Argentina make it into another World Cup final as they comfortably beat Croatia 3-0 in the first of the semi finals. An even first half hour was blown away with two quick goals for Argentina and Croatia never recovered.
Semi Final Argentina v Croatia Match Review
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
5′ Min Like a late night meeting between Tweety Bird and Woodstock, it was a cagey affair early between Argentina and Croatia, with enough backpassing to keep possession fans happy, and the occasional wide diagonal cross that goes too close to the keeper for fans of angles and/or scalene triangles. But as you can imagine in such a game, with so much on the line, there’s not much to discuss yet.
12′ Min Croatia actually enjoying more than 50% and spent a good few minutes camped in the Argentine half and looked as comfortable as any side has against Argentina. We guess the longer the game remains goalless the more likely that this may get to Argentina, given they are under a lot more pressure going into this game. Interesting stat which doesn’t prove or disprove anything is Argentina’s second half record of W2 L2 D1. But here’s the slightly more interesting thing – their two second half wins come when the score is 0-0 at half time, while the D1 L2 second half comes when leading at the break.
13′ Min Messi falls over on the edge of the box, and is promptly told to get up by the referee. So there goes the Portuguese accusation that everyone wants Messi to win the World Cup. So it was just sour grapes after all. Who’d thunk it.
16′ Min First corner of the game to Croatia, who short pass and play around with before a cross is headed plenty wide of the goal. It’s at least a little bit of action.
25′ Min Ooooo, a shot on target. It may have been from distance, and had only the slightest amount of curl, but it still took a good save from Croatian keeper Livakovic.
27′ Min Free kick to Croatia close to the penalty area that ends up in nothing more than an Argentina counter attack which also fizzes out. An attack a few minutes later sees Ivan Perisic shoot too high above the crossbar, but some good chances none-the-less.
32′ Min PENALTY TO ARGENTINA
And a yellow card for Croatian keeper Livakovic. Alvarez gets into space and approaches the box one on one with the keeper, and he softly chips it over Livakovic but then is clattered after the kick. Referee blows his whistle for the penalty. The silly thing is the chipped shot wasn’t hit with enough power and the ball is safely cleared by the Croatian defence. But now with a potential Messi penalty they are almost guaranteed of conceding.
34′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR ARGENTINA
Messi goes high and right like a horse on Fox News in the US and beats the Croatian keeper who has been quite successful at stopping them this World Cup.
ARGENTINA 1 CROATIA 0
39′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR ARGENTINA
What a goal from Julian Alvarez. The Argentine forward picks up the ball just before the half way line and powers his way into the penalty box. With the penalty fresh in the Croatian minds, they hang off him just a touch. But soon enough he is in the box and avoids one, two Croatian defenders, the ball bounces off the second and as he approaches the keeper he side foots it pass him for a second goal to Argentina.
ARGENTINA 2 CROATIA 0
40′ Min Argentina have a shot on goal and claim for handball. It is angrily waved by the referee, but leads to an Argentina corner. And they go close from the corner too as Tagliafico’s header is saved and tipped just wide of the posts. Another corner comes and goes, much like Croatia’s chances of winning this game now.
A short, Alvarez inspired burst inspires Argentina to a 2-0 lead at the break. Croatia have only scored in the second 45 minutes of a World Cup game twice in five games so far, although one of those games saw two goals against Canada. But not forgetting our earlier stat that when Argentina lead at half time, they either draw or lose the second half. But prepare for a masterclass in time wasting from Argentina.
HALF TIME – ARGENTINA 2 CROATIA 0
47′ Min Nice, early free kick to Croatia, and an even nicer, easy take for Argentine Keeper Martinez from the Luka Modric cross.
51′ Min Croatia keep on pressing, but the final crosses are reasonably weak or easy for the Argentine keeper to deal with, depending on how generous you’re feeling. Enterprise without any real cut-through.
57′ Min Talking of cut-through, Messi has a shot on target from close range which is well smothered by the Croatian keeper. When Argentina have the ball they look quite dangerous and a third goal for them looks more likely than first for Croatia.
61′ Min Croatia go close from a free kick. The ball ends up in a scramble in the six yard box but Argentina much like a spill on your mother in law’s second favourite rug clean it up quickly enough.
67′ Min And let the shit-housery begin. The first of what will no doubt be a Taubman’s wall of yellow cards begins.
69′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR ARGENTINA
Julian Alvarez scores his second, but this one is all about Messi. He picks the ball up from a throw down the right hand side, wins the long battle with Joško Gvardiol, then jinks inside and avoids a few of Gvardiol’s mates sucking them in with grand designs on shooting, but squares it for Alvarez to tuck home.
ARGENTINA 3 CROATIA 0
73′ Min Free kick from long-ish range by Ivan Perisic is hit fair and true, but straight at the Argentine keeper.
79′ Min In a moment almost as painful as the score line, Luka Modric falcons himself off a deflection off an Argentine player. Like a good football player he doesn’t go down claiming foul play, but he does go off substituted not long after. No final, but a decent World Cup for him.
82′ Min Should have been four for Argentina. Alexis Mac Allister has a golden opportunity inside the box but shoots wide.
85′ Min Should have been one for Croatia. A corner sees a header flicked-on towards the back post, and all that was needed was a Croatia player being on the back post for the easiest of goals, but two were just out of reach.
88′ Min With the game over, and nothing much for either team to play for, surely this is the time for a little wild unprofessional conduct and a late red card to be served up.
90′ Min Five minutes of added time only to be given. Which is mercy for the Croatians, and the people who are pretending to work while not working and watching the World Cup.
90′ +5 Min That’s full time and Argentina do it easy in the end, and can look forward to doing it for Messi one more time. Or Messi does it for them. Either way, a big stage awaits.
Final Score
ARGENTINA 3
Messi 34′ (pen) Alvarez 39′ Alvarez 69′
CROATIA 0
HT Argentina 2-0
Player of the Match
Julian Alvarez
Semi Final Argentina v Croatia Starting Teams
ARGENTINA (4-4-2)
23 E Martínez
26 Molina
13 Romero
19 Otamendi
3 Tagliafico
7 De Paul
5 Paredes
24 Fernández
20 Mac Allister
10 Messi
9 Álvarez
CROATIA (4-3-3)
1 Livakovic
22 Juranovic
6 Lovren
20 Gvardiol
19 Sosa
10 Modric
11 Brozovic
8 Kovacic
15 Pasalic
9 Kramaric
4 Perisic
Semi Final Argentina v Croatia Match Stats
