Argentina will be breathing a sigh of relief after scraping past the Netherlands on penalties, in what was the game of the tournament so far.
Argentina had taken a two-goal lead thanks to the brilliance of Lionel Messi, but coughed up two goals, including an amazing free kick with the last kick of normal time, that took the game into extra-time and eventually penalties.
This was undoubtedly the game of the tournament so far. It ebbed and flowed, had twists and turns, and could have been won by either side.
The first half had been slow, with neither team able to find a way through, until Messi found himself with a yard of space 40 yards from the Dutch goal. Zipping his way inside, he held off defender Nathan Ake long enough to play an incredible pass through four Dutch players and into the path of Nahuel Molina, who flicked the ball past the outstretched hand of Andries Noppert and gave Argentina the lead.
Argentina continued to dominate the game in the second half, and Messi doubled their lead from the spot in the 73rd minute after Marcos Acuna was brought down inside the box.
But Argentina, who have been lethargic and sloppy at times at this World Cup, collapsed down the stretch once again.
Dutch substitute Wout Weghorst pulled one back 10 minutes later with a header into the bottom left corner, setting up a nervy grandstand finish, only accentuated by another 10 minutes of added time.
It was then, as time ticked down, in one of the moments of the World Cup, the Dutch scored with the last kick of the game to level the scores and take the match into extra time.
Weghorst had been brought down just outside the area by a sloppy challenge with just 30 seconds remaining in the game. Everything appeared to hang on the boot of Teun Koopmeiners and whether he could lift it over the wall and past Argentina’s keeper Emiliano Martinez.
But, in a move that shocked everyone, not least Argentina’s defence, Koopmeiners played a pass into the centre of the box to Weghorst, who turned quickly and flicked the ball into the back of the net. It was one of the most incredible free kicks ever seen in World Cup history.
The Dutch erupted in celebration and the fans went crazy in the stands. Suddenly, the scores were level. Suddenly, the game was anyone’s to win.
Argentina couldn’t believe it. The smiles were gone. In extra-time, they came so close to grabbing the lead again as Enzo Fernandez hit the post in the 120th minute. Yet this game was always destined to go to penalties.
Martinez was up for the challenge though. The Argentine goalkeeper pulled off two stunning saves to give his side an early advantage in the shootout, before Lautaro Martinez finally sealed the game with the winning spot-kick.
The Argentines will be breathing a sigh of relief. Now they must refocus and turn their attention to a semi-final against Croatia on Wednesday (NZT), who shocked fellow South American powerhouses Brazil earlier this morning.
Messi is now just one step away from playing on the grandest of stages once again. The little maestro has won everything in his career, but never a World Cup. The time may finally have come for Diego Maradona's successor to lead his country to glory.
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