World Cup winners and losers: Messi one step closer to settling G.O.A.T. debate
Argentina will play in its sixth FIFA World Cup closing after shutting out Croatia 3-0 in Tuesday’s semifinal.
Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez had been concerned in all three targets, with Messi fantastically helping Álvarez for Argentina’s third of the evening.
Argentina will face one in every of Morocco or France, who face one another on Wednesday, because it makes an attempt to carry its third World Cup, and first since 1986.
Here are three winners and three losers from the primary of two semifinals.
WINNERS
The Messi-Álvarez duo
Ten years in the past, a younger fan requested Lionel Messi for a photograph and the Argentinean famous person gladly obliged.
That fan simply so occurred to be Julián Álvarez.
Ten years later, it was Álvarez and Messi combining to information Argentina to its sixth World Cup closing.
It’s exhausting to consider that Álvarez, nonetheless simply 22 years previous, is a backup at Manchester City. Such is life when competing with Erling Haaland for minutes.
However, Álvarez reminded everybody of his exploits with a stunning contact to carry down Enzo Fernandez’s large cross excessive of Croatia’s defence. That motion drew the penalty that was finally transformed by Messi.
Then, 5 minutes later, Álvarez weaved by the Croatian defence and completed a stunning slalom run – aided by some lucky deflections and lacklustre defending – to double Argentina’s lead earlier than halftime.
The plan from Argentina was pretty simple after the opening half-hour. La Albiceleste had managed possession up till the half-hour mark, however had been cautious of Croatia’s menace on the counter, with Mateo Kovacic – simply Croatia’s finest participant – routinely exposing the Argentineans in transition.
Eventually, Argentina ceded the initiative and allowed Croatia to roam ahead. Álvarez (No. 9 under) was tasked with working in behind a stretched Croatian again line because the lone striker, utilizing his tempo and clever off-the-ball runs to pounce.
Ditto for Messi, who was met with fierce man-marking from Josko Gvardiol, Marcelo Brozovic and primarily anyone who may lay a glove on the 35-year-old.
Messi tailored to the circumstances by dropping deeper, evading the speedy strain additional up the pitch and ran rampant. He logged two key passes (one help), accomplished 34 of his 40 passes, 5 of seven dribbles and produced two pictures heading in the right direction, one in every of which ought to’ve been transformed within the second half after some beautiful footwork.
While three strikes are from the penalty spot, Messi is now as much as 5 targets – tied with Kylian Mbappe atop the Golden Boot race – and three assists.
To put that into context, Messi hadn’t scored in a World Cup knockout stage earlier than this yr and had six targets in his earlier 4 appearances.
Another reminder: Messi is 35 years previous.
If Messi lastly lifts that elusive World Cup, that will lastly finish the talk of which participant is really the best of all-time, particularly if he produces this degree of efficiency within the closing.
Enzo Fernández
It can’t be a coincidence that Argentina grew into the match on the identical price as Enzo Fernández.
The Benfica midfielder didn’t begin within the opening loss to Saudi Arabia and it confirmed. Fernández’s capacity to orchestrate video games, break strains together with his passing and defensive contributions have been integral to Argentina’s run, the semifinal included.
Fernández was one in every of 4 midfielders who began, though he made up a double pivot of kinds with Leandro Paredes, who sat in entrance of the centre-backs with Fernández in additional of a box-to-box position.
It paid off brilliantly, with Fernández finishing six recoveries, two of 4 tackles and 42 of 48 passes, together with that unimaginable cross to Álvarez that drew the penalty.
It’s solely a matter of time till Fernández is offered for a stupidly excessive charge with that mixture of imaginative and prescient and defensive acuity.
Lionel Scaloni
In a match that was going to hinge on midfield superiority, Argentina supervisor Lionel Scaloni nailed it from begin to end.
From choice to ways to his in-game changes, this was a masterclass from the Argentinean coach. The choice to begin with 4 midfielders was daring, however was flawlessly executed. Rodrigo De Paul helped right-back Nahuel Molina defend the precise flank which Kovacic operated in, Alexis Mac Allister mixed with Nicolás Tagliafico on the left with Paredes and Fernández working in entrance of the defence to watch Luka Modric’s late runs.
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When it appeared Croatia’s relaxation defence was impenetrable whereas sitting in a deep block, Scaloni modified it up. Argentina ceded possession, then scored their first two targets in transition.
It’s been fairly a trip for Scaloni since he was employed as a caretaker supervisor in 2018. He was by no means the Argentinean federation’s first selection, but right here he’s with a Copa América and an opportunity to carry the World Cup.
Not unhealthy for a coach who wasn’t even near being Argentina’s main candidate for the job 4 years in the past.
LOSERS
Josko Gvardiol
There’s little doubt that Josko Gvardiol was one of many standout gamers of this World Cup. At 20 years previous, he’s destined for a wonderful profession and a switch to one of many greatest golf equipment on the planet.
But Gvardiol was horrific on Tuesday. His confidence on the ball and marauding ahead runs make him a extremely coveted participant but it surely was obvious that this grew to become an space of focus if Argentina gained possession and there was house to run into on the counter.
That was actually the plan for Messi, who gathered a excessive variety of touches in the precise half-space, an space the place Gvardiol would theoretically occupy.
It’s comprehensible to battle towards Messi. But Gvardiol was continually being burned and, maybe, backs up the purpose that he may very well be higher suited as a part of a again three. Gvardiol is an aggressive centre-back on the ball and it could present him the liberty to push up with ample cowl behind him.
The Marcelo Brozovic-sized gap
It was obvious that Marcelo Brozovic was on his final legs early within the second half on Tuesday.
Having run not less than 15 kilometres in every of the final two video games, Brozovic needed to be hauled off the pitch and any hope of a Croatian comeback had been shot. The gaps in midfield for Argentina to take advantage of grew to become a lot wider with out Brozovic protecting in defensive transition.
It may’ve been a completely completely different consequence if Brozovic was fitter from the beginning.
Croatia’s golden technology
There’s each risk that Luka Modric may lace up his boots for Euro 2024 at 38 years previous. But this is likely to be the final time we’ve seen Croatia’s golden technology as we all know it.
It was a incredible run, highlighted by a World Cup closing in 2018 and the semifinals in 2022. Not unhealthy for a rustic with a inhabitants of three.9 million.
Considering Croatia has solely competed at tournaments since 1998 after splitting from Yugoslavia, reaching the World Cup semifinals in back-to-back tournaments is unimaginable.
With its pedigree for creating technically gifted, high-quality gamers, certainly it’ll solely be a matter of time till Croatia returns to this stage.
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