Lionel Messi’s sporting legacy didn’t hinge on the results of Wednesday’s World Cup match between Argentina and Poland.
But his goals of profitable a World Cup, and reaching what he himself referred to as the “impossible dream,” hung within the stability.
Argentina took the sphere at Stadium 974 in Doha for his or her closing match of group play needing a win, or a draw and a few assist, to advance to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup. With every little thing to play for, and in entrance of a crowd that supplied the texture of a house match for Argentina, Messi and firm lastly broke by means of within the second half, punching their ticket to the spherical of 16 with a formidable 2-0 victory over Poland.
As the match wound down, the main target shifted from whether or not Messi and Argentina would advance, as to whether Poland themselves – who entered the ultimate day of group play atop the group – would survive.
Messi himself had an early probability within the eleventh minute from a troublesome angle, however his shot was deflected behind aim by Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny for a nook. Poland would finally clear, maintaining the match stage.
Argentina would have one other super probability within the twenty eighth minute:
Szczensy managed to dam a shot off the fitting foot of Julian Alvarez, however the rebound settled on the ft of Marcos Acuna, whose personal try went simply.
They saved the stress on, and within the thirty third minute Angel Di Maria curled in a good looking ball on a nook, forcing Szczensy to react and punch the ball over:
As you’ll be able to see, even Szczensy appreciated Di Maria’s try on the Olimpico.
The Polish keeper wouldn’t admire what occurred moments later. On a ball into the field, Szczensy got here off the road to attempt to punch the ball away earlier than Messi may get to it, and made contact with Messi’s face. After a overview, Argentina was awarded a penalty.
And with the eyes of the world on him, together with the hopes of the nation, Messi stepped to the spot.
Only to be denied:
Here is one other have a look at the trouble from the Polish keeper, who learn it proper after which used his large body to disclaim Messi:
But Argentina saved the stress on, maintaining Poland on their heels and forcing Szczensy to make save after save. And by the point the whistle blew for halftime, Argentina had 14 pictures to their credit score, and Szczensy had made 9 saves, together with the penalty kick.
Yet the match was scoreless.
The story of the second half can be whether or not the one-way visitors of the match would lastly end in a aim from Argentina, or if Szczensy and Poland may stand up to the stress, and maybe counter with a aim of their very own.
We acquired the mere seconds into the second half:
Argentina lastly broke by means of off the primary contact from Alexis Mac Allister, after the cross performed again into the field from Nahuel Molina.
It was Mac Allister’s first aim for Argentina in worldwide play.
The aim additionally put some stress on Poland, and their very own probabilities for advancing into the spherical of 16. Poland may advance even with a loss, however abruptly the consequence between Mexico and Saudi Arabia got here into focus. Mexico scored twice early within the second half, pulling them stage within the group with Poland on 4 factors every.
Meaning the margin in each video games might be decisive, with aim differential between Poland and Mexico the primary tiebreaker, and targets scored the second.
So when Alvarez scored within the 68th minute, it was time to panic on the Polish bench. The aim from Alvarez meant that Poland and Mexico have been stage not simply on aim differential, but in addition targets scored.
Which would convey the following tiebreaker into play, the FIFA “fair play points” calculus, into view. Poland, having been proven simply 4 yellow playing cards throughout group play, held that benefit over Mexico, who had seen seven.
But one other aim from both Mexico, or Argentina, would change that. As would a purple card for both Mexico or Poland. Those additionally appeared like the one possible choices, as Poland lacked any attacking capabilities all through the match with Argentina. Messi and firm continued to dominate possession and the circulate of play, and even fast probabilities at counters didn’t materialize for Poland.
In the 78th minute, Grzegorz Krychowiak obtained a yellow card for Poland, bringing that potential tiebreaker even nearer, and decreasing Poland’s margins for error that rather more.
As the match moved into the 81st minute, Argentina appeared to dial again the stress a bit, and settled for controlling the ball and the tempo, fairly than pushing ahead as that they had been for the primary 80 minutes of play.
Argentina did have a implausible probability at one other aim within the 86th minute, when Poland gave the ball away in their very own finish. Lautaro Martínez received the race to the ball and put one other shot in the direction of aim for Argentina, however the ball rolled extensive of the aim, maintaining Poland alive:
Six minutes of stoppage time have been added, that means that Poland wanted to hold on for a bit of longer, whereas hoping issues remained as they have been between Saudi Arabia and Mexico. Argentina had two unbelievable probabilities throughout stoppage time, the primary of which required a header off the road to maintain Poland alive:
Finally the ultimate whistle blew, and it was time for Poland to take a seat and watch the match between Mexico and Saudi Arabia, and hope for excellent news.
Poland acquired that excellent news, as Saudi Arabia scored in stoppage time, giving Poland the sting on aim differential over Mexico.
You may nearly hear the sighs of reduction type the Polish bench, over the still-present roar of Argentina’s followers.
While the chaotic end to each matches could be the story of the day, the larger image is Messi, and his goals of a World Cup remaining intact after a tough begin within the loss to Saudi Arabia. With the victory from Argentina – and the win for Mexico – Argentina advances because the winners of the group, avoiding a gathering with France within the spherical of 16.
And Messi’s visions of an inconceivable dream survive for just a few extra nights, a minimum of.