Messi the magician pulls out yet another rabbit
ARGENTINA 2
Messi (35), Alavarez (57) AUSTRALIA 1 Goodwin (77)
It was all about Lionel Messi again last night as the little magician continued his mission to lead his team to World Cup glory.
The international game’s greatest prize remains the one to elude him and, at 35 years old, he knows these Qatar Finals represent his last opportunity to put it right.
On this, his 1,000th career game and his 100th start as captain of his country, his determination to exit the World Cup with a bang rather than a whimper was there for all to see.
A week earlier, he saved Argentina from the ignominy of an exit at the group stage when putting them on the road to a 2-0 win over Mexico with a terrific opening goal.
And at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, a ground packed with supporters there to cheer their hero on, he repeated the trick.
His breakthrough came soon after the half-hour, a lovely effort passed into the corner of the net from just inside the box.
It lit up a contest that had until then looked locked into a war of attrition.
The goal was Messi’s ninth at the World Cup and, on a night of individual landmarks for the little forward, it was notable for being his first in the knock-out stages at the Finals.
With a quarter-final against the Netherlands on Friday next up, and a field of potential opponents in which no one country has yet to really stand out, it would be a brave man who would bet on it being his last.
You cannot win anything all on your own, of course, and it has to be pointed out that his contribution was the catalyst for an improved showing from his team-mates.
Julian Alvarez notched a tidy second, capitalising on a blunder from keeper Matt Ryan – who had been put under pressure from Rodrigo de Paul – to slot home into the empty net.
They needed that goal though, because in keeping with what we have become used to in this shockhappy World Cup, the Kangaroos bounced back up to stage a late fightback.
It took a bit of good fortune. Craig Goodwin’s 25-yard effort was never in danger of ending up in the net until it took a wild deflection off Enzo Fernandez.
Argentina were stunned and nearly conceded an immediate second.
Aziz Behich, who became the first Dundee United player in a knock-out tie at the World Cup on the same night that Keanu Baccus become St Mirren’s first to play at the Finals, carved their defence open with a lovely run down the left.
Just as the full-back looked set to complete what would have been one of the goals of the tournament with a hammered finish, Lisandro Martinez slid across to foil him with a magnificent block.
Harry Souttar, a former Tangerines player and the brother of Rangers and Scotland defender, John, was thrown up front by Australia in an effort to conjure up an equaliser.
It was not be. The magic all belonged to one man – Lionel Messi.