Argentina, one of the great favorites for the title, advanced to the semifinals by beating the Netherlands 4-3 on penalties, after a long-suffering match in which they let slip a two-goal lead in the last few minutes and had to wait until the drama of the batch to celebrate.
“Leo showed that he is the best of all time, when we defended with 11”Scaloni said. “Messi felt touched by the words of (Louis) Van Gaal”.
In the run-up to the match, the Dutch coach said that when Argentina has the ball they play very well but when they lose it they do so with 10 men, clearly criticizing Messi.
After the match, Messi approached the Netherlands substitutes and was seen arguing with Van Gaal and his assistants.
“Argentina has the spirit to face situations at all times. We didn’t deserve to go to penalties but we always showed our faces. In this World Cup we gave ample displays of character, this team shows facets depending on what the game demands, they always know what they have to do”argued Scaloni, who preferred not to talk about the referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz, both because he had a relationship with him and to avoid increasing the conflict.
After the tie, the Netherlands almost did not attack in the 30 minutes of extra time despite the fact that it seemed to arrive with the clean and jerk that had given them the two goals at the end of the 90 minutes.
“It is true that they played in a way that we did not expect, each coach chooses how to play and how to attack. They had a very short game, in the second half it was difficult for us. In the last 15 minutes they began to hit the forwards with balls “he stressed.
“We had the game under control, but football has this, even when you think everything is over. This team has youth and pride. It’s essential to never give up”concluded Scaloni.
Source: Ambito
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