Argentina have won the Round of 16 Argentina v Australia clash with a hard fought 2-1 win over a determined Australia. In the end it came down to moments, one from Messi and one from a defensive error from Australia, and Argentina took them. They will now play the Netherlands in a mouth watering quarter final clash.
Round of 16 Argentina v Australia 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 Yes we’re here with out minutes that matter section, but nothing has really happened yet. Which is a good thing for the Socceroos who are going to have to be patient and ready to concede the many fouls that will be blown against them. They’ve already chalked up a couple and you know there’s crafty Argentine shit-housery to come.
10’ Min Looks like it’ll be a five-minute check in at this stage. Not much different has happened since our last entry. A few more fouls against Australia, a similar challenge on Australia going unpunished. Australia defending heroically and Argentina send the occasional ball over the sideline in not the sharpest of attacks. Yet.
15’ Min Jackson Irvine is the first (of what we presume will be many) recipient of a yellow card. He is pinged for stepping on the foot of the Argentine player, which is probably fair enough but doubt all of them will be punished as harshly.
17’ Min Former Atalanta god Papu Gomez takes the first shot of the match for Argentina, and it only missed by ten metres over the crossbar which made it very easy for Mat Ryan to save.
19’ Min Nice attack from the Socceroos as they drive into the Argentine penalty area. It ends up in a goal kick but at least the intention is there and we aren’t just sitting back and waiting in defence for Messi and co like a driver on the edge of 0.05 being breath tested after “just two schooners”.
23’ Min Corner for Australia. No dice for Australia this time, but they are holding their own thus far so happy days. The Australian bias dial is currently jammed on 11, so apologies for the inconvenience while our technical department try to fix the problem.
28’ Min Another corner and another good attacking phase from Australia. The good thing is that while Australia is attacking it keeps the ball from Argentina. The issue is the final pass and finishing from Australia is very underwhelming thus far. Although we’re sure Australia will whelm us soon.
31’ Min Australia wins a foul. Note it for the record. Talking of records, don’t we sound like a broken one already. Constructive criticism noted. And ignored.
34’ Min Free kick in a dangerous position for Argentina, deep inside the Australian half. Messi stands over the ball and a few countries hold their breath…..the first attempt is cleared off the line, but the ball returns to Messi out wide, who feeds the ball inside and then gets it returned and……..
35’ Min GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL FOR ARGENTINA
Like the world’s most powerful magnet the ball finds Lionel Messi in among traffic in the Australian penalty box, and he gets the ball on his left foot and despite a trio of Australian defenders closing in he gets the shot away and around Mat Ryan for the opening goal. A little harsh on Australia, but that’s what happens when you have one of the best players in the world in your side.
ARGENTINA 1 AUSTRALIA 0
For the record – here is the actual world’s most powerful magnet.
38’ Min And let the shit-housery begin. Marcos Acuña and Miloš Degenek and Acuna goes to the ground holding the front of his head, despite there being no one in front of him. It earns Degenek a yellow card and Acuna a Klinsmann.
In a sentence you could have prepared pre-match, Lionel Messi is the difference between Argentina and Australia in the first half. Australia had not many chances, but in the same breath, Argentina didn’t really have that many more than Australia. Argentina were dangerous at times but also held well by Australia mostly. Australia’s conversion of chances looks a worry, like a triplet middle child, they aren’t going to get much love from Argentina so like a mid-pandemic panic buying spree Australia need to take what’s on offer. Even if it is the soccer equivalent of a six pack of home brand toilet paper.
HALF TIME – ARGENTINA 1 AUSTRALIA 0
50′ Min First chance of the second half goes to Argentina and Lionel Messi. Not of his best shots but thankfully it rolls calmly to Mat Ryan. For the record our IT department have yet to fix the Australian bias switch. They are apparently watching a football game.
56′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL FOR ARGENTINA
Some casual back passing from Australia leaves Mat Ryan under pressure, but despite he takes a touch of the backpass under increasing Argentine pressure for some reason instead of blasting it to safety and Julián Álvarez steals the ball from the keeper and tucks it away to score a second. Not to be too tough on Mat Ryan, but don’t understand why you’d play around with the ball when down 1-0. Given Australia’s lack of goal threat this World Cup, it is unlikely that they can score twice from here.
