Against England, Argentina built one of those days destined to cross generations. For the rival. Because of the context. Because of what was at stake. For having reached the 85th minute losing 1-0. The way he turned it around. By Lionel Messiwho decided again without the need to convert and expanded his legend as the top assister in World Cup history. And because, probably, we have seen the best game that the Argentine team has ever played in a World Cup.
We are in the presence of the World Cup of epic matches. That of suffering converted into fuel. If there was a rival capable of awakening something different, it was England. Forty years after Mexico 1986, Argentina once again wrote a victory that goes beyond sports and will forever remain among the great pages of its history.
This National Team got its ear wet. During the preview, statements were heard from former English footballers assuring that England was superior, insinuations about alleged refereeing favoritism and analyzes that minimized the Argentine route. They chose to provoke and challenge a team that long ago turned every question into competitive energy. And the answer came where it hurts most: on the field.
Because the first thing Argentina did was not lose its cool. The English goal did not alter the plan. There was conviction, which had already been seen even before the beginning, when the anthem was sung with an emotion rarely seen. The game started long before the opening whistle and this group understood it from the first minute.
With the advantage, England practically disappeared. The team of Lionel Scaloni He monopolized the ball, pushed the rival against his area and found ways to break an increasingly sunken block. He understood that if the rival closed all the interior spaces, he had to insist from medium distance. Football always leaves signs. Enzo Fernandez tried once. Then another. And another one. Until the fourth ended up inside. It was the tie, but also the announcement that the game now had an owner.
These emotionally charged matches are also explained (should be explained) from a football perspective. Scaloni once again demonstrated why he is one of the most influential coaches in modern football. The income of Giuliano Simeone by Rodrigo DePaul He sought to correct the right lane, one of the sectors where Argentina had shown the greatest difficulties during the tournament. The team gained intensity, route and aggressiveness, although the English goal had arrived precisely after a defensive inattention by Nahuel Molina.
The coach’s reaction was immediate and decisive. England failed to manage the advantage. He took refuge too early and handed the initiative to a rival who never stopped believing. Then the movement that changed the semifinal appeared: Scaloni’s triple change. took out Leandro Paredeswho was having a good game, definitely delayed Enzo Fernandez to give greater clarity from the beginning of the play and returned De Paul to the field to attack from the outside, widen the field, load the area with centers and add mid-distance shots.
With England defending in a multitude of white shirts inside the box, the coach spotted another need. There was a lack of presence in the area. Then he removed Tagliafico (always at the height of the game) and located Nicolas Gonzalez to cover the entire left wing. This modification freed up one more space for the appearance of Lautaro Martínez. The striker did what great scorers do: attack the exact spot. His header will forever remain in the memory of Argentine football.
But perhaps the image that best summarizes this Selection came later. Nicolás González ended up playing as a right back. Julián Álvarez closed as a left midfielder. Everyone defended a goal. That tactical flexibility reflects something much deeper than a drawing. It speaks of a group that understands that the system is above names, that each footballer can sacrifice prominence if the game demands it. When you have to play, play. When you have to run, run. When you have to suffer, suffer. And when you have to go look for the story, you will look for it.
That is why this team already transcends any individual analysis. Messi continues writing unrepeatable chapters. Enzo showed up again when he was needed most. Lautaro scored the most important goal of his career with the National Team. Scaloni won the game again from the bench. But none of that is enough to fully explain what this group represents.
There is a phrase from philosophy that seems written for this Selection: the whole is more than the sum of the parts. Argentina no longer depends on a footballer. Not even Messi. It works as a whole.
That is why it can be remembered as the total selection. The one that eliminated England again in a World Cup forty years after that unforgettable afternoon in Mexico. The one that qualified for another world final. And the one that, perhaps, gave us the most extraordinary performance that the Argentine jersey has offered in the history of the World Cups.
Source: Infobae
