FIFA World Cup 2022: What did Argentina get right and Croatia get wrong in the one-sided semi-final match?

Argentina's all-time leading goal scorer at World Cup finals, Messi, opened the scoring with a powerfully hit penalty on minute 34.

Argentina advance to the final of FIFA World Cup 2022 (image: Twitter/FIFAWorldCup
By Nilavro Ghosh | Dec 15, 2022 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Argentina defeated Croatia 3-0 on Tuesday to advance to the World Cup final, with Lionel Messi playing a key role in the victory. Argentina’s all-time leading goal scorer at World Cup finals, Messi, opened the scoring with a powerfully hit penalty on minute 34. Minutes later, Alvarez finished a direct solo run through the centre of Croatia’s defence and tapped in to double Argentina’s lead just before halftime. With the help of Messi’s trademark run, which saw him slip past Josko Gvardiol and then pass the ball back to Alvarez for an easy goal, the team’s third goal was added by Alvarez. Argentina, two-time World Cup champions in 1978 and 1986, advances to Sunday’s championship final game against France.

“Throughout the World Cup it has been incredible what we have experienced. We are going to play the final which is what we wanted,” Messi said. “I don’t know if it’s my best World Cup, it’s been a long time I’ve been enjoying. This team is crazy. We are going to play one more final, we are going to enjoy all of this.”

Here are some of the aspects Argentina got right while Croatia got wrong:

Messi played the perfect team role

With his 25th game, Messi tied Germany’s Lothar Matthaeus for the most World Cup appearances. This was made possible by his inclusion in the starting lineup. Dominik Livakovic of Croatia fouled Alvarez in the penalty area, giving Argentina a golden opportunity to go in front. Messi successfully converted the penalty. In the 69th minute, Alvarez ended any remaining Croatian hopes by converting a cutback after Messi evaded defender Gvardiol on the right to find his teammate in the box, who successfully eliminated Croatia from the tournament. For Messi, it was yet again a match to remember. The little magician played the role of a playmaker as he strung the passes together and found his teammates in most cases. There was flashy footwork on display from the little magician, but only when necessary.

Tactics, squad failed Croatia

As they had against Brazil in their quarterfinal, Croatia sought out possession early on. They circulated the ball well, but they had trouble getting into the Argentina box. The European nation had some great players in their ranks but somehow, Argentina seemed to have an answer for everything. There is no doubt that the Croatian manager got his tactics wrong on the day, and drastically. There has also been a factor of the average age of the Croatian squad. While a number of players were from the country’s golden generation, they are ageing. That definitely hurt the Croatians as they shift their focus to the third place showdown against Morocco on Saturday.

Lionel Scaloni got everything on point

Although foreign coaches are not always the best tacticians, Lionel Scaloni displayed some skill in this match. Given Croatia’s typically obstinate defending and aggressive style, any team would need to have sound tactical planning to defeat them. In this game, Scaloni made the right decisions because his team dominated and outperformed the defence of the European nation.





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