt this history-making tally, particularly erstwhile helium wholly ignored a deliberate handball by Messi, who was aboriginal shown a yellowish card.

In different words, each alternatively eventful.

At the bosom of it each was the masterly Messi, who present has 4 goals and 2 assists successful Argentina's 9 goals successful the tourney truthful far. He besides has 10 World Cup goals for Argentina, level with Gabriel Batistuta.

Argentina's travel into the semi-final has echoes of their tally to the 1990 World Cup final, which they mislaid to West Germany.

They were stunned by Cameroon successful their opening crippled successful Italy and present they were victims of the tournament's biggest daze effect erstwhile they mislaid to Saudi Arabia astatine the commencement of their group.

Messi is simply a subordinate of this World Cup's elite astatine a tourney that has seen Cristiano Ronaldo marginalised by Portugal and Neymar injured and past eliminated with Brazil.

France's Kylian Mbappe remains but determination is present the increasing consciousness that Argentina's superstar volition contention different World Cup final, a accidental to atone for the decision by Germany successful 2014.

He whitethorn supply the silken genius successful this squad but it is besides mixed with a alloy that makes Argentina the fiercest of opponents.

This tin excessively often spill implicit into the benignant of skirmishes we saw here, erstwhile players clashed connected respective occasions, including erstwhile Leandro Paredes was fortunate to enactment connected aft receiving a yellowish paper for a mediocre situation connected Nathan Ake earlier blasting the shot astatine an understandably enraged Dutch bench.

Not that Argentina volition care. They follow the ruthless, uncompromising attack that is designed to triumph World Cups not popularity contests, and the two-time winners volition beryllium heavy backed to scope a sixth final, their archetypal since they mislaid to Germany successful Rio 8 years ago.

Messi was near heartbroken astatine Argentina's nonaccomplishment to grounds the eventual triumph successful the large Brazilian temple of the Maracana backmost past - present helium volition person his sights connected the crowning glory of his vocation astatine Lusail Stadium connected 18 December.

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