Lionel Messi slams Louis van Gaal for ‘long balls’ as Argentina beat Netherlands | Emi Martinez: Referee was useless | Football News

Lionel Messi has twisted the knife into the Netherlands’ World Cup exit after criticising Louis van Gaal’s side for their direct approach in Argentina’s dramatic and heated quarter-final win on Friday evening in Lusail.

Messi had superbly set up Nahuel Molina for Argentina’s first-half opener, threading a sublime pass through the Dutch defence, before coolly slotting in a penalty in the 73rd minute after Denzel Dumfries fouled Marcos Acuna.

The Netherlands had rarely troubled Argentina during the match before substitute Wout Weghorst’s header sparked them into life and he rolled the ball past goalkeeper Emi Martinez deep into stoppage time to send the game into extra-time.

Messi, who scored in the subsequent shootout, was left unimpressed by how Van Gaal had resorted to route one football to drag the Dutch back into the game.

“Van Gaal says that they play good football, but what he did was put on tall people and hit long balls,” he told reporters.

“I don’t want to talk about the referee because you can’t be honest. If you talk they sanction you, FIFA must think about it, they can’t put a referee like that for these instances, they can’t put a referee who isn’t up to the task.”

Having cupped his ear to the Netherlands bench after scoring his penalty during the game, Messi gestured to Van Gaal that he ‘speaks too much’ at the end of a game laced with animosity.

Such a barbed reaction was ignited leading up to the contest by Van Gaal himself, who told Dutch publication NOS: “Messi is indeed the most dangerous player who creates the most chances and also makes them himself.

“But on the other hand he does not play much with the opponent when he has possession of the ball. That is also where our chances lie.”

Argentina will next face Croatia, who beat Brazil on penalties earlier, on Tuesday for a place in the final. Messi celebrated with arms aloft in front of the mass ranks of Argentina fans, his hopes of securing football’s biggest prize at the fifth attempt intact for at least a few more days.

“Argentina are among the four best in the world because they show that they know how to play every game with the same desire and the same intensity,” the 35-year-old added.

“A lot of joy, a lot of happiness. We didn’t have to go to extra-time or penalties, we had to suffer. But we got through and it’s impressive.”

Penalty-kick hero Emi Martinez described Antonio Mateu Lahoz as “useless” after the Spanish referee brandished a record number of yellow cards during Argentina’s pulsating victory.

Goalkeeper Martinez saved penalties from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis before Lautaro Martinez scored the winning spot-kick to secure them a 4-3 shootout win over the Dutch on Friday after the quarter-final finished 2-2 after extra-time.

But it was a game that had everything, including 15 cards shown to players that entered the field of play, the most in World Cup history, overtaking Cameroon’s clash with Germany in 2002, in which there were 12 yellows and two reds.

“I thought we controlled the game really well, we went 2-0 up and the ref was giving everything for them,” the Aston Villa goalkeeper said. “They get a good header, and then it turned upside down, the ref gave 10 minutes for no reason.

“He just wanted them to score, that was basically it, so hopefully we don’t have that ref any more, he is useless.

“I heard Van Gaal saying we’ve got an advantage in penalties, and if they go to penalties they win, I think he needs to keep his mouth shut.”

The Argentines were shell-shocked by the turnaround in the first period of extra-time but recovered their composure to pepper the Dutch goal with shots, Enzo Hernandez coming closest to scoring with a rasping effort that hit the post.

The late surge gave Argentina the momentum going into the shootout, and Martinez added to it when he stopped spot kicks from Van Dijk and Berghuis.

The defeat was the first for the Dutch in 20 matches going back to last year’s European Championship and brought an end to 71-year-old Louis van Gaal’s third spell as coach.

“We practiced on penalties all year and then you screw it up,” said Van Gaal.

“That’s a pity. As a coach, I want to have everything under control. That is why I asked the players to take a penalty at their club, they all did. If you miss two, you won’t win anymore. You simply cannot simulate such a series.”

Lautaro delivers when it really matters

South American football expert Tim Vickery:

“Four years ago, South America’s participation at the World Cup in Russia ended at the quarter-final stage when Brazil lost to Belgium and Uruguay lost to France. Both of those were over 90 minutes but this time, both Brazil and Argentina took us to 120 and penalties.

“It’s now Argentina’s tournament as far as South America are concerned. When Brazil got to the final in 2002 against Germany, an opinion poll in Argentina revealed that more Argentines were supporting Brazil than Germany. There was a South American unity there, but I’m not sure that will apply the other way around.

