- Qatar World Cup | Feature: Messi’s milestone night
- 2022-12-05 09:40:18.0 Source: Xinhua Net Sports
Authors: Yue Ranran, Dong Yixing, Zhang Yifei
On the 3rd, the exterior wall of the Ahmed Ben Ali Stadium was illuminated with the blue and white lights of the Argentine team, and Messi’s 1,000th career game ended here perfectly.
Argentina defeated Australia 2:1 to advance to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar. Messi wrote a footnote for his 1000th game with “6 shots, 2 shots on goal, 1 goal, and 88% pass success rate”.
Before the game, Messi entered the dressing room in a blue shirt, his face beaming, his No. 10 jersey hanging in the middle.
More than 40,000 spectators came to the stadium that night, most of them Argentine fans, and everyone came to witness Messi’s milestone night. The media mainly cares regarding two issues-can Messi score in the World Cup knockout round? Will his 1,000th game be a surprise?
All the shots were aimed at Messi walking out of the player tunnel, and everyone was expecting a miracle.
After the opening, Messi has been cruising in the midfield, being “taken care of” by the opponent from time to time. In the 32nd minute, Besic near the sideline made a mistake under Messi’s pressure. He pulled Messi’s jersey hard, and there was a little friction between the two sides. Soon, Messi gave the most powerful “counterattack” with a goal: he cut inside the penalty area and shot a “stick cut” from the gap between the three defenders.
The familiar position of the goal, the familiar gesture of celebration, the knockout stage of the World Cup finally “opened up”, and Messi’s goal made a good start for the night.
On December 3, Argentine player Messi celebrated a goal in the game.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Meng Dingbo
Afterwards, the “Plum Ball King” was increasingly marked, and teammates also extended a helping hand one following another. In the 57th minute, DePaul intercepted the ball at the feet of the Australian goalkeeper and helped Alvarez make it overnight. Argentina led 2:0.
After a period of time, Messi took over the game. His dribbling, dribbling, and long-range shots were dazzling and created many excellent opportunities, but it was a pity that none of them were converted into goals once more.
On December 3, Argentine player Messi (third from right) made a breakthrough in the game.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Cao Can
If the script is too smooth, it will also make Messi’s milestone night a little dull. Just following the teammates missed opportunities frequently, the spoiler appeared.
In the 77th minute, Goodwin of the Australian team shot a strong shot from outside the penalty area. The ball hit Enzo Fernandez and refracted into the net. 2:1, the “Kangaroo Army” seemed to smell the equalizer.
The Argentine panicked, and Martinez began to “block the hole”. At the last moment, he confiscated Cool’s close-range shot, and the Australian team failed to seize the opportunity to equalize.
“Didn’t kill the game earlier, it almost made us pay the price.” After the game, Messi had lingering fears.
When the final whistle sounded, Messi waved and punched at the stands. What he wanted to thank most was the fans. “I know how difficult it is for the fans to come to the stadium to watch the game. Fans from all over Argentina want to come here. The passion, energy, joy of everyone makes everything incredible.”
On December 3, Argentine player Messi greeted the audience following the game.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ga
On the night of unlocking the thousand-game achievement, Messi’s World Cup goals reached 9, surpassing his predecessor Maradona.
Just when the Qatar World Cup just opened, some Argentine fans pulled up a portrait of Maradona in the stands to commemorate the second anniversary of his death. Now, the 35-year-old Messi has also reached the end of his career; he clearly knows that his expectations are also Argentina’s expectations.