ARGENTINA 2 AUSTRALIA 0
62′ Min Free kick to Australia after Australia return some of the shit-housery. The free kick doesn’t amount to much, and boy didn’t they need it to.
64′ Min Some Lionel Messi magic if we can. Sadly for Australia Messi is having his best game of the World Cup so far. His run through the middle at this point is football beauty to behold. Thankfully for Australia he doesn’t score.
71′ Min Australia send on the attacking subs in a last ditch effort to save the World Cup – Kuol and Maclaren the headliners. Kuol is playing in just his second game for Australia and later we find out just his seventh hour of professional football!!!!. No pressure on the Newcastle United signed player.
77′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL FOR AUSTRALIA
A rare attack down the Argentine half ends in a goal for Australia. The ball lands for Craig Goodwin who smashes it towards the goal, but mid flight is deflected off Enzo Fernández which provides an undefendable path for the Argentina keeper to save. Glorious luck for Australia, and let’s not forget how Argentina have reacted to conceding at this World Cup.
ARGENTINA 2 AUSTRALIA 1
81′ Min So close for Australia. It hurts. What a run from Aziz Behich who charges through the Argentine defence sliding through like a dangerous Taipan, and his shot hits the keeper and bobs up just over the bar. Worth noting is he took a clip on the leg as he weaved through the box, and had he gone down it would likely be a penalty. Australia go close from the resulting corner but no dice. Another shot comes a minutes later too. Australia are pressing hard and who knows.
88′ Min Lautaro Martinez has a golden chance to seal the game for Argentina after an attacking wave gives them an overlap, but he blasts it well over the bar.
89′ Min Chance for Australia down the other end too. The first shot from Australia is blocked and pops up in the air but is held safely by the Argentine keeper. Harry Souttar is on hand to give the keeper a sneaky elbow in the ribs on his way down
90′ Min Seven minutes added time to go, plenty of time for an Australian sporting hero to be unveiled. Looking at you Garang Kuol.
90’+2 Min Lautaro Martinez and Lionel Messi have chances to seal the game in added time but one draws a save from Mat Ryan the other blasts it over the posts. We’ll let you work out in which order that is.
90′ +4 Min Like a Channel Nine marketing plan for a new TV season it’s Block after Block from the Australians to deny Argentina time after time. But can they get to the other end of the field to draw level.
90′ +7 Min So close for Australia. Australia attack Argentina for the last few minutes, and the ball lands at the feet of Garang Kuol who slams a shot at goal and is just saved by the Emiliano Martínez. What a composed effort under the most pressure imaginable.
The whistle goes not long after the keeper kicks it up field and Argentina hold on to progress to the quarter final.
But what a performance from Australia. Their heads didn’t drop when they went behind 2-0, and they forced their way into the contest and almost stole an equaliser. Not to harp, but looking back on the failure to clear the backpass is one of the differences.
The other difference is Lionel Messi, who had his best game of the tournament. But Argentina were strong throughout, so credit to Australia who stayed with them for the entire 90 plus minutes.
Final Score
ARGENTINA 2
Lionel Messi 35′ Julián Álvarez 56′
AUSTRALIA 1
Enzo Fernández 77′ (og)
HT Argentina 1-0
Player of the Match
Lionel Messi
Round of 16 Argentina v Australia Match Stats
Round of 16 Argentina v Australia Starting Teams
ARGENTINA (4-3-3)
23 Martínez
26 Molina
13 Romero
19 Otamendi
8 Acuña
7 De Paul
24 Fernández
20 Mac Allister
9 Álvarez
10 Messi
17 Gómez Villaverde
AUSTRALIA (4-4-2)
1 Ryan
2 Degenek
19 Souttar
4 Rowles
16 Behich
7 Leckie
26 Baccus
13 Mooy
14 McGree
15 Duke
22 Irvine