“They certainly have plenty of support of their own making a fantastic noise in those stadiums. Perhaps it is Lionel Messi’s destiny to win the World Cup, but let’s pay some tribute to Lautaro.

“He took that last penalty and it’s one of the best I’ve seen in the history of penalties. I don’t think it’s hyperbole. Lautaro came into this tournament as Argentina’s centre forward. In the first game against Saudi Arabia, he scores two very well-taken goals but they were ruled out for very narrow VAR decisions as Argentina eventually lose.

“The pressure is heaped on and Lautaro ends up losing his place in the side. Argentina then brought him on in the games against Poland and Australia, and Martinez looked hideous. He looked so short of confidence and he made the goal looked tiny.

“You need courage to step up and take that fifth penalty. But when it really mattered, he delivered for Argentina. He’d have been the villain of all villains if he missed that one.

“It emphasised the point that it’s not only Messi. What he did for Molina’s goal was magnificent. He’s one of those players who if you give him a rick he’ll build a house with it, but there are other players in the Argentina side.”

Anaylsis: Argentina edge game for the ages

Sky Sports News senior reporter Geraint Hughes at the Lusail Stadium:

“I can’t believe I actually witnessed that game. It was one of those moments where you say, ‘I was there’. That was just ridiculous and just an incredible game of football which encapsulated the theatre and everything that the beautiful game can give us.

“At times, the football wasn’t great and other times it was phenomenal. The energy was just sensational. The atmosphere was incredible before the game had even kicked off. There was electricity running through the stadium. The official attendance was just over 88,000 but there were only 1,000 Dutch inside the ground.

“It was cat and mouse before a moment of magic from Messi with his ball for Molina. You thought the game was all over after the penalty. How wrong was I. It became tetchy and it became feisty.

“Van Dijk was thrown up front alongside Koopmeiners and Weghorst, who scored a great header to get the Dutch back into it. But who would’ve seen what came next? I was watching people going through absolute purgatory with their nerves after that unthinkable short free-kick levelled matters.

“There were people crying even when Argentina were winning 2-1. But they somehow found the energy and the will in the shootout. There’s clearly no loved lost between these two sides, either.

“When the referee did the coin toss to choose which side we had the shootout there was even a tetchiness then. I’ve rarely in my entire career been in an atmosphere like that in all my time. It was bonkers, crazy and wonderful. The Argentina fans need to find their voice in the semi0finals as they played a huge part in this victory.”

Martinez is a penalty-shootout monster

Earlier in the day, Brazil had appeared devastated to find themselves in a penalty shootout. Argentina had longer to process their circumstances but might have been forgiven for feeling the same way after surrendering a two-goal lead. Emiliano Martinez changed that.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper has the demeanour of a man who revels in situations such as this. He has history. Martinez was a hero for Argentina in their Copa America triumph, saving three penalties in an ill-tempered semi-final shootout win over Colombia.

He struck a similar tone here, visibly pumped up, all machismo and testosterone. From the moment that Martinez saved brilliantly to his right to deny Virgil van Dijk with the first kick, Argentina had the advantage. His next stop from Steven Berghuis was just as good.

Messi is a quiet leader whose body language sometimes belies his status. Martinez does not have that pedigree behind him, of course, but he has an important role in this Argentina team. A different kind of leader, he stepped up for his side. It was seriously impressive.
Adam Bate

Weghorst heroics make for classic contest

Weghorst scored two goals in 20 games as Burnley were relegated from the Premier League last season. He needed a shade over 20 minutes to match that total after coming off the bench for the Netherlands in this dramatic quarter-final against Argentina.

There was much amusement at the sight of the robust forward being asked to salvage his country’s World Cup dream as Louis van Gaal’s side lumped balls forward. But it worked. This was blunt force but there was beauty here too. Sledgehammer and subtlety.

A powerful header to pull one back. A left-footed finish following a clever free-kick to equalise in the 101st minute of the match. When he converted from the penalty spot with his right, Weghorst completed a perfect hat-trick of sorts – but it all proved to be in vain.

Bereft and broken at the end, defeat and exit will mean there is no consoling the 30-year-old striker. But he turned a World Cup quarter-final for his country, proving the catalyst for a classic. That will resonate rather more than an underwhelming time at Turf Moor.
Adam Bate