Argentina don’t do it the easy way but if their defence of their World Cup is increasingly unconvincing, it goes on and on. Kansas City ended up bouncing like Buenos Aires, part of the Midwest resembling an Argentina home game, but euphoric scenes and a glorious goal stood in stark contrast to an utterly uninspired display.
They may not care. Not when they have a grudge match against England to concentrate the minds and a spectacular strike from Julian Alvarez to savour, arrowed into the top corner at the Arrowhead Stadium. Just when it seemed Argentina were hopelessly over-reliant on Lionel Messi, someone else delivered a moment of extreme quality. Then another Argentina centre-forward, Lautaro Martinez, gave the scoreline a flattering sheen in the 121st minute.
And yet it was really a tale of two strikers, neither of them Martinez. Alvarez, with his belated first goal of the World Cup, sent Argentina into a second successive semi-final. Breel Embolo may have cost Switzerland a first in their history. They had levelled and were the better side when his red card, eventual and involving VAR, for diving forced them into a rearguard action. They looked likely to hold out for penalties, Argentina seeming to have precious few ideas how to break them down, until Alvarez’s explosive intervention.
So, once again, Argentina advance in a manner that showed their spirit but highlighted flaws. Theirs looked as simple a route as could be imagined through the knockout stages – Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland – but they turned it into an obstacle course. They have twice gone to extra time, conceded five goals and flirted with elimination at each stage. But they can win games of brinkmanship.
Lionel Scaloni could at least point to his input here. The third goal involved two replacements, Martinez following up to score after Thiago Almada’s shot was blocked. Almada was an impact substitute: he had already flicked the post with a 20-yard drive. Yet Argentina were short of creativity, lacking any threat on the flanks. When Messi had a are quiet game – which still produced an assist – they were underwhelming. The captain’s scoring run ended at nine consecutive World Cup matches, another of the statistics that may not be repeated. For too long, however, Argentina looked a one-man team when the one man was enduring a rare off-day. He stirred late on, failing to lob Gregor Kobel and then shooting just wide at the end of regulation time, letting fly a couple of times in extra time. But for much of the evening, he was strolling around Missouri as Argentina were drifting.
At least Messi showed his set-piece problems are confined to the penalty spot. For the third consecutive game, Argentina scored from one of his corners, Alexis Mac Allister rising above Djibril Sow to head in. It felt too easy. Yet perhaps it was a way Switzerland lulled Argentina into a false sense of security. Thereafter, they defended superbly, Argentina’s next shot on target did not arrive until the 99th minute, courtesy of Lisandro Martinez’s acrobatic volley.
In between, Switzerland threatened to turn their first quarter-final in 72 years into a still lengthier run into the tournament. They have been the stealth challengers and Argentina did not seem to see their comeback coming.
But, suddenly, Emi Martinez had been forced to save Dan Ndoye’s downward header and Granit Xhaka’s long-range shot in as many minutes. Then the Nottingham Forest winger surged past Nahuel Molina to complete a one-two with Ricardo Rodriguez before sliding a shot under Martinez. Ndoye was a deserved scorer. He had been Switzerland’s brightest attacker.
Yet no sooner had Murat Yakin’s side levelled than they were reduced to 10 men. Maybe a controversial red card was a fitting tribute to Antonio Rattin, who had died earlier in the day and who was sent off in Argentina’s Wembley defeat to England in 1966. Six decades on, the current side may be constructing a more suitable way of marking the passing of a fine player.
Egypt had protested about decisions given to Argentina in the previous round. Yet the latest one was both ultimately correct and stemmed from one initially given in Switzerland’s favour by referee Joao Pinheiro.
Embolo had been booked for a first-half foul on Leandro Paredes. It seemed, briefly, as though, the Argentinian had responded in kind. But a new kind of VAR check, for mistaken identity, showed no contact as Embolo dived. Paredes’ caution was rescinded. The striker was sent off. For all the Swiss complaints, the system worked. Embolo exited in tears. Switzerland, already without the injured Johan Manzambi, were condemned to try and hang on for penalties.
They made a valiant attempt, especially as, with Kansas City full of blue-and-white shirts, it appeared an Argentinian enclave. But as the sun set over the American heartland, it did over Switzerland’s admirable World Cup. Argentina are practised in escapology and Alvarez spared them a shootout, and perhaps an end to Messi’s World Cup career.
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