Messi’s Argentina go through on penalties after dramatic Dutch comeback

A magical assist and a penalty from Lionel Messi had appeared to have put Argentina in the semi-finals of the World Cup before Netherlands’ Wout Weghorst’s late brace ripped open the dramatic quarter-final as the hotly-contested clash went into penalties.
Thankfully for Messi, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s heroics kept his dream of winning the elusive World Cup alive as Argentina edged the Netherlands 4-3 in the shootout. Martinez made brilliant saves off Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis – the first two of Netherlands’ spot kicks.
Enzo Fernandez missed Argentina’s fourth penalty but Lautaro Martinez slammed the decisive kick into the net as the two-time champions set up a semi-final against Croatia, who had earlier in the night knocked out another South American giant Brazil.
It was another penalty heartbreak for Dutch coach Louis van Gaal against Argentina, having also suffered the same fate at the same stage in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. For Messi, he would be hoping it will end on a different note this time - eight years after losing in the final against Germany.
“Argentina are among the four best in the world because they show that they know how to play every game with the same desire and the same intensity,” Messi, 35, said after the match. “A lot of joy, a lot of happiness. We didn’t have to go to extra time or penalties, we had to suffer. But we got through and it’s impressive,” he added.
What started with a tetchy and slow-paced first-half, the quarter-finals between the two traditional World Cup rivals burst into life with plenty of skirmishes in the second half that often spilled into the dugouts in front of an 88,235 vociferous crowd at Lusail Stadium.
There were cynical fouls, deliberate handball and a shoving contest in itself with Argentina almost paying a costly price for losing their composure at the end of 90 plus 11 minutes of stoppage time. There were a total of 14 yellow cards shown by Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz on the night – including eight to Argentina players.
Weghorst, who had brought the Netherlands back into the game with a towering header in the 83rd minute, took the game to extra time after converting a cleverly taken free kick, in what was the last action of the regulation time.
Argentina threw the proverbial kitchen sink to find the winner, particularly in the second half of the extra time, but the match was destined to go into penalties.
Even before the match began, Argentina fans were in high spirits. As tournament favourites Brazil crashed out of the World Cup after a harrowing loss to Croatia on penalties, a loud cheer went across the Lusail Stadium as the fans of Selecao’s arch-rivals Argentina celebrated wildly. But La Albiceleste fans reserved their loudest cheer after one of their very own created a moment of magic to put Argentina ahead against the Netherlands.
After a drab opening 35 minutes, Messi brought the game to life with a brilliant pass, only he could envisage and execute it to perfection. The Argentina captain drove past the Dutch defenders before he slipped a pass into the box, where Nahuel Molina took a soft first touch and then slid it past goalkeeper Andries Noppert for his first international goal.
It was a touch of genius from Messi - the vision to deliver the reverse pass and the impeccable timing to place it in the right spot, giving a glimpse of his legendary career in a nutshell.
He would later also convert a penalty in the 73rd minute – his fourth goal of Qatar 2022 - after Marcos Acuna was brought down in the box by Denzel Dumfries. An Argentina vs Croatia semi-final looked a foregone conclusion, before Van Gaal threw his trump card Weghorst in the 78th minute.
The Besiktas striker on loan from Burnley made an instant impression with a goal five minutes later as Argentina appeared to lose control of the game they were very much in command.
It all went out of control for Messi and his men in 10 minutes of added time, as Argentina players committed plenty of fouls, including a reckless lunging challenge from Leandro Paredes on Nathan Ake that kicked off a melee.
In the last minute of stoppage time, the Netherlands were awarded a free kick just outside the box, which Van Gaal’s men took full advantage of. With substitutes German Pezzella and Paredes marking Weghorst on the edge of the box for a header, another late Dutch substitute Teun Koopmeiners cleverly slid the ball to his teammate while pretending to go for a free kick. Weghorst, who took the ball with his left foot, swivelled into the far corner.
As the Netherlands players, both on and off the field, celebrated wildly, Messi cut a distraught figure. Fortunately for him, Martinez was at his absolute best to keep his teammates’ long-cherished dream alive.
The heartbreaking loss at Lusail Stadium was the first for Netherlands in 20 matches. The loss brought an end to 71-year-old Van Gaal’s third spell as coach.
“We practised on penalties all year and then you screw it up,” Van Gaal said. “That’s a pity. As a coach, I want to have everything under control. That is why I asked the players to take a penalty at their club, they all did. If you miss two, you won’t win anymore. You simply cannot simulate such a series.”