The day Messi tied with Maradona In World Cup matches played (21), still fresh from the second anniversary of the death of the ancient star, Lionel was reincarnated as Diego again, like every day, to save his country and give it much more than it would have if he had not enjoyed the two greatest footballers in the contemporary world.
He gave him, against Mexico, the life that Argentina was escaping, forced as it was to win to continue feeding the slogan that they have come to Qatar to win the cup. That life, that encouragement to face Poland with the possibility of qualifying, depending on itself or even with a draw if Saudi Arabia does not beat Mexico, was provided by the 10, its captain, who else, who was then seconded by Enzo Fernández.
win not play
It wasn’t about playing. It was about winning. As it was. Life was on it and it’s the last thing you lose. Messi has played many games like this -with Argentina, not with Barça or PSG- and he limited himself to waiting for the opportunity. He also knew it was a long shot. That he would have a bullet and should take advantage of it; if not, he would go, with the others to the stoning.
He would have a bullet, he aimed and hit. Not to Ochoa’s heart, but to the last corner of the goal. Tata Martino had said the day before that Messi only needs five minutes to decide. It didn’t take him five seconds to appease the ball with a touch in front of him and release a left-footed shot.
Argentina returned to the cursed Lusail stadium, where the nightmare began against Saudi Arabia and was guaranteed another sleepless night, even if they won, of partying. Thanks to Messi the albiceleste party spread through the luxurious Qatari neighborhood.
As the best team he had, which was his debut, did not work for him, Scaloni changed to the middle of the lineup. He worsened, of course, against a competitive rival and in a match in which he was not going to prioritize quality. Or was not the first choice criteria. Enzo Fernández, one of those sacrificed, underpinned the victory.
unstoppable party
There was not a football game being played. They were risking their lives and honor, and sparks flew from the aluminum studs. They toasted an infumable match, unworthy of the highest football stage. They only reproduced the catalog of tricks and devotedly applied that old maxim that the player or the ball passes, but never both. Not a dribble, not a wall, not a minimum chain of passes. The Mexican fans chanted a couple of “ole, ole” more as a mockery of his rival than because of the dominance of his representatives, as was confirmed when he sang ‘Sing and don’t cry’.
Nobody wanted to play the 90 minutes. They tried to reduce the time as much as possible, because they wanted to shorten the suffering, the only thing that was guaranteed. That of enjoying is verbiage, posturing.
The tension was observed before five minutes when there was the first brawl due to an elbow received by the Argentine Montiel when Mexico basted a counterattack that was two against one. Each crash recorded one death, with the consequent time invested to revive him. No one better than the Italian Orsato, versed in this type of football, to patiently manage all the friction and all the fictions that were represented. Many more than the football actions that were worth noting.
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A shot from Messi that Ochoa rejected with his fists, before falling unconscious, and a popcorn from Martínez from Vega’s shot were the only two noteworthy plays of the first half. Both of direct free kicks. The only way in which there would be no interference from a rival to finish an action.
The positional harmony of Mexico, with its three center backs, the wingers, the three midfielders and the two wingers contrasted with the completely asymmetrical Argentine drawing. The three points (Di María, Messi and Lautaro) were concentrated in the right half of the attack while on the other side, it was supposed to be for the Sevilla winger Marcos Acuña or the interior player Alexis Mac Allister to sneak in. It is supposed, because that was never seen. Messi’s presence concentrates the entire game and no one stepped on the left side. He remained a virgin. Enough with Messi. Again.