Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia: Cunning Renard spoils Messi’s day
A tactical masterclass from Hervé Renard and Saudi Arabia led to a deserved 2-1 victory over Argentina at the Lusail Stadium.
In what was supposed to be the start of Messi’s long-awaited World Cup win, Saudi Arabia overcame an early goal from the diminutive genius to provide the first upset of the tournament.
The game had started rather perfectly for Argentina as Saud Abdulhamid wrestled down Leandro Paredes to give Messi the chance to open the scoring. He slowed his run, waited for Mohamed Khalil Al Owais to move and then nonchalantly rolled the ball into the other side of the goal.
Smooth sailing from here on out, right?
Wrong. Renard’s side had other plans, surprising many with their high line and heavy pressing football which clearly unsettled their more established opponents.
However, there is no reward without risk in such a system as Argentina had as many as three goals disallowed for offside.
The tightest being Lautaro Martinez’s in the 26th minute which was finished with aplomb following a delicate ball in behind the defence. However, celebrations turned to commiserations as the VAR judged his shoulder to have been marginally beyond the last man.
From this point the remainder of the first period remained relatively scrappy with few clear sights of goal and both sides asserting pressure in spells.
After the break came total Argentinian collapse, a disappointing first half immediately compounded by an excellent Saudi Arabia goal in the 49th minute.
It’s hard to argue that Lionel Scaloni’s men hadn’t been warned, the goal coming as a direct result of the Falcons’ high pressing; first winning it on the halfway line and immediately breaking through the Argentine midfield before Saleh Al-Shahri burst past Cristián Romero and rolled the ball back across Emi Martinez into the bottom corner.
Las Albicelestes had clearly lost their composure and within four minutes Saudi Arabia had taken an incredible lead. They pinned their opponents in their own box, pouncing onto a blocked shot before Salem Al Dawsari brilliantly guided the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box.
The wildly impassioned celebrations reflecting the utter bamboozlement this scoreline was sending around the football world.
Scaloni reacted quickly with three substitutions which succeeded in giving his side more control in the final 30 minutes. Yet any time a white and blue shirt appeared to glide clear of the defence there was a green blur sweeping the ball away from danger.
With the minutes ticking by the game became increasingly frantic, a clearance off the line by substitute Abdulelah Al Amri perhaps best encapsulating the backs-to-the-wall spirit.
A final break in play came after a nasty collision between the excellent Saudi ‘keeper Al Owais and Yasir Al Shahrani, and as the game restarted the South American momentum had subsided, the game eventually ending in a result that will send shockwaves around the world.
