Live Stream : Argentina Vs Croatia - Fifa World Cup 2022 Qatar [Semi - Final]

LEAGUE : English Football League
FIXTURES : Argentina Vs Croatia
TIME : 20:00

This was illustrative in their quarter-final penalty shoot-out win against Netherlands, which bore witness to - what the Warm-up posits will become - some of this World Cup's most iconic moments.

First, Messi threaded a pass barely conceivable - never mind executable - through the eye of a needle at the Lusail Stadium for Nahuel Molina to open the scoring.

It was a moment that was quite rightly lauded. Gary Lineker said of Messi "It is like he watches the game from above whilst actually playing it.” The PSG forward would then hold his nerve to add the second from the penalty spot to put Argentina on the cusp of the semi-final.

Yet, as the match edged towards its 90th minute - and moments after Wout Weghorst had cut the arrears in half - a lack of composure set in amongst Messi's Argentina. It was similar to - but not the same as - the fear that beset them in the Saudi Arabia defeat.

Leandro Paredes completely lost his head, hacked down Nathan Ake and then caused a "riot" by leathering the ball into the Netherlands' bench.

Chris Sutton, on BBC 5 Live, called Paredes a "slowpoke", while there was further pearl clutching over Otamendi and co's goading. The fallout has prompted Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni to defend his players.
“We need to put an end to this idea of us not being good winners or losers," said Scaloni. "That’s very far from who we actually are as a team, as a squad and as the way we represent this nation.”
Yes, this Argentina team are representing a nation, but it is not just that. It feels like they are also bearing - not particularly well - the weight of a legacy. This team is not just chasing their own greatness, but seem petrified of stopping Messi from burnishing his.
This fear has manifested itself in many ways thus far - from the blind panic in the Saudi Arabia game to the flashes of aggression, aggro or petulance seen during the Netherlands match.

Watch Argentina vs Croatia (Semi final) live match

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLQW-PsB2Pw