DOHA. — A stunning FIFA World Cup game of two halves in a vast stadium where nobody can buy a pint.
A bold and brilliant Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the World Cup’s biggest shocks as they came from behind to stun two-time winners Argentina in a fantastic Group C opener in Lusail yesterday.
Ranked 51st in the world, Saudi Arabia could have been done and dusted in the first half as Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Argentina had three goals ruled out for off-side.
But Saudi Arabia flipped the game on its head in a stunning 10-minute period after half-time, Saleh Al-Shehri levelling with a low effort and Salem Al Dawsari firing them ahead to spark pandemonium in the stands.
Even the strictly sober Saudis must have fancied a Budweiser to toast the most remarkable result in their football history and one which is sending shockwaves through the World Cup
From a goal down after ten minutes and three hair’s-breadth offside decisions going in their favour in the first half, the Arab minnows came storming back to beat one of the tournament favourites.
And Argentina’s bewildered skipper Lionel Messi would have been proud to score both the high-quality goals which condemned the two-times world champions to an almighty giant killing.
He had stabbed his team ahead in the tenth minute by stroking home a penalty following a foul on Juve’s Leandro Paredes.
It marked the veteran’s 92nd goal in 162 games for his country and it looked like this Group C opener would become another routine rollover.
But when Messi and strike partner Lautaro Martinez had a hat-trick of narrow offsides go against them in the first half this game began turning on its head.
The introduction of ultra-sensitive new technology caught them out time and time again but yet there was still a feeling that vastly experienced Messi would lead his in-form team-mates to eventual victory.
Argentina were unbeaten in 36 games going into a game they were expected to stroll. And maybe that was their biggest mistake.
Saudi’s French coach Herve Renard insists his country is not here just for a “jolly’’ but try wiping the smiles off their faces now.
In just five minutes they upended the entire 2022 World Cup with football’s equivalent of an Arab Spring.
Just three minutes into the second half Saudi forward Saleh Al Shehri picked up a threaded through ball on a run towards the Argentina box but the danger looked well covered.
Only Tottenham’s normally formidable centre-half Cristian Romero uncharacteristically went all Spursy and shied away from making a tackle.
Instead, he allowed his opponent to outpace him over five yards then plant a laser-like shot across the face of goal into the opposite corner of the net.
We can only suspect Argentina were in shock because shortly afterwards the entire defence crumbled.
Saudi’s star man Salem Al Dawsari picked up the ball on the right hand edge of the box.
A 180-degree turn later he glided past three defenders before striking a rising shot which Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez could only paw into the back of his net.
Saudi Arabia are 51st in the world, have never been beyond the last 16 at a World Cup and have won only one game at a finals since 1994.
That shows what this result means to them.
Seeing the Argentina team on the deck at the final whistle shows what this humiliation means to them.
Saudi’s heroic rearguard action was topped by a headed clearance off the line by Abdulelah Al Amri in injury time but gallant defender Yasser Al Shahrani was KO’d by a knee to the head from his own keeper.
Messi thought he was going to level things up in the 56th minute when the goal opened up in front of him but, seemingly from nowhere, Hassan Al-Tambakti, an unheralded defender for Al Shabab, slid in to make a tackle as if his life depended on it, pilfering the ball perfectly.
Al-Tambakti leapt to his face, punching the air as if he had scored, and really the tackle was as good as a goal. Messi, meanwhile, rocked on his haunches and shook his head, unable to comprehend how the moment had gone.
It would get even more extraordinary. Shortly after, Nicolas Tagliafico found himself at the back post, three yards out, seemingly ready to turn the ball in. What he hadn’t counted on was Muhammad Al Owais flying like Superman to turn his shot aside.
You sensed here that this would be Saudi Arabia’s day and the feeling intensified in the final 10 minutes when Messi struck a free-kick from 25 yards horribly over the bar – it was from the kind of range you have seen him find the top corner so gloriously, on so many occasions. Deep into injury time, which seemed to last as long as a period of extra-time, Argentina had run out of ideas and, deservedly, Saudi Arabia had seen the job through, the roar at the final whistle one to match the one that will come from the tournament winners next month. Will it be Argentina? You can never say never but, on this evidence, Messi is dreaming the impossible dream. — The Sun
