Tempers flared in the closing minutes of the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal in which Argentina beat Netherlands 4-3 in penalties to qualify for the semifinals. And Lionel Messi was at the centre of it. Messi, who assisted the first goal for Argentina scores by Nahuel Molina and then converted a penalty stroke to give his side a 2-0 lead before two late goals substitute Wout Weghorst to push the match into extra time, took exception to what Netherlands Louis van Gaal coach had to say about him prior to the match, and conveyed his feeling through a hand gesture after the win.
Van Gaal had said that Messi doesn’t have a role to play when the ball isn’t in Argentina’s possession and the 25-year-old star Argentina star ensured his let his reactions known to the Dutch coach by confronting him after the match. In a video that has gone viral, Messi could be seen mouthing a few words towards van Gaal after the match, accompanied by a hand gesture that indicates ‘excessive chirping’. In another video, Messi, who is usually cuts and calm and composed figure, while being interviewed after the match, directed a few slangs at the Netherlands dugout as well.
“I feel disrespected by Van Gaal after his pregame comments and some Dutch players spoke too much during the game. Van Gaal sells that he plays good football and then he puts forwards in the box and starts throwing long balls. We deserved to go through and that’s what happened,” he said after the match.
The fierce competitive nature of the match could be gauged by the fact that as many as 19 cards were handed out. As the knockout clash entered its dying minutes, heated exchanges and rough physical contacts got more frequent. Things reached a crescendo when after Messi ran towards Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to celebrate the win, a brawl broke out at the other side of the pitch between players of both camps. Questions were also raised of Spanish goalkeeper Antonio Mateu Lahoz but Messi chose to remain tight-lipped about him.
“I don’t want to talk about the referee because you can’t be honest. If you talk they sanction you; FIFA must think about it, they can’t put a referee who isn’t up to the task for these instances,” he said.
Argentina are now just two steps away from winning the first World Cup since 1986. They came close in 2014 but lost to Germany 0-1 in the final. But the road ahead is certain to be challenging for Messi and his team as Argentina now face Croatia – who defeated Brazil in another classic earlier in the day – in the first semifinal.
“We didn’t expect to go to extra time, let alone to penalties. We suffered, but we are playing a World Cup quarterfinal. Argentina shows game by game that we know how to play. We came out with intensity and desire and we understood the moments of the game. We needed this and we are happy the whole country is celebrating now. [Martinez] once again showed that he’s the best saving penalties,” said Messi.
