There was reason for Messi’s ‘lapse’. The pressure on the Albiceleste since the defeat against Saudi Arabia was very much stewing – and showing – in their game against Mexico. Not only was the theory of ‘If they can lose to the Saudis, they can certainly lose to the Mexicans’ palpable, but the first half was indeed a dismal affair for Lionel Scaloni’s hapless squad. With little to show, Messi looked out of depth, line and sinker at Lusail, the earlier scene of crime where Argentine confidence was halal-killed less than a week before.
Then came Angel Di Maria’s guided pass to Messi standing 25 yards away from the Mexican goal. Two left foot touches were all it took to convert heavy breathing to exaltation: the first touch to tell the ball, ‘This is the path you shall take and go forth,’ and the second a piledriver skimming the ground beyond goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa’s outstretched body and hand into the Mexican bottom corner.
But the pressure was still on the Argentina. It stayed their stubbornly until the goal of the game came via a Messi pass to Enzo Fernandez who, in the 87th minute, converted a stunning curler into a much-needed second goal.
Argentina is still not out of the woods, even as the foliage has cleared a bit. Their encounter with unbeaten Poland will be harder even on paper never mind on the Doha field. While Robert Lewandowski may not have shown his chops yet – he was well contained by the Saudis before he converted a defence lapse to score his first World Cup goal on Saturday – it is Argentina’s prowess, or lack thereof, so far that remains as troubling and beguiling for the No. 3 country in the Fifa world ranking.
Apart from a meagre Messi, the performance of the squad – no matter the superlatives sprinkled across headlines to describe Saturday’s pressure-release – has been dismal. Barring Di Maria, whose presence was felt in the last two games and sometimes frustrating so, midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Guido Rodriguez, and forward Lautaro Martinez have displayed startling disengagement, both with ball and fellowmen.
Unless something drastically changes before Wednesday’s crucial game (crucial for Argentina, not for Poland) that will determine who pack their bags and who stays on in Qatar, Argentina may well find themselves yet again punching way below their weight — their weight itself now something as unsure to determine as the quality of their next performance, Saturday’s wonderful goals from two-and-a-half Argentines notwithstanding.
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