Argentina played their second game in the 2022 World Cup, and it was a classic. While the first half didn’t provide the fans with much hope, the second was a comeback where we saw everything that we had to from a winning team. 

With one of the best players in the business and some other talented attacking players, Argentina showed the world that they are in the World Cup and aren’t going home any time soon.

Another win against Poland should definitely help the Albicelestes go through the knockout stages and complete the process in style. If that happens, Argentina could lead the fray with six points as they are already in second place and are ready to do a lot more football. 

So what happened in this tense and must win the game for the Albicelestes? Well, read the following and find out. 

A forgetful first half 

While it all ended with a bang, it started in a whole different manner. Both Argentina and Mexico couldn’t find any rhythm in the game and it all looked a little unappealing. From the Argentinian side, the shining star was Di Maria because he was the only player who kept marching forward and attracting all kinds of defenders. 

However, none of the teams found a breakthrough moment and couldn’t get the momentum going. They failed to capture any through balls and couldn’t even get as much time in the opposition box. Thanks to that, the first half was uninspiring and head coaches of both teams realised that they had to change something. 

They understand that their approach has to change and some sort of attacking unit needs to come into the game. 

Fouls one after the other 

By the end of the game, there were a total of 34 fouls from both sides of the camp. It was a dreadful way to seal a game of football but also showcased the approach of both teams and how they went about preventing counter attacks.

Argentina made a total of 15 fouls with Mexico claiming the remaining 19. A total of 4 yellow cards was shown for Mexico, a team that also raised the offside flag a total of 4 times. While Argentina did have four corners, it was the fouls that stalled the smooth flow of the game. 

There was never a moment where the Italian referee didn’t blow the whistle as challenges kept coming one after the other. However, with FIFA’s referees following a new system of added time, we got to see an additional 6 minutes added to the game.

That showcases the new approach taken by the officials and how they want to proceed forward with the game of football. While six minutes highlighted the additional time in this game, we have also seen them add up to 10 minutes in other games which tells us a lot about how the current World Cup will proceed. 

So if you were happy seeing your team waste time or even commit fouls for the sake of wasting time, then it’s time that you prepare yourself. The same is not going to happen again. 

Let the second half begin 

The second half was the only set of a 45-minute game where both teams could do something to achieve what they came to achieve. If they failed to get any momentum in the second half, the game was over and even the tournament was out of question.

For Argentina, it was a must win game where they had to bring everything to secure what they needed the most. The coveted title of World Cup champions that a world class player like Messi has failed to achieve. 

Hence, if they failed to get any momentum in the second half, the tournament would kick them out.. However, Argentina had a certain player called Messi by their side and hence the way forward was an easy one, at least in the second half. 

And whatever Messi created was nothing but pure magic. 

Messi and Enzo Fernandez move ahead

Now let’s talk about the most exciting part of the game. The part where Messi and Enzo Fernandez ensured that Argentina have what it takes to progress ahead and not be kicked out of the tournament.

It all started with a quick pass to Messi and an outside the box shot. Since the magic man can put anything beyond the net, the fact that he did so effortlessly tells you a lot about how he has come to rule the game of football. 

He truly is one of the best and the day that he calls it quits, should be declared a national holiday. However, that is for later. For now, let’s focus on this magnificent goal that the whole world is talking about. 

Considering his advanced age, people often believe him to be done or cannot score free kicks. But in doubt, pass the ball to the greatest player of all time and you will see why you believed in him. Messi went on to convert and that was the first goal of the evening and a mark of the good times to come. 

Second, we also got to see a rising star and the quality that he has within. Moving the ball forward and putting in a beautiful shot against the top corner was all that was needed to mark the arrival of Enzo Fernandez. 

And who better to assist this wonderful goal other than Lionel Messi. Being two goals up, Argentina had the incentive to move ahead and even look to score more. Mexico had no choice but to sit back and prevent their counter attacks because their shots on target didn’t count. 

Man of the match - Lionel Messi, who else

By the end of the game, the man of the match award was given to none other than Lionel Messi. His match winning heroics included a goal and an assist, which was all that was needed to get Argentina off the mark. 

Once the magician installed belief, Argentina released the potential that they have within and continued their counter-attacking formula. Towards the end, they went on to secure all three points and are now judged to make it out of the group stage. 

However, that's not all that the Argentinians have to do because they have another task up front and it comes in the form of Poland led by a certain man named Robert Lewandowski. 

Argentina vs Poland - the way ahead

The final game of the group stage that Argentina needs to play is up against Poland. After their rising form against Saudi Arabia, Argentina cannot take this task lightly and a slip up could seriously affect their way ahead.

They could even end up getting knocked out of the tournament if they were to come out of this game without a win. Moreover, a certain man named Lewandowski is going to go up against Messi, which should certainly be a battle for the ages. 

Both of these forwards are known to be the best of their times and there’s no denying the fact that they can still turn games in a minute. If not for Messi, Argentina may have lost all hope against Mexico and if not for Lewandoskwi, Poland may have lost their creative touch of scoring goals. 

So both these forwards are important for their team and we could see a real battle if they start scoring and put their respective teams ahead.