A classic world cup upset that destroyed everything we thought we knew.But Saudi Arabia did it with a methodical offside trap that Argentina stumbled into, not through a wild Alamo-like mingling of luck and spirit.
Argentina was stunned at the Lusail Stadium by Herve Renard’s team, who scored two goals in the second half after Lionel Messi scored a VAR-awarded penalty in the first minute.Because they appeared helpless, Argentina required a video intervention to score their goal after committing a foul on Leandro Paredes.
Renard’s team emphasized the sport’s on-pitch revolution started by Messi’s Barcelona team during his peak, a defensive effort based not on clogging their own penalty area but on pushing up high and crushing the midfield space where he did his best work during his final years.Saudi Arabia showed that Argentina was once again finding new ways to lose, and Renard gave his new teammate a rough start in front of the world’s eyes.
There was a general consensus that this Argentina team was finally the cohesive unit that could finally get Messi to the World Cup after winning the Copa America and going undefeated for 36 matches. However, that opinion has since changed.They are still being ripped off on the exchange rate from individual to collective quality, even though they are not the operatic psychodrama of Jorge Sampaoli’s side four years ago.
When Argentina was confronted with Saudi Arabia’s high line, they were startlingly clueless, with no patience and no variation in their attacks.
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The Saudi high line was carried out with remarkable success despite the need for bravery and exceptional organization:The new artificial intelligence-assisted technology detected the inch of Lautaro Martinez’s shoulder that had leaned too far in the buildup to the second goal, ruling out Argentina’s three goals for offside.
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