It was intended to be different this time. With those slumped shoulders, distant gaze, and hollow grimace, this time was not supposed to end like all the others.
The sole goal Argentina had when they arrived in Qatar was to ensure that Lionel Messi's final World Cup would be remembered as the one that reflected the brilliant, golden glow that only this tournament, this ultimate victory, can bestow. Instead, it now has to deal with the haunting possibility that it will be associated with one of its worst defeats, one of the greatest upsets in tournament history.
It was more than just a defeat to lose to Saudi Arabia;In front of 88,000 people, streamed live on television, and broadcast worldwide, it was an embarrassment, an ignominy, and a stigma etched into Argentine skin. As delirious Saudi substitutes rushed onto the field at the final whistle, Argentina's players' faces were drawn and their eyes were drawn.
Naturally, none more so than Messi. He has been sporting that look more often lately than he would like;For a player who is widely regarded as the greatest of all time, it has become somewhat more familiar.
The dusk of the most sparkling profession of all has been chosen, by, and large, in shadow:those traumatic defeats against Roma, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich in his final years with Barcelona, as well as the dreadful inevitability of defeat when Paris Saint-Germain faced Real Madrid earlier this year.
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This will, in fact, be more painful than any of the others.
Argentina, on the other hand, was the real difference. For the first time in a long time, the nation had come up with a national team that was free of neuroses and complexes. . It had played 35 games in the years preceding the tournament without losing a single one. More importantly, it had won its first Copa América since 1993, putting an end to a generation-long quest for international recognition:winning in Brazil over Brazil. Subsequently, it had defeated Italy, the European champion, in a game called the finals.
Naturally, all of that has been the situation for at least three World Cups. This time, there was a difference: the team appeared to be self-assured, confident, and almost calm. Perhaps complacency is to blame for the subsequent events:Salah Sheri scored an equalizer while Argentina was dozing, and Salem danced through three challenges to curl a shot that was picture-perfect and went past Emiliano Martinez's claws.
Thousands of Saudi supporters arrived by bus from the border, 90 miles (144.84 kilometers) away;The ghost of Cameroon's defeat stood by Argentina's side, shell-shocked. The players, as well, appeared not to be able to answer;This team has not had a lot of experience recently recovering from setbacks.
As a result, Argentina's players were agitated, frazzled, chased, and hurried rather than maintaining composure and gradually turning the tables on their exhausted opponents. Messi and his teammates were clearly on the wrong side of the line between urgent and frantic. It did not feel like that presently, as Messi and his teammates huddled together in the middle of the field as if they were seeking warmth, safety, and security. Instead, the white heat of Lu sail's afternoon sun gave the impression that something had broken. It was intended to be different this time. Everything suddenly felt the same for Messi and Argentina.
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