Chinanews.com, Beijing, December 1st, title: This night, Argentina advanced, and Messi "surpassed" Maradona
Author: Liu Xingchen
When the final whistle sounded, the hanging hearts of the Argentine fans finally fell to the ground.
In the early morning of the 1st Beijing time, the Qatar World Cup Group C group stage was all over.
After defeating Poland 2-0, the Argentine team climbed to the top of the group and successfully advanced to the top 16.
From the upset loss to the Saudi team in the first game, to saving the team against Mexican Messi in a desperate situation, to today's successful breakthrough...
The picture shows Argentina player Messi taking a penalty kick
In the past few days, Messi and the Argentina team have been constantly mentioned.
Before the game against Poland, everyone asked: This game will not be Messi's final performance in the World Cup, will it?
Because once the "Pampas Eagles" lose in this battle, they will be directly declared out of the group.
Fortunately, it was this victory that greeted the Argentines.
Argentina live up to Messi
"Argentina belongs to Messi." This sentence has been widely circulated in football circles for a long time.
As a player who was spotted by football king Maradona at a glance, Messi has been hailed as a "genius boy" since his debut.
I can't remember how many times he stood up when the team was in distress and saved the "Blue and White Army" from fire and water.
But on the green field, there has never been a shortage of stories of "returning peaches and rewards".
The picture shows Argentina player Messi
On the night of successfully breaking through from the group, Argentina did not disappoint Messi.
"Missing a penalty made me angry, but after my mistake the team became stronger." Messi commented after the game.
In the first half of the game, Messi was violated by Polish goalkeeper Szczesny in the penalty area.
However, his penalty kick was single-handedly held up by the brave Polish goalkeeper.
The picture shows Messi and Lewandowski
But when McAllister followed up and scored in the middle of the second half to help Argentina successfully rewrite the score, everything changed.
"Once the deadlock is broken, the course of the game will be changed." As Messi concluded, this goal made the Argentine the mentally dominant side.
Since then, Alvarez rewritten the score on the court to 2:0.
When the dust settled and the numbers on the scoreboard stood there, Messi and his Argentina team kept their word.
The picture shows the moment when the Argentine players scored
After losing to the Saudi team in the first game, Messi hoped that fans would believe in the team in an interview.
"We have to be the ones who turn things around."
Today, they do.
In fact, in the second match against Mexico in the group stage, when Messi helped the team break the deadlock, his teammates quickly continued to fire.
At the last moment of the game, Messi provided an assist for Enzo Fernandez, and the "post-00" teenager helped Argentina secure the victory.
With that goal, at the age of 21 years and 313 days, he became the youngest World Cup scorer for Argentina since 2006.
And the name in front of him is Messi.
The record of 18 years and 357 days has not yet been broken.
The picture shows Messi in the game
For a while in 2016, Messi expressed his desire to quit the Argentina national team.
At that time, 15-year-old Enzo Fernandez used letters to retain his idol.
"You know how ridiculous it is that 40+ million people want you to do the perfect thing, to impose it on you. On your vacation, you could just lie on the beach and enjoy it, but instead you choose to run on the field. Be you Do what you want, Lionel, but please consider staying."
At the end of the letter, Fernandez admitted that when Messi is happy, Argentine fans are happy.
Now both of them are wearing the jerseys of the national team, fighting side by side on the highest stage of world football.
The picture shows Messi
After hearing this story, fans believe even more: the Argentine team in the World Cup in Qatar has the appearance of a champion.
Because they have Messi, but not only Messi.
"Beyond" Maradona
The game against Poland in the early hours of this morning is also of special significance to Messi himself.
In his fifth World Cup trip, Messi has played 22 times on the World Cup stage, surpassing the famous Maradona. The 35-year-old "Plum Ball King" will continue his immortal legend.
The picture shows Argentina taking a penalty kick
Back in time to the 2005 World Youth Championship, Messi led the team to win the championship.
When returning to Argentina, Maradona went to greet him in person.
The ball king proudly declared to the world: Messi is my successor.
This scene is still in the memory of many Argentine fans.
Since the start of the World Cup trip in 2006, Messi has learned to deal with everything in the past four green games.
He has experienced life-and-death battles like today's "lose and go home" many times in his career.
"In the past 18 years, the world has been looking for a way to prevent Messi, but no one has found the answer. I think as long as Messi is still playing, we will not find the answer to this question." According to foreign media According to reports, before the game, Polish coach Michnievic expressed his opinion of the Argentine superstar.
And this may also be the voice of many team coaches.
The picture shows the scene of the game
Today, the Argentina captain is teaching his younger generation how to take responsibility and how to make Argentine fans proud.
Before the World Cup in Qatar, many people said that Messi is now leading perhaps the best Argentine national team in recent years.
Since losing to Brazil in the semi-finals of the Copa America in 2019, they have gone 36 consecutive games unbeaten before the start of the World Cup.
After surviving the upset loss to Saudi Arabia, many Argentine fans may still think so.
They firmly believe that time flies, but Messi will not "grow old".
In the 1/8 finals, the Argentines will compete with the "Kangaroo Legion" Australian team for the promotion spot.
If they can cross this hurdle, there is a high probability that waiting for them is the "uncrowned king" Dutch team.
In 1978, Mario Kempes missed a penalty in the third group stage.
That year, they won the Hercules Cup.
In the 1986 World Cup, Maradona missed a penalty in the third round of the group stage.
That year, they won the championship as they wished.
In 2022, Messi missed a penalty in the third round of the group stage.
What will happen this year...
How Argentine fans hope it will be an affirmative answer.
(Finish)