The World Cup match was played by the Netherlands and Argentina. The mix between the colors orange and albiceleste once again gave football the show it deserved. Argentina won it as the Netherlands could win it. There were frustrated threats of victory, more tension than in a Western cantina when a stranger enters, goals for all tastes, neighborhood brawls, an extra time, a penalty shootout and even a controversial arbitration to comment on: Mateu Lahoz spent the game demanding attention, showing absurd cards and ignoring other flagrant ones, taking breaks to pose in front of the camera, extending the game by ten minutes for no reason and pissing off both teams. An exhibition.
In the end they decided the penalties. The Dutch started and that theoretically gave them a statistical advantage. But Van Dijk failed, Messi scored and the balance tipped in favor of the South Americans. Dibu saved two and Lautaro Martínez scored the one with the victory. The heartfelt embrace of him and Dumfries, both teammates at Inter, sealed the peace after a brutal fight.
Argentina got rid of the Netherlands with blood, sweat and tears and is approaching the World Cup, its aroma already reaches him, the shine of the golden tint that covers it. The albiceleste does not have too many big names, but it has two differential advantages. She has Leo Messi, his real name, a player who has been playing football well since he was born, a gifted with unprecedented perseverance already at 35 years old, and he is accompanied by an unconditional, noisy and believing fans to the point of paroxysm. With these elements and a sane coach in the midst of alienation, Argentina has already reached the semifinals and, with Brazil wiped off the map, only Croatia separates them from playing in the final. An unimaginable panorama before starting. "Guys, now we are excited again, I want to win the third, I want to be world champion," his fans sing over and over again, and how close they are to achieving it. It's not just football that's his thing, it's something that can't be explained.
He contained the match, how wonderful, which never happens on the Playstation. It was a duel played raw, passionate, of those who leave their mark and are not forgotten. It was football in capital letters, a concentration of emotions, joys, tears, beauties and imperfections. A summarized compendium that serves to explain why this blessed sport, corrupted from above but resilient at grass height, still seduces, followed from north to south and from east to west across all corners of the planet.
Argentina had to win twice. Nahuel Molina had advanced thanks to a magical assist from Messi, who in the second half seemed to end the contest by converting a clear penalty from Dumfries to Acuña.
But, as usually happens in this type of infinite shows, a guy with the vocation of an unexpected hero suddenly appeared, named Wout Weghorst. The guy did everything for the Netherlands to rise unexpectedly from the canvas. A striker who plays for Besiktas, how great football is. He alone neutralized two goals from behind that seemed to deliver the semifinals to Argentina. First with an academic header and then forcing a free kick from Pezzella, very clumsy in the 101st minute. The free kick gave Van Gaal the opportunity to show off, to get the book. At 71 years old, the coach hides surprises. Koopmeiners faked shooting but pulled a low velvety pass into the area from his sleeve. Weghorst caught him, turned around and put it into the Dibu.
They had two games, the victory of Argentina and the reaction of the Netherlands, but another began. The extension was not speculative, there was an exchange of blows to continue honoring the ball, at the 1978 final, at the 1998 crossover and at the 2014 semifinals. Up to five times both countries had crossed paths in the World Cup. How mystical. In that extra period Enzo Fernández was the one who got closest to the goal with a whiplash to the post from outside the area. But the drama could only be complete with a penalty shootout. Soccer is unique, he shows it from time to time, but when he comes to remember it, he is unmatched.
