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Argentina’s
Lionel Messi walks on the pitch during their 2014 World Cup round of 16
game against Switzerland at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo on July
1, 2014. (Reuters Photo/Paulo Whitaker)
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Switzerland kept Lionel Messi quiet for 117 minutes, about three minutes fewer than they needed to.
Messi, who scored four goals in three World Cup group games, broke
through the heart of the Swiss midfield late in extra time in their
round-of-16 game, drawing three opponents before getting the ball to
Angel di Maria for the goal that gave Argentina a 1-0 victory on Tuesday
in Sao Paulo.
“Messi in one second can decide a match,” Switzerland coach Ottmar
Hitzfeld said in a news conference after his last game as a coach. “He
has sufficient qualities for that.”
After not scoring in his first two World Cups, Messi — the only
person to be voted the world’s best soccer player four times — has
dragged a sluggish Argentina into the quarterfinals of the World Cup on
neighbor Brazil’s home turf.
Argentina, which won its second world title in 1986, will play
Belgium in Brasilia on Saturday for a place in the semifinals. Belgium
defeated the US 2-1 after extra time in the last round-of-16 game on
Tuesday.
Messi scored the decisive goal in group-phase wins against Bosnia and Iran, and got two goals in a 3-2 defeat of Nigeria.
Switzerland followed its plan, crowding Messi every time he took
possession and limiting the space for him to run into. The tactic
worked, frustrating Messi, who shoved Valon Behrami to the ground with
10 of the regulation 90 minutes to play.
“At times I was nervous because we couldn’t score,” Messi said after
collecting his fourth straight man-of-the-match award. “Any mistakes and
we could’ve been eliminated.”
Brazilian taunts
Brazilian locals, backing the Swiss, reminded the
sky-blue-and-white-shirted fans in the crowd that their national icon
Pele has three World Cup wins, one more than Argentina. Another taunt
recounted Brazil’s record five titles.
With two more wins each, Brazil and Argentina will meet in the July
13 final at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium. Argentina coach Alejandro
Sabella said he wasn’t thinking about the possibility.
“Our dream is to work for the next match and to try to move to the semifinals,” he said.
The goal against Switzerland was reminiscent of the one that knocked
Brazil out of the tournament 24 years ago, the last time Argentina
played its neighbor in the World Cup.
Caniggia goal
Argentina’s star player Diego Maradona had been subdued for most of
the second-round game before producing the defining moment. With time
ticking down, Maradona, captain of the World Cup-winning team of 1986,
ran through the heart of midfield, drawing in opponents before playing
in striker Claudio Caniggia, who scored the winning goal.
“We will never forget that Diego ran through you, that Caniggia
scored against you,” Argentina fans sang after the goal against
Switzerland. “You’ve been crying since then and now you will see Messi,
he’s going to bring us the cup.”
Even after the late goal, the Swiss almost took the game to a penalty
shootout. Blerim Dzemaili slammed a header onto the post and stood
helplessly as the ball ricocheted off his shin and rolled just wide.
“We were suffering,” said Messi. “We had luck on our side and we have to move on.”
Bloomberg
By Tariq Panja on 10:44 am Jul 03, 2014
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