{"id":152579,"date":"2022-12-09T07:16:32","date_gmt":"2022-12-09T07:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/argentina-vs-netherlands-aging-genius-lionel-messi-looking-to-inspire-la-celeste\/"},"modified":"2022-12-09T07:16:32","modified_gmt":"2022-12-09T07:16:32","slug":"argentina-vs-netherlands-aging-genius-lionel-messi-looking-to-inspire-la-celeste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/argentina-vs-netherlands-aging-genius-lionel-messi-looking-to-inspire-la-celeste\/","title":{"rendered":"Argentina vs Netherlands: ‘Aging genius’ Lionel Messi looking to inspire La Celeste"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n \n Lionel Messi and Argentina are three games away from winning the World Cup, but against the Netherlands they will face their toughest test of the tournament so far.\n <\/p>\n \n Friday’s quarterfinal at the Lusail Stadium is a compelling match-up, not least because of the World Cup history between the two teams.\n <\/p>\n \n They last met in the semifinals eight years ago \u2013 a goalless game that Argentina ultimately won on penalties \u2013 and prior to that have contested two other knockout games: a quarterfinal in 1998 \u2013 best remembered for Dennis Bergkamp’s sensational winning goal \u2013 and the final in 1978 when Argentina won the World Cup for the first time.\n <\/p>\n \n Several key protagonists remain from the 2014 encounter. For the Netherlands, Louis van Gaal has returned as manager and veteran left-back Daley Blind is still a key part of the national team, while Messi remains Argentina’s talisman and most potent attacking threat.\n <\/p>\n \n Much of the spotlight, as ever, will be on the 35-year-old Messi, who has been central to Argentina’s best moments of the tournament so far.\n <\/p>\n \n With three goals \u2013 including a superb strike against Mexico and a well-worked move against Australia \u2013 and one assist from four games, Messi is the heartbeat of this Argentina team, even in the twilight of his career.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cAt this point in his career, he’s an aging genius,\u201d sports scientist Simon Brundish told CNN Sport. \u201cHe doesn’t have the capacity to do the running that [Paulo] Dybala in the team would do, but he’s a genius and he’s going to win you games.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Indeed, attention has been drawn to the amount Messi has walked during Argentina’s games at the World Cup \u2013 slowly working himself into space before bursting into life to fashion scoring opportunities.\n <\/p>\n \n Against Australia in the round of 16, for example, he walked 4,752.7 meters \u2013 300 meters more than anyone else on the pitch, according to FIFA.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIf you watch Messi explicitly, you would see he’s stood in space so much when the opposition have got the ball,\u201d Brundish explained, adding that the amount Messi walks also speaks to Argentina’s defensive organization.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cArgentina set up their system around him not being involved in the press,\u201d said Brundish. \u201cThey’re not a high pressing team anyway\u2026 It’s never been part of Messi’s game and his role does n’t involve that.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Both teams have had blips in Qatar \u2013 Argentina a surprise defeat against Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands a draw against Ecuador \u2013 and both are hoping to reach the final four for the first time since 2014.\n <\/p>\n
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