Julián Álvarez scores the World Cup goal to save Argentina again

BarcelonaArgentina will play in the World Cup semi-finals thanks to Julián Álvarez. He hadn't scored throughout the tournament and was dealing with some grumbling about his rather mediocre performance, but he showed up at the best moment to save his team in another match decided by delirium (3-1). Sought after by major European clubs like Barça, the Atlético de Madrid forward invented a championship goal to unbalance a match that was heading for penalties. A rocket into the top corner from a brave Swiss team to book their place in the semis this Wednesday against Kane and Bellingham's England.

After suffering very strong emotions –always with a happy ending– against Cape Verde in the round of 32 and against Egypt in the round of 16, the albiceleste found itself in a fictitious tranquility in the quarterfinals with the first ordered approach it made to the Swiss goal. In this mirage of relief, the set piece acted in a corner served by Leo Messi (always Messi) at the near post, where Alexis Mac Allister jumped between two towers to connect an impossible header for Kobel, who stood like a statue (10'). Sensational neck movement from the Liverpool midfielder, a fixture in Lionel Scaloni's plans. And a deserved celebration on the Argentine bench, where everyone congratulated Walter Samuel, a former national team player – and of Madrid – who now draws up strategic plays. The twists and turns came later.

With a lack of football beyond Messi's inspiration, the current world champion expresses herself through defensive intensity. She appeared with four volantes (this is how midfielders in Argentina define them) trained in battling, and has consolidated a reliable partnership in the center with Cuti Romero and Lisandro Martínez. Not much more was needed for Switzerland, who reached the quarterfinals after a 0-0 draw and a favorable penalty shootout against Colombia, to find no offensive solution in the first half other than launching a pass into space for Breel Embolo to fend for himself. The only time Murat Yakin's team tested Dibu Martínez's gloves before halftime was with a distant and tepid shot from Sow, the Sevilla player.

A dismissal as surprising as it was key

In the second half, the Central European team, which aspired to go further than ever before in a World Cup, raised its offensive game. Argentina's minimal version laid out the red carpet for the Swiss draw, who, after three warnings well thwarted by Martínez, achieved the 1-1 in a good play down the wing by Molina, the weakest flank of the South American team. Ricardo Rodríguez enabled Ndoye inside the area and the Nottingham Forest striker sent the ball into the net. But the Helvetic joy melted away just five minutes later, when Embolo feigned a fall in an action with Paredes and was sent off because he already had a yellow card. Referee Pinheiro fell into the trap and booked the Argentine player, but VAR invited him to rectify. A cruel yet fair decision that caused the inconsolable tears of the Swiss offensive reference.

Despite competing with a numerical disadvantage, Yakin's team, who maintained their physical freshness, went into their shell in search of extra time. On the other side, Scaloni emptied the midfield to load the area with more players and, in this way, free up Messi at the edge of the box so he could pull his team out of trouble with some brilliance. The number 10 was close to avoiding extra time, first with a lob that fell short against Kobel's sortie and with a right-footed shot that grazed one of the Swiss posts. It would have been very nice to go to sleep with that epilogue, but the script reserved 30 more minutes of football and another tight outcome for Argentina, who clinched qualification in the 112th minute thanks to Julián's great goal. When there's nothing to play for, not even against 10 men, one must rely on moments of genius like the one shown by the forward that Barça sighs for. Lautaro Martínez, on a counter-attack with Switzerland all out to force penalties, scored the definitive 3-1.