La Albiceleste won a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands on Friday to advance to the World Cup semifinals after blowing a two-goal lead in regulation time. In the shootout, Emiliano Martnez saved two attempts whule Lautaro Martinez converted the game-winning penalty.
After extra time, the score was 2-2, with Lionel Messi scoring one goal and setting up another. In the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time, Oranje equalised thus taking the game to extra time.
Argentina took the lead in the first half thanks to a superb assist from Messi, who threaded a delicate pass to Nahuel Molina, who slotted past goalkeeper Andries Noppert.
Argentina’s second goal came on 73 minutes, when Messi converted a spot-kick, scoring his fourth goal at the tournament. It propelled him to ten goals in the World Cup, tying him with Gabriel Batistuta for the most for Argentina, and 94 goals in 169 international appearances.
Wout Weghorst scored a header on 82 minutes to pull one back for the Netherlands, setting up a tense finish that repeatedly boiled over. With what appeared to be the final kick of the game, midfielder Teun Koopmeiners stepped up to take a free-kick on the edge of the box before sliding a pass under the wall and slotting home by Weghorst.
Argentina’s only player to fail to score in the shootout was Enzo Fernandez, who hit the post near the end of extra time. Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis of the Netherlands missed their first two penalties, while Argentina converted their first three before Fernandez missed their fourth. Lautaro Martinez, on the other hand, stepped up and slotted home to secure a dramatic victory and set up a semifinal clash with Croatia on Tuesday.
The Netherlands’ elimination from the tournament also marks the end of head coach Louis van Gaal’s third stint in charge. The 71-year-old coach, who is undergoing prostate cancer treatment, had already stated that this would be his final tournament in charge.
