…Argentina to meet Croatia in the first Semis on Tuesday at 8pm.
Messi and Martinez
History was repeated on Friday night at the 2022 Qatar world cup when a match that was played in the same tournament was ‘replayed’ for Argentina to advance into the current games’ semifinal via penalty kicks.
On 9th July 2014 Argentina and Croatia met at the quarterfinals playing goalless after extra time with Argentina emerging victorious on penalty 4-2.
After spectacularly grim and dramatically filled pulsating moments, the match at Lusail stadium, Qatar ended 2-2 and Argentina ran away into the semis via 4-3 on penalties. And the Dutch were in mourning.
The talisman of Argentina who Nigerian fans find convenient to call Oluwamessi (Oluwa is a prefix sometimes shortened to OLU in Yorubaland standing for God), initiated a brilliant pass to Nahuel Molina who scored the opener in the 35th minute.
Lionel Messi himself scored the second goal from a perfectly taken penalty kick in the 73rd minute which was his 3rd in Qatar where he lost one. The opening goal in this competition against Saudi Arabia was a penalty from Messi. It is on record that Messi has played 27 penalties for Argentina and lost five. He therefore has four goals to himself in Qatar which one short of the leading scorer Mbappe of France.
Wout Weghorst reduced the tally for the Dutch when he scored from a thorough pass of Steven Berghuis in the 83rd minute.
Tempers rose, blood became hot as the Dutch made scintillating effort to equalize and the Argentine defenders became rough through hard tackles. In the 89th minute Leandro Paredez committed a foul on Nathan Ake, did not stop there, like a drunk-on Broadway, he kicked the ball into the reserve bench of the Dutch. The whole country of Netherlands ran into the field, kicking and swearing bringing a brawl. It was tough for Ref Antonio Lahoz to bring the players under control at the end of which he flashed the yellow card to the Dutch Captain, Virgil van Dijk and Leandro in the 89th minute.
At virtually the last move of the match, the dramatic acts heightened when Wout Weghorst caused intensive heartache with an incredible equalizer in the 90+11th minute. As the players fell, the Ref indicated stoppage of his watch.
Netherlands got the highest number of fouls in a single match at the tournament, 30 against Argentina’s 18. It is worthy reporting that the Dutch had only two shots on target which were there two goals.
At the end of the extra time, the score board read 2-2 and penalty shoot outs came.
Argentina Goalkeeper Emilano Martinez who has an athletic stature saved several glaring chances that Netherlands would have used to finish the match at regular time. Martinez saved the first two penalty shots of Holland by Skipper Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berhghuis. The three others from Teun Koop Meiners; Wout Waghorst and Luuk de-Jong were scored.
Lionel Messi; Leandro Peredez; Gonzalo Montiel and Lautaro Martinez scored theirs while Enzo Fernandez lost his kick.
Both may be elite teams at the world cup, but records show there is seniority in standings. Argentina have been in five world cup finals winning it twice in 1978 and 1986 while being runners-up 1930; 1990 and 2014. They pathetically lost four times at group stages in 1965; 1998; 2006 and 2010 in South Africa.
Netherlands never lifted the trophy but were three times runners-up in 1974; 1978 and 2010. The Orange boys won the Bronze in 2014 and placed 4th in 1998. The team lost at the Quarterfinal stage in 1994. So, Argentina has better credentials.
On current forms, both teams won their groups. Netherlands beat Senegal 2-0; drew with Ecuador and gave hosts Qatar just 2-0. In the round of 16 the Orange boys edged out the Yankees of America (USA) 3-1 to get to set up to meet old foes in Argentina.
Argentina got their bearings very wrong in the first game losing to Saudi Arabia 1-2 and the Arabs declared a public holiday for defeating their Goliath. Leo Messi motivated the Argentines not to allow a disgraceful group to exit and so beat local rivals, Mexico 2-0 and sent parking Lewandoski led Poland 2-0. They struggled from another attempt to stifle them by Australia who they beat 2-1 in the round of 16.
Past meetings show Argentina’s upper hand with 4 wins, 2 draws and Netherlands 3 wins. On 26th May 1974 Ned won 4-1; on the 26th of June 1974 world cup Ned lost 0-4 and the next match which was a world cup encounter on 25th June 1978 Arg dazed Ned 3-1. There was a FIFA celebration match on 22nd May 1979 where both sides played goalless. Ned won a world cup quarterfinal match on 4th July 1998 2-1.
Then came two friendly matches on 31st March 1999 they drew 1-1 and Ned won on 12th February 2003 by a lone goal. A world cup match was played on 21st June 2006 that ended goalless and their last meeting at the 2014 world cup on 9th July ended goalless after extra time only for Argentina to win on penalties 4-2.
On Saturday at 4pm Morocco will play Portugal in the 3rd quarters while at 8pm England will meet defending Champions France in the 4th quarters. Both times is West African Time (WAT).
Argentina will meet the Croatians in the first Semifinal on Tuesday 13th December at 8pm West African Time.
Eniola Olatunji reporting. #Fifaworldcup2022.
