by Craig Laycock
Original article:
Argentina 3 - 2 Egypt
Romero (79’), Messi (83'), Fernandez (90' + 2) | Ibrahim (15'), Zico (67’)
Argentina were standing on the precipice in Atlanta. Two goals down with just twenty minutes of regulation time remaining, they needed a miracle. They’d already turned to their messiah once. Lionel Messi missed a penalty earlier in the game. Surely that was it. Surely.
But with time ticking inexorably away, it was Lionel Messi who played in Romero to head home. And the man himself, grabbing, clawing at the game, hauled his side back in it by scoring in the 83rd minute.
From there, there was only one side that was ever going to win this game.
Egypt, for their part, played a blinder of a game, at least for the first 70 minutes or so. They were in complete control for much of this game, taking an early lead through Yasser Ibrahim and starting superbly.
They also had one of the potential goals of the tournament ruled out after Zico slammed home the goal that would have made it 2-0, only to be ruled out for a foul right at the start of the build up. It was a delightful goal from back to front, but it was chalked off.
No matter, said Egypt, as they scored again anyway, and it was Zico who found himself on the scoresheet as he slammed home a confident finish.
After Argentina fought their way back into the game with the goals from Romero and Messi, the game was finely balanced on a knife’s edge. And then came another moment of controversy. Mo Salah was seemingly clipped in the box. VAR chose not to intervene, and as Argentina countered, Enzo Fernandez was there to score the winner.
Absolute shellshock for Egypt who had deservedly controlled large parts of this game.”It was a rigged game”, fumed striker Zico after the match.
But did we just see that championship mentality coming to the fore again from Argentina? Led by an icon in Messi, who reasserted himself at the top of the Golden Boot table?
Would you rule out a chance they could go all the way? They’ll have to face the winner of Colombia v Switzerland in the QFs and then the winner of Norway v England in the semi finals first.
One thing’s for sure, they’re not going to lose without a fight.
5 min read
Argentina 3 - 2 Egypt
Romero (79’), Messi (83'), Fernandez (90' + 2) | Ibrahim (15'), Zico (67’)
Argentina were standing on the precipice in Atlanta. Two goals down with just twenty minutes of regulation time remaining, they needed a miracle. They’d already turned to their messiah once. Lionel Messi missed a penalty earlier in the game. Surely that was it. Surely.
But with time ticking inexorably away, it was Lionel Messi who played in Romero to head home. And the man himself, grabbing, clawing at the game, hauled his side back in it by scoring in the 83rd minute.
From there, there was only one side that was ever going to win this game.
Egypt, for their part, played a blinder of a game, at least for the first 70 minutes or so. They were in complete control for much of this game, taking an early lead through Yasser Ibrahim and starting superbly.
They also had one of the potential goals of the tournament ruled out after Zico slammed home the goal that would have made it 2-0, only to be ruled out for a foul right at the start of the build up. It was a delightful goal from back to front, but it was chalked off.
No matter, said Egypt, as they scored again anyway, and it was Zico who found himself on the scoresheet as he slammed home a confident finish.
After Argentina fought their way back into the game with the goals from Romero and Messi, the game was finely balanced on a knife’s edge. And then came another moment of controversy. Mo Salah was seemingly clipped in the box. VAR chose not to intervene, and as Argentina countered, Enzo Fernandez was there to score the winner.
Absolute shellshock for Egypt who had deservedly controlled large parts of this game.”It was a rigged game”, fumed striker Zico after the match.
But did we just see that championship mentality coming to the fore again from Argentina? Led by an icon in Messi, who reasserted himself at the top of the Golden Boot table?
Would you rule out a chance they could go all the way? They’ll have to face the winner of Colombia v Switzerland in the QFs and then the winner of Norway v England in the semi finals first.
One thing’s for sure, they’re not going to lose without a fight.
Last 16: Argentina fightback sees them through
Messi cleaned up.
