Argentina 2-1 Australia; Messi Magic Takes Argentina to Quarterfinals in Qatar
Argentina enjoyed a brilliant 2-1 victory against Australia in the second round of 16 match that occurred in the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium earlier. With this brilliant show of power, Argentina has once again proved why they are one of the favorites to win the Cup.
This match was even more memorable because the global icon and Argentine captain, Lionel Messi, completed a record 1000th career appearance, had his best performance in the World Cup 2022, and secured their spot in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
The Argentinian team had one of their best World Cup performances after facing an upsetting defeat due to the offside hoodoo against Saudi Arabia in their inaugural match. This time the South Americans dominated the entire game on all fronts, from the scoreline to the statistical acts.
They managed to dominate the ball possession throughout, making the young Aussie team struggle to hold their grip against the Argentines.
The first moment of celebration came 35 minutes into the first half when Lionel Messi showed his magic to the world with a majestic goal that he netted while facing multiple defenders at once. He nutmegged one of the defenders, struck the ball that swung between his legs, beat the goalkeeper, and found home. The precision was emaculating.
Into the second half, the Aussies rattled after their goalkeeper Mat Ryan was pressurized by the Argentine defense while trying to handle a back pass. He was jolted away from the ball by the duo of De Paul and Julian Alvarez, who snatched the opportunity of mishandling from the goalkeeper and slipped it into the net in a cunning manner in the 57th minute, providing Argentina a vital 2-0 lead.
Even after being pinned down by the Argentine defense, the Aussies tried to hold their head up after multiple failed attempts at the goal. The opening on the opposite side finally presented itself in the 77th minute of the game when the long-range strike from Craig Goodwin was deflected by Enzo Fernandez and ended up inside the goalpost, becoming an owl goal.
Although a lot more opportunities were built by Messi, the ‘messiah’ throughout the second half, the Argentines failed to score further. Abysmal finishing multiple times from Laurato Martinez, the substitute, kept Argentina on their nerves throughout the game because of the dangerous one-goal difference.
However, in the end, Argentina took home the 2-1 victory and sealed their position in the Quarterfinal of FIFA World Cup 2022. They are all set to play the Netherlands, who beat USA 3-1 earlier, in their next battle for the semi-finals. On the other hand, it was a rough day for “soccer” fans since Australia and USA were shown the door out.
