One other stunning World Cup story unfolded in Qatar however this one was concerning the soccer. It began with Lionel Messi making a little bit of historical past for Argentina and ended with Saudi Arabia’s gamers, together with the captain on crutches, bouncing across the Lusail Stadium in gleeful disbelief after producing one of many greatest upsets the competitors has seen.
The script was set. Argentina arrived as one of many World Cup favourites, as Copa América champions, unbeaten in 36 matches and with Messi on one final mission to brighten his historic profession with the crown. And so they took the lead with 10 minutes remaining due to a penalty from their 35-year-old celebrity.
The script was shattered by a facet ranked 51st on the planet – one under Qatar, curiously – and Argentina and Messi’s plans will comply with with out reply towards Mexico and Poland. Group C has instantly been stuffed with hazard for the two-time winners after a end result that can go down in World Cup annals alongside USA v England 1950, Northern Eire v Spain 1982 and Argentina’s loss to Cameroon within the opening match of the 1990 match. Diego Maradona’s staff recovered to achieve the ultimate that yr. Messi sees Qatar as his final likelihood to emulate his late, nice predecessor within the No.10 shirt. However not like this.
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This can be a World Cup like no different. For the previous 12 years, the Guardian has reported on the problems surrounding Qatar 2022, from corruption and human rights abuses to the remedy of migrant employees and discriminatory legal guidelines. The most effective of our journalism is introduced collectively on our devoted Qatar: Past the Soccer web site for individuals who wish to delve deeper into the problems past the pitch.
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A shocking strike from Salem al-Dawsari, 5 minutes after Saleh al-Shehri had stripped Argentina of a deserved lead, delivered the best second in Saudi soccer historical past. Gamers, coaches, backroom employees and struggling captain Salman al-Faraj, whose World Cup was ruined by a first-half damage, poured onto the pitch as Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic ended his torment after 14 minutes of stoppage time. The World Cup last venue buzzed audibly with shock lengthy after the ultimate whistle. It had pulsated all the way in which with the sound of a mass Saudi crowd.
Hervé Renard, the Saudi Arabia head coach who received the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia and Ivory Coast and was sacked after a number of video games accountable for Cambridge United, known as it a traditional instance of soccer’s capacity to run “one thing fully loopy”. He was proper in lots of respects. Argentina had three targets disallowed for offside within the house of 13 minutes within the first half. They squandered probabilities and encountered a commanding goalkeeper within the type of Mohammed al-Owais. His counterpart, Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez, had little or no to do aside from twice retrieve the ball out of his personal web.
Nonetheless, there was advantage in Saudi Arabia’s beautiful upset. They have been tireless, harmful, bodily and very effectively organized within the second half with centre-back Hassan al-Tambakti main a passionate opposition. And their targets have been beautiful, particularly the winner.
Lionel Scaloni’s staff began brightly. The spectacular Argentine help was nearly rewarded with the proper begin when Messi pressured Owais right into a wonderful low save with 96 seconds remaining. They did not have to attend for much longer for the second they longed for.
Vincic stopped play after Messi’s free-kick was cleared by the Saudi goalkeeper. Saudi hearts sank as he sprinted to the pitch-side monitor to observe a replay of Saud Abdulhamid wrestling Leandro Parades to the bottom at a nook seconds earlier. It was a transparent, VAR managed penalty. Messi superior to the spot, waited for Owais to decide to the left and nonchalantly curled a penalty to the keeper’s proper. In doing so, Messi grew to become the primary Argentina participant to attain in 4 World Cup tournaments – 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022 – and the fifth man in historical past to attain the feat.
Saudi Arabia’s dedication to a excessive line of defense was a high-risk technique that nearly performed into Argentina’s palms within the first half.
Messi was clearly off guard when performed via by Alejandro Gómez and beat Owais with a measured end. Lautaro Martínez was additionally clearly off guard as he rounded the Saudi goalkeeper and transformed Messi’s via ball. The Internazionale ahead was desperately unfortunate for Argentina’s second offside objective, however VAR judged the tip of his shoulder to be a fraction forward of Abdulhamid as he ran onto Rodrigo De Paul’s defence-splitting go. Scaloni had no complaints.
Argentina’s incapacity to make their dominance depend allowed Saudi Arabia to depart at half-time with hope. They re-emerged as an unrecognizable attacking power and turned the sport, Argentina and Group C on its head inside eight minutes of the restart. Saudi Arabia equalized when Feras al-Brikan turned a ball from midfield into Shehri’s path. The striker, one in every of 9 starters within the Saudi lineup to play for Al Hilal, raced previous Cristian Romero on the left earlier than beating Martínez with a medical end that crept contained in the far submit.
Saudi Arabia surged ahead towards a rattled Argentina and struck once more 5 minutes later. It was a objective worthy of the World Cup stage, Messi’s boot, however got here off the precise foot of Dawsari.
Nawaf al-Abid, Faraj’s alternative, had a objective on objective with Romero away. Dawsari collected possession on the far facet of the realm, curled away from two feeble Argentine tackles, minimize over a despondent lunge from Parades and swept an excellent shot past Martínez into the highest nook. Riyadh might have been shaken by the reverberations of their touring followers.
Argentina’s makes an attempt to keep away from a dangerous humiliation have been principally primarily based on desperation. Tambakti denied Messi with an impressive sort out and celebrated as if he had scored a 3rd. Substitute Abdulelah al-Amri did likewise when he hacked off the road from Julián Álvarez, who was however penalized for an infringement. Owais did the remaining.
The Al Hilal keeper saved at shut vary from Nicolás Tagliafico, commanding his space by any means obligatory and sending his followers into raptures when he held on to an Álvarez header deep into stoppage time. When it was over, Messi stared despondently into the center distance, barely in a position to take all of it in. He wasn’t the one one.
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