Leo Messi can keep dreaming. And Luka Modric to cry. Thanks to the genius of its captain, Argentina eliminated Croatia 3-0 on Tuesday in the semi-finals of the Soccer World Cup in Qatar. She will play the final against France or Morocco on Sunday, opposed on Wednesday (at 2 p.m. Quebec time).
The Paris Saint-Germain elf opened the scoring on penalty (34e), Julian Alvarez doubled the bet (39e) and Messi gave his teammate a double on a set (69e) after a phenomenal slalom in the Croatian defense.
He also offered his country a sixth World Cup final and the possibility of a third star, after those of 1978 and 1986.
Messi or Modric: of these two stars of the first magnitude of world soccer, aged 35 and 37 respectively, one was to die on Tuesday evening in the Lusail stadium.
Modric, Ballon d’Or 2018, had his first selection in 2006 against Argentina, in a friendly (3-2 for Croatia). This painful defeat against Argentina will perhaps not be his last cape, if he plays the anecdotal match for third place on Saturday. But it is very likely that we will never see him again in a big tournament in the checkered jersey.
Five minutes of madness
Messi, on the other hand, will again lead the Albiceleste charge in the final, either against rising star Kylian Mbappé or against the superb Moroccan constellation. If all goes well, he will then break the record for the number of games played in the World Cup, with 26 games, one more than the German Lothar Matthaüs (between 1982 and 1998).
And, above all, he will try to crown his fabulous career with the only title that is still missing from his list, the World Cup, which would make him a legend in his country, which until today devotes an exclusive cult to Maradona. , world champion in 1986.
Argentina-Croatia started on a false rhythm. The two teams feared each other and did not surrender, each playing its part.
The Croats have had more possession, but their big talents, Modric, Brozovic and Kovacic, are scavengers and creators. Not scorers.
Opposite, the Argentinians have made the big back without really conceding clear chances. Then the South American champions unlocked the game in five minutes of madness, on two similar actions.
On the first, Alvarez is launched in point in the back of the central defense, full axis. Croatian goalkeeper Livakovic comes out, but catches him. Penalty, transformed by Messi into strength in the upper right corner of the goal (1-0, 34e minute).
Messi as a soloist
Barely time to breathe, and the same Alvarez recovers a new counter ball in his own camp and embarks on a fantastic ride, full axis again.
With a little luck, he benefits from two favorable counterattacks to eliminate the defenders who arrived too late and, with a subtle flick, he eliminates the unfortunate Livakovic (2-0, 39e minute).
The Croats, KO standing, were then lucky not to concede a third goal before the break, on a shot from De Paul (41e) and a Mac Allister head (42e).
A few minutes after the break, Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic made a risky bet. Anxious to weigh more on the Argentinian central defense, he brought in Bruno Petkovic, instead of Brozovic, one of the lungs of the midfield.
Mistake. Croatia has inevitably opened up spaces.
After two new alerts on Livakovic’s goal, Messi performed a solo number on the right of the surface, to serve a caviar to Alvarez (69e minute).
3 to 0, the mass was said. The tens of thousands of “hinchas” dressed in the blue and white colors of Argentina could exult.