From our Special Envoy in Doha,
The resemblance was striking, so we thought the Argentines would do it again.
The Albiceleste led by two goals in a penalty shootout so far one-sided when the frail shoulders of Enzo Fernandez cracked.
Penalty completely missed, the Netherlands close the gap.
But this time, Louis Van Gaal's men did not return.
A little more experienced than his young predecessor, Lautaro Martinez converted the second match point and sent Argentina into the semi-finals against Croatia.
The long-awaited summit against Brazil will not take place, but South America is not dead in this 2022 World Cup. Scaloni's men will nevertheless regret not having been able to contain their nerves to bend the case in due time.
For the dramaturgy of the match, on the other hand, it was perfect.
Autopsy of any encounter that ended up falling into the unreal.
With Leandro Paredes in the role of detonator.
So far, so good…
It is important to specify, in the preamble, that this Netherlands-Argentina was not a good football match.
On a purely technical level, we had better 0-0 scores.
The Albiceleste mastered his subject for more than an hour of play, well especially Lionel Messi: the Parisian first delivered a decisive pass, one of those that freezes space-time to land as if by magic at the feet of its recipient.
Nahuel Molina, in this case, who was not necessarily expected in this area.
A bit like Thuram 1998. Then, Messi was definitively reconciled with the exercise of the penalty - which will be useful to him later - to make the break in the 73rd.
The case seems folded.
She is not.
“That's what makes football such a beautiful sport, philosopher Lionel Scaloni in a post-match conference.
When you think it's all over,
nothing is played.
»
The unknown and the genius free kick
If this Argentina has "heart and pride" to use the words of the coach, the Netherlands have Louis Van Gaal.
Finally had seen that he has just announced his departure.
In short.
The Dutch magician pulled out of his hat a very disgusting strategy, as old as the world, to reverse the course of the game. Bye, bye, Memphis Depay, hello Wout Weghorst.
The stranger from Besiktas, if you don't know him, and no one knows him, is 1.97m tall.
The kind to drag in the racket to scratch easy baskets.
Yes, well, we are in the wrong sport but you get the idea.
Lionel Messi sums it up best:
“They bothered us with big balls, they put a lot of big guys in the box.
They equalized and we ended up suffering.
»
But friend Wout is not just a good leading player as he showed on the reduction of the score.
He's also a little trickster.
The equalizer on a combination that you have to have the audacity to try in the 10th minute of stoppage time in the second period, attests to this.
The surprise effect is total for Emiliano Martinez, not for Sunday's Jean-Charles Sabattier: the latter quickly dig up a goal from Weghorst scored with Wolfsburg against Bielfield in 2020, according to the same modus operandi.
A false wall next to the wall, a pass, a directed control, a shot, a goal.
Weghourst 2 years ago 🤝Weghourst now pic.twitter.com/uXHOdYyaKF
— Stuart Reid (@From_The_Wing) December 9, 2022
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Double historic nod, even, since others will point out that Javier Zanetti had scored on a similar combination in 1998 against England.
The sprinkler sprinkled 24 years later.
End of match in Street Fighter mode
Before that, another entry into play would change the course of the game.
That of Leandro Paredes.
The former Parisian never appears by chance.
Like a destructive divinity, his presence announces chaos and desolation.
His only pleasure lies in violence and disorder.
So much so that in the 89th minute, he couldn't help but cut poor Berghuis with both feet off before sending a mine at close range towards the Dutch bench, who rushed towards him.
Van Dijk is ahead of everyone to afford the luxury of firmly jostling Paredes.
And everything goes into a spin: we hang on, we push each other, we yell at each other, an impossible mess, seen from the press box, we don't know who's yelling at whom.
We only recognize Messi, a little apart, no doubt aware of his physical shortcomings in the field of clinch.
However, it was not the desire to do battle that the Pulga lacked, to the point of turning into a cowboy once the victory was sealed.
First, by going to Van Gaal and his deputy, Edgar Davids, by miming a "shut up" with his hand and then by explaining himself to the Dutch duo, completely on the ass.
Hateful attitude of Messi, act II: as he responds to a flash interview, he openly challenges Wout Weghorst with a sentence halfway between the scum of the playground and the president of the republic visiting the living room of the 'agriculture.
"What are you looking at, poor bastard?"
“ The cable fart is ultimately only the reflection of the bad Argentine spirit crystallized in an image, that of the celebrations after the ultimate peno of Lautaro.
Going in pursuit of their hero, the Argentinians pass in front of the Oranje camp.
Two zigotos have the good idea to make fun of them on the way, including… bingo, Leandro Paredes (the other being Nicolas Otamendi, not the penguin who slides the farthest either).
It's too much for Denzel Dumfries who freaks out and will be expelled in total anonymity.
Messi, the Godfather
But for Messi, all this is only the fault of M.Lahoz, the referee of the meeting.
From the boss, we go to the godfather.
"We can't put a referee like that for a match of such magnitude, pestered number 10 at the microphone of beIN Sports.
I think Fifa should take care of that.
»
We are not likely to find our Spanish friend during the next matches of Argentina.
And somewhere, Messi is right.
Between Lahoz's unbearable propensity to chop up the game with indiscriminate stoppages and a certain feverishness when releasing the red card (on Paredes), the refereeing was faulty.
A small stat to finish: 15 cards in total, including 14 yellow.
Remembering the battle of Nuremberg in 2006, a Portugal-Netherlands which again did not end well for the losers of the day.
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