Immediately after the end of the match, television cameras captured a special case. Lionel Messi went straight to Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal and Edgar Davids, who is part of the Dutch coaching staff, and said what appeared to be some heated words.
– It doesn’t seem like the sweetest of words he exchanges with the legend David, commented NRK World Cup expert Tette Lidbom.
Åge Hareide noticed the same thing. Temperatures were high at times between the teams throughout the match, and 14 yellow cards were dealt.
– Obviously, something was said during the match, I think. You see, Van Gaal looks surprised. Maybe Missy is mad about something, so he goes and confronts them about it. As usual, Van Gaal understands nothing, says Hareid with a smile.
The end of excitement
In the post-match press conference, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was asked what led to the apparently bad atmosphere between Messi and the Dutch coaches:
– It was a high temperature, it was the quarter-final match after all. What happens on the field stays on the field. But we have eleven guys and Leo is very important and he shows he’s the absolute best, so we’re delighted to have him in our team.
Before Messi ended up in an argument with the Dutch coaches, he was trolling around the turf brilliantly happy – not the least relieved. The 35-year-old stirred up a wild and impression-absorbing Argentine crowd with a wildly exciting finish to the match.
– We were incredibly happy when we were finally able to celebrate the victory with the fans. Diego (Maradona) sees us from the sky, he pushes us and I hope he will be proud of us tonight, says Messi after the match.
Messi was named man of the match and therefore had to attend the press conference afterwards. Of the hundreds of journalists in the room, three were allowed to ask questions, but none were about the confrontation with Van Gaal and Davids.
It is decided by a penalty shootout
The penalty shoot-out started in perfect fashion for Argentina when Virgil van Dijk fired the Netherlands’ first penalty attempt. Messi set another standard for his team, calmly rolling the ball into the middle of the goal.
Earlier in the evening, Argentina’s South American neighbour, Brazil, smoked in a similar situation for Croatia. But Messi and his comrades. He wanted a different fate.
Stephen Burgess also missed out for Holland, and then it didn’t matter that Enzo Fernandez did the same for Lionel Scaloni’s men. Lautaro Martinez has kept his cool and Argentina can start preparing for their World Cup semi-final against Croatia on Tuesday.
Experts laughed at Messi
The match also started well for Messi.
– This is a work of art! It’s a perfect pass from Messi, who does all the preparatory work himself. What a player and what a man! She looked elated by NRK commentator Nils Johan Semb.
Nahuel Molina had just dispatched Argentina 1-0 against the Netherlands. But this was not the end that people were talking about. Because as so often before, it was Lionel Messi who stole the show.
He appeared, carried the ball across the field, and feinted quickly, before playing the ball between the legs of Nathan Ake and another Dutch defender. Down to Molina, who is suddenly alone with the goalkeeper.
At the moment of the pass, Messi did not even look into the path of his teammate. NRK experts almost got excited when watching the 169-centimeter Argentinean photo.
– It’s extreme. When you watch in “slow motion”, and you see where his eyes go, you see he has such a tremendous understanding of football. He barely looked and saw how the race began before it even happened, says Andreine Hegerberg.
She believes that the 35-year-old’s mentoring skills and techniques are different from the rest.
– You don’t stray from the system Charm When we talk about Messi.
– Adds Agee Hared: One can only admire such a player.
The pass caused the football world to gather in harmonious tribute. Longtime football fans are used to seeing him excel, but still get excited when the superstar comes up with something special.
He has eyes at the back of his neck. Most players fail to see this scroll. It has to be ideally weighed in, says former Premier League player Chris Sutton to the BBC, which he manages to do.
Strengthening: Lionel Messi has been well supported in the stands at the World Cup. Here it absorbs the noise level of the Argentine fans after a goal.
Photo: Ariel Shalit/Associated Press
Another great moment from Messi. How does he see that traffic? Former England national team player Martin Keown tells the same channel.
Holland’s great move
Argentina is among Qatar’s most prolific supporters, and there was wild life in the stands all along the way. The hype reached new heights when Messi made it 2-0 from eleven metres.
The referee pointed to the chalk mark when Marcos Acuña fell to the ground after a tackle from Denzel Dumfries. Messi took his time to prepare, looking up and relentlessly placing the ball at the far post.
For the Argentines, Messi is the great hero, but he lacks a World Cup title. Thus, he is also considered by many to be lighter than the now-deceased Diego Armando Maradona, the man still the tallest in the country’s football history.
Support: Messi and Argentina enjoy great support in Qatar.
Photo: Alberto Pezzoli/AFP
This year’s World Cup will, by all accounts, be Messi’s last. Was there anything that could put a stick in the wheels to advance to the semi-finals?
In With the 197-centimeter Wout Weghorst, Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal believes.
Barely four minutes after being substituted, the towering striker nodded home the equalizer for Van Gaal’s men. Then, almost ten minutes into extra time, the Netherlands were awarded a free kick in a dangerous situation after a hopeless fall by Germany’s Pezzella.
He completely loses his head. “I don’t think he’ll be able to sleep tonight,” Harid says.
Holland waited with a kind of sharp free-kick. Everyone expected a direct shot on goal, but instead Stephen Burgess played the ball low to the side of the wall. There again Weghorst waited for the raw, who held off the Argentine defenders and finished in the goal, ten minutes and 32 seconds into extra time.
Practical Free Kick: Here Weghorst scores the equalizer after a brilliant free-kick move.
Photo: Peter Chipora/Reuters
– said NRK commentator Niels Johan Semp, when it was 2-2 real, you almost don’t believe what you see, you have to push yourself.
Former super striker Michael Owen is astonished that Holland would have dared – and succeeded – to make such a move in this situation.
– It is practically impossible to score from a direct free kick during the day when the player is lying on the ground and jumping up the wall. I’ve been pleading for some creativity for months now. To do it out there under that pressure… Unbelievable, Owen judged.
– You can’t believe how cheeky and adorable he is, says Keon.
Argentina had some great chances in extra time, but the match eventually went to penalties. There, it was Argentina that proved to be the strongest.
The world famous book “One Thousand and One Nights” is a collection of stories from the Middle East and Asia. In his 1001st career match, Lionel Messi wrote a new story in his career. On Tuesday, Croatia awaits the semi-finals, and the penultimate chapter in the book of world stars for the World Cup will be drafted.
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