goals :Netherlands – Argentina – Played on 12/09/ 2022
The Argentina national team reserved its seat in the semi-finals of the World Cup (Qatar 2022), after defeating the Netherlands on penalties (4-3) today, Friday, in the quarter-finals, after the match ended in a draw (2-2).
The Argentine double came through Nahuel Molina and Lionel Messi (penalty kick) in the 35th and 73rd minutes, while Vigorst scored the Netherlands double in the 83rd and 90th + 11 minutes.
The tango dancers were in control from the start, but their negative saliva in the first minutes, so the danger was absent from both goals until Messi tried to try his luck with a long-range shot, but it went too far from the goal.
The Dutch national team was able to rarely go beyond the middle of its stadium, reaching the first opportunity through a stray shot from Bergwijn, which found its way outside the stadium.
De Paul received a pass on the edge of the penalty area, which he met with a shot that was not strong enough, to settle in the arms of goalkeeper Nobert.
Messi returned to try to threaten the Dutch goal with a shot with his right, but it settled in the hands of Nobert again.
And from a charming pass sent by Messi towards Molina, the Argentine full-back found himself face to face with Nobert, to put the ball into the net, announcing the first goal in the match.
The Dutch national team could not respond with any serious opportunity until the end of the first half, with Argentina advancing (1-0).
The situation changed in the second half, after the Argentine national team fell back, giving the Netherlands an opportunity to impose its control.
However, coach Louis van Gaal’s men failed to translate this control into chances for goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, to avoid danger for a long time.
While the Dutch national team was searching for the equalizer, referee Matteo Lahoz awarded a penalty kick in favor of Argentina, which Messi rushed to and scored the second goal.
And while many felt that Messi’s penalty kick was a coup de grace for the Dutch, substitute Figurst succeeded in reducing the score for the mills with a header goal 7 minutes before the end of normal time.
Substitute Bergois almost took off the hearts of the Argentines with a missile shot from the heart of the penalty area, which almost resulted in the equalizer, but the ball settled into the net from outside.
Paredes and Molina provoked the Netherlands bench after a foul committed by the first and the latter hit the reserve players, so the substitutes rushed to the field and clashed with him, while Van Dyck knocked him down in response to his behavior.
And the Dutch flood continued on Martinez’s goal in the last minutes, amid an Argentine retreat, to give the mills an opportunity to equalize the score, after the referee awarded a free kick on the borders of coach Lionel Scaloni’s men’s penalty area.
Kopemeners executed the free kick in a genius way by passing the ball instead of shooting it, to reach Figurst, who did not delay in putting the ball into the net at the fatal time, so that the stadium exploded with overwhelming Dutch joy after equalizing.
The referee blew the whistle at the end of the regular time with a tie (2-2), and the two teams went to extra time.
The first extra half did not carry any danger until its end, while the second was more exciting, especially from the Argentine side.
The start was from Messi’s shot over the goal before Lautaro Martinez fired a powerful shot that was on its way to the goal, but Van Dyck prevented that after the ball hit his chest and turned into a corner.
Enzo Fernandez almost hit the net with a left shot from the edge of the penalty area, but it hit the foot of one of the defenders and passed over the crossbar.
Nobert saved the Dutch goal from a powerful left shot by Lautaro from outside the area, protecting his team from falling behind a minute before the end of the fourth period.
Messi tried again to hit the net with a creeping ground shot, but it hit the foot of one of the defenders and turned into a corner. Di Maria executed it with a shot into the goal, but Nobert’s skill prevented it from crossing the net.
Enzo Fernandez returned to threaten Nobert’s goal with a long-range left shot, and the post made the return of this goal on behalf of the Netherlands goalkeeper, so the fourth half ended in a tie with the same result, so the two teams decided a penalty shootout.
The penalty shootout smiled at Argentina, despite the excitement it witnessed, so that the tango dancers crossed into the semi-finals after Lautaro scored the decisive kick.
