A brilliantly happy – and not least relieved – Lionel Messi walked around on the grass after Lautaro Martinez had scored the decisive penalty kick. The 35-year-old stirred up a wild Argentinian audience and soaked up the impressions after a highly dramatic end to the match. The penalty shootout started in perfect fashion for Argentina when Virgil van Dijk burned the Netherlands’ first attempt from the penalty spot. Messi set another standard for his team, rolling the ball coolly in the middle of the goal. Earlier in the evening, Argentina’s South American neighbors Brazil had smoked in the same situation for Croatia. But Messi and co. wanted a different fate. Steven Berghuis also missed for the Netherlands, and then it didn’t matter much that Enzo Fernandez did the same for Lionel Scaloni’s men. Martinez kept his cool and Argentina can start preparing for the World Cup semi-final against Croatia on Tuesday. Photo: Ricardo Mazalan / AP 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! sounded euphorically from news’s commentator Nils Johan Semb. Nahuel Molina had just sent Argentina into the lead 1-0 against the Netherlands. But that wasn’t the ending people were talking about. Because as so many times before, it was Lionel Messi who stole the show. He turned up, carried the ball across the pitch, pulled off a quick overstepping feint, before playing the ball between the legs of Nathan Aké and past another Dutch defender. All the way to Molina, who was suddenly alone with the goalkeeper. At the moment of the pass, Messi did not even look his teammate’s way. news’s experts almost gaped with excitement at the 169 centimeter tall Argentine’s overview. – It is extreme. When you watch in “slow motion”, and see where his eyes go, you see that he has such an enormous understanding of football. He barely looks up and sees how the race is unfolding before it has happened, says Andrine Hegerberg. She believes that the 35-year-old’s orienteering skills and technique are on a different level from the rest. – You can’t get away from the word magic when you talk about Messi. – One can only admire such a footballer, adds Åge Hareide. The pass caused the football world to gather in unison tribute. Football fans have long since become accustomed to seeing him excel, but still get excited when the star player comes up with something special. – He has eyes in the back of his neck. Most players fail to see that pass. It has to be weighted perfectly, which he manages, says former Premier League player Chris Sutton to the BBC. DEAFENING: Lionel Messi has good support in the stands at the World Cup. Here he absorbs the noise level from the Argentine fans after a goal. Photo: Ariel Schalit / AP – Another brilliant moment from Messi. How does he see that pass? says the former English national team player Martin Keown to the same channel. Argentina is among the countries with the most supporters in Qatar, and there was a violent life in the stands along the way. The noise level reached new heights when Messi made it 2-0 from eleven meters. The referee pointed to the chalk mark when Marcos Acuña went to the ground after a tackle from Denzel Dumfries. Messi took his time in the run-up, looked up and poked the ball inexorably at the far post. For the Argentines, Messi is the great hero, but he lacks the World Cup title. Thus, he is also considered by many to be lighter than the now deceased Diego Armando Maradona, the man who still towers highest in the country’s football history. SUPPORT: Messi and Argentina have huge support in Qatar. Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI / 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 for advancement to the semi-finals? In with the 197 centimeter tall Wout Weghorst, thought Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal. Barely four minutes after he was substituted, the towering striker nodded in the equalizer for van Gaal’s men. Then, almost ten minutes into extra time, the Netherlands were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position after a hopeless felling by German Pezzella. – He completely loses his head. I don’t think he will be able to sleep tonight, says Hareide. The Netherlands waited with a razor-sharp free-kick variant. Everyone expected a direct shot at goal, but instead Steven Berghuis played the ball low to the side of the wall. There once again waited the raw Weghorst, who held off the Argentine defenders and finished in the goal, ten minutes and 32 seconds into overtime. PRACTICED FREE-KICK: Here Weghorst scores the equalizer after a brilliant free-kick move. Photo: PETER CZIBORRA / Reuters – You almost can’t believe what you see, you have to pinch your arm, said news commentator Nils Johan Semb when the 2-2 scoring was a fact. Former super striker Michael Owen is amazed that the Netherlands dared – and succeeded – with such a move in that situation. – It is practically impossible to score from a direct free kick during the day when a player is lying on the ground and the wall jumps high. I have been calling for some creativity for months. To do it there under this pressure… Unbelievable, is the verdict from Owen. – You can hardly believe how cheeky and brilliant it is, says Keown. Argentina had some wild chances in extra time, but the game eventually went to a penalty shootout. There, it was Argentina who proved to be the strongest. The world-renowned 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 narrative in his career. On Tuesday, Croatia awaits in the semi-finals, and the penultimate chapter in the world star’s World Cup book will be formulated.
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Argentina and Messi to the World Cup semi-final
