Argentina sinks the Netherlands in shootout to advance to semi-finals

A Dutch trick play forced extra time, but Lionel Messi will now face Croatia for a place in his second final as his World Cup dream continues.

The World Cup quarterfinal between Argentina and the Netherlands was the sort of matchup that required little explanation. Here was the nation that invented modern attacking soccer vs. one of the greatest individual attackers ever to play the game — tactics vs. inspiration.

And for 100 minutes on Friday night, inspiration was winning.

With a game-changing assist pulled out of thin air and a goal from the penalty spot, Lionel Messi had Argentina 2-0 up and seemingly cruising into the World Cup semi-finals. Even when the Netherlands pulled a goal back with 7 minutes to go, Messi and his teammates remained in control. But in the 11th minute of stoppage time, Dutch tactics struck back with a vengeance. The Netherlands tied the game at 2-2 with one of the most stunning trick plays in World Cup history.

Argentina had it all to do again, and in a rare display of total calm, it did. The team finally muscled past the Dutch 4-3 in a penalty shootout to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2014. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved the first two efforts from the Netherlands, Messi rolled in his, and Argentina had survived.

But fans inside the stadium here Friday had already begun celebrating an hour before kick-off, because Croatia’s quarterfinal victim happened to be Argentina’s most hated rival, Brazil.

So instead of an all-South American semi, Argentina will take on the side that defeated it 3-0 in the group stage at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, reports Code Sports.