Original article:
Argentina 3 - 2 Egypt
Romero (79’), Messi (83'), Fernandez (90' + 2) | Ibrahim (15'), Zico (67’)
Argentina were standing on the precipice in Atlanta. Two goals down with just twenty minutes of regulation time remaining, they needed a miracle. They’d already turned to their messiah once. Lionel Messi missed a penalty earlier in the game. Surely that was it. Surely.
But with time ticking inexorably away, it was Lionel Messi who played in Romero to head home. And the man himself, grabbing, clawing at the game, hauled his side back in it by scoring in the 83rd minute.
From there, there was only one side that was ever going to win this game.
Egypt, for their part, played a blinder of a game, at least for the first 70 minutes or so. They were in complete control for much of this game, taking an early lead through Yasser Ibrahim and starting superbly.
They also had one of the potential goals of the tournament ruled out after Zico slammed home the goal that would have made it 2-0, only to be ruled out for a foul right at the start of the build up. It was a delightful goal from back to front, but it was chalked off.
No matter, said Egypt, as they scored again anyway, and it was Zico who found himself on the scoresheet as he slammed home a confident finish.
After Argentina fought their way back into the game with the goals from Romero and Messi, the game was finely balanced on a knife’s edge. And then came another moment of controversy. Mo Salah was seemingly clipped in the box. VAR chose not to intervene, and as Argentina countered, Enzo Fernandez was there to score the winner.
Absolute shellshock for Egypt who had deservedly controlled large parts of this game.”It was a rigged game”, fumed striker Zico after the match.
But did we just see that championship mentality coming to the fore again from Argentina? Led by an icon in Messi, who reasserted himself at the top of the Golden Boot table?
Would you rule out a chance they could go all the way? They’ll have to face the winner of Colombia v Switzerland in the QFs and then the winner of Norway v England in the semi finals first.
One thing’s for sure, they’re not going to lose without a fight.
5 min read
Last 16: Argentina fightback sees them through
Messi cleaned up.
Argentina 3 - 2 Egypt
Romero (79’), Messi (83'), Fernandez (90' + 2) | Ibrahim (15'), Zico (67’)
Argentina were standing on the precipice in Atlanta. Two goals down with just twenty minutes of regulation time remaining, they needed a miracle. They’d already turned to their messiah once. Lionel Messi missed a penalty earlier in the game. Surely that was it. Surely.
But with time ticking inexorably away, it was Lionel Messi who played in Romero to head home. And the man himself, grabbing, clawing at the game, hauled his side back in it by scoring in the 83rd minute.
From there, there was only one side that was ever going to win this game.
Egypt, for their part, played a blinder of a game, at least for the first 70 minutes or so. They were in complete control for much of this game, taking an early lead through Yasser Ibrahim and starting superbly.
They also had one of the potential goals of the tournament ruled out after Zico slammed home the goal that would have made it 2-0, only to be ruled out for a foul right at the start of the build up. It was a delightful goal from back to front, but it was chalked off.
No matter, said Egypt, as they scored again anyway, and it was Zico who found himself on the scoresheet as he slammed home a confident finish.
After Argentina fought their way back into the game with the goals from Romero and Messi, the game was finely balanced on a knife’s edge. And then came another moment of controversy. Mo Salah was seemingly clipped in the box. VAR chose not to intervene, and as Argentina countered, Enzo Fernandez was there to score the winner.
Absolute shellshock for Egypt who had deservedly controlled large parts of this game.”It was a rigged game”, fumed striker Zico after the match.
But did we just see that championship mentality coming to the fore again from Argentina? Led by an icon in Messi, who reasserted himself at the top of the Golden Boot table?
Would you rule out a chance they could go all the way? They’ll have to face the winner of Colombia v Switzerland in the QFs and then the winner of Norway v England in the semi finals first.
One thing’s for sure, they’re not going to lose without a fight.
5 min read