Argentina have booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals after a gripping fightback against Egypt in Atlanta. For the second successive knockout match, Lionel Messi and his team-mates appeared to be edging dangerously close to an early exit, only to find a way through. Should both sides clear their next hurdles, they remain on a collision course with England in next week’s semi-final, once again in America’s Deep South.
Here, Daily Mail Sport revisits the key moments from a dramatic night and considers exactly what sort of Argentina side Thomas Tuchel’s players may be preparing to face next week…
SO… WAS IT FIXED?
One point is worth acknowledging from the outset: FIFA clearly prefer their marquee players to be on the pitch at their showpiece events.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s ban following a red card in qualifying was cut, ensuring he was available for all of Portugal’s matches in the United States. And the chaotic contortions that allowed Folarin Balogun to represent the USA against Belgium hardly need revisiting in detail.
So, yes, FIFA leave themselves exposed to almost every criticism thrown their way. Gianni Infantino’s dreadful record has created an atmosphere in which players and coaches feel emboldened to blame his organisation whenever controversy erupts on the field.
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan argues with referee Francois Letexier during his team’s defeat
Confidence in the governing body has evaporated in America. But Argentina’s victory over Egypt was not fixed. Donald Trump, as far as anyone is aware, was not stationed in the VAR room. (More likely, he was at home drafting admiring notes to Harry Kane.)
What happened was simpler: Egypt ran into a side of world champions who, time and again, have shown they know how to claw their way out of trouble.
The goal Egypt had disallowed was done so correctly. There was a significant foul on Lisandro Martinez at its inception. As for the two claims Egypt made about offences against their players in phases of play before Argentina broke to win the game… well, they were close but neither reached the threshold for intervention that has, on the whole, existed at this World Cup.
VAR is not now being used as well and as sparingly as it was at the start of the tournament and that’s a shame. The VAR officials have suddenly got a little trigger-happy.
But that doesn’t mean Egypt’s claims of deliberate bias ring true. They don’t.
MESSI STILL AS DANGEROUS
Let’s be honest, we thought World Cup 2022 was peak Messi. A World Cup win at last and a final he wrote his name right across.
This one felt like it may be a lap of honour for a 39-year-old who has not played at elite club level for three years.
But the star of the Inter Miami franchise in America’s MLS has proved us all wrong already.
Even if a hat-trick in Argentina’s first game against Algeria felt a little like a past master taking advantage of a poor opponent, Messi’s contribution since then has been outstanding and fundamental to his country’s progress.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric said goodbye to the world at this tournament looking like the time had come. Messi doesn’t look like that at all.
Lionel Messi has lit up the tournament when many thought he may not play a huge role
He doesn’t run as much off the ball as he used to but then he did never did a lot of that anyway. One of his unquestionable talents was always to know when and how to become active in the play.
He was superb at that against Egypt which is why he still had the energy to drive his team back from the brink in Atlanta.
He probably shouldn’t be taking his team’s penalties anymore – he has now missed two at this World Cup and has form – but apart from that he remains a menace that, should England face him, would present them England a challenge unlike anything else they have faced out here in America.
TALENTED, YES… BUT DRIVEN TOO
Good teams don’t win World Cups unless they are willing to put the work in. As soon as Brazil allowed Morocco to out-run and out-move them in an opening draw with Morocco in New Jersey three and a half weeks ago, it was clear they would only go so far in this tournament. Had England been facing them this weekend, they would have done so with every chance of sending them home.
This Argentina side is different. There are flaws in it, for sure. Egypt killed them on the break on three or four occasions. But this is an Argentina team – led by Messi but driven on by players such as Alexis Mac Allister and Lisandro Martinez – that wants to work and wants to succeed.
Lionel Scaloni clearly commands a huge amount of respect among his squad
They are an emotional group but that energy was used as force for good against Egypt. Even at 2-0 down, there was no finger-pointing.
They are also orchestrated by a coach in Lionel Scaloni who has led them to one World Cup triumph already and for whom they would clearly give their last breath.
‘Football is about tactics and strategy,’ said Scaloni after the Egypt win. ‘But it’s also about heart, gut feeling and the desire to never, ever give up.’
Argentina were all but out of the World Cup with 11 minutes to go in Atlanta. Messi didn’t bring that one back from the death all on his own.
WINNING IS A HABIT
As incredible as it sounds, nine of Argentina’s starting XI for the game against Egypt were in the line-up for the 2022 final win over France. With the exception of Lisandro Martinez, the goalkeeper and back four is exactly the same.
When you consider that only five players remain from England’s last game in that tournament – the whole back four is different – it indicates what an experienced and trusted team Scaloni has at his disposal here in America.
England have a psychological hurdle to overcome at this World Cup and any player who ever pulls on the white short will feel that pressure until it changes. England and Thomas Tuchel are a team that have a lot to prove and that is a burden that Argentina do not carry.
The stadium in Atlanta was packed with Argentina fans but even at 2-0 down and with a dream of retaining the title seemingly slipping away, there was not a single note of dissent from any of them.
Argentina know how to win this tournament and they know how to make sure tight games go their way. They have done it twice in this World Cup already. You cannot buy, train or invent that kind of luxury.
FLAWS TO EXPLOIT
The best team in this tournament is France and on the evidence of what we have seen so far, they would appear to be so by a distance. They are not perfect but they carry a look of superiority that nobody else in America has yet to fashion.
Certainly Argentina are not at that level when it comes to their football. We must remember that in the last couple of rounds they have almost been knocked out by teams ranked 64 (Cape Verde) and 24 (Egypt) and that kind of thing doesn’t happen by accident.
The truth is that Argentina are vulnerable through the centre of their midfield – where they don’t always have enough legs – and in particular in the centre of their defence.
Emiliano Martinez and Argentina were floored by Egypt’s second but recovered to win
Lisandro Martinez was outjumped and outmuscled quite comprehensively as Egypt scored their first goal and should England eventually end up facing Argentina in the last four, captain Harry Kane will not need asking twice to have a look at the footage.
He may not top the race for the Golden Boot rankings but Kane is the best out-and-out centre forward in this tournament and Argentina’s back four will know it.
And in terms of their goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez has looked past his brilliant best for Aston Villa for a while.
He never seems to have psychologically recovered from that failed move to Manchester United a year ago. He has not had a brilliant World Cup.
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