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Not even an unwanted World Cup record could stop Lionel Messi as he refused to follow Cristiano Ronaldo out of the World Cup and led defending champions Argentina to a historic comeback win over Egypt in the last 16.
Messi became the first player to miss two penalties at one World Cup when he failed to get past Mostapha Shoubier from the spot, having also been denied by Austria keeper Alexander Schlager in the group stage.
It was the fourth missed penalty overall for Messi at the World Cup from eight attempts.
Egypt were leading 1-0 at the time and the score was 2-0 until the 79th minute as messi's defending champions seemed to be on their way out the day after Ronaldo's Portugal were beaten by Spain.
But the Albiceleste then staged the latest comeback from two goals down in tournament history and their talisman was in the thick of the action.
Messi set up Cristian Romero in the 79th, smashed the equalizer himself in the 83rd and Enzo Fernandez clinched an improbable comeback in the third minute of stoppage time.
"God is risen," Spanish paper AS said and Mundo Deportivo spoke of "the comeback of his life."
Messi was absolutely ecstatic after his goal, shed tears after the match and was thrown into the air by his team-mates as his sixth World Cup continues with a quarter-final against Colombia or Switzerland.
The penalty record became secondary as Messi gained sole possession of first place in the scorer chart again with eight goals in five matches. He scored in his ninth World Cup match in a row for an overall tally of 21, both record extending.
Coach Lionel Scaloni was emotional and lost for words after their title defence continued at the death.
"I can't look up, I'm sorry. I'm really emotional right now. What agroup of players, man. That's it, I've got to go," he said in a first interview.
Match winner Fernandez said: "We have a phenomenal group, a group that never gives up no matter the difficulties and adversity. We're always together.
"Thanks to my team-mates, to the coaching staff, and to everyone cheering us on here and all the Argentines back home in Argentina. Well, one more step forward."
Continue reading...
Messi became the first player to miss two penalties at one World Cup when he failed to get past Mostapha Shoubier from the spot, having also been denied by Austria keeper Alexander Schlager in the group stage.
It was the fourth missed penalty overall for Messi at the World Cup from eight attempts.
Egypt were leading 1-0 at the time and the score was 2-0 until the 79th minute as messi's defending champions seemed to be on their way out the day after Ronaldo's Portugal were beaten by Spain.
But the Albiceleste then staged the latest comeback from two goals down in tournament history and their talisman was in the thick of the action.
Messi set up Cristian Romero in the 79th, smashed the equalizer himself in the 83rd and Enzo Fernandez clinched an improbable comeback in the third minute of stoppage time.
"God is risen," Spanish paper AS said and Mundo Deportivo spoke of "the comeback of his life."
Messi was absolutely ecstatic after his goal, shed tears after the match and was thrown into the air by his team-mates as his sixth World Cup continues with a quarter-final against Colombia or Switzerland.
The penalty record became secondary as Messi gained sole possession of first place in the scorer chart again with eight goals in five matches. He scored in his ninth World Cup match in a row for an overall tally of 21, both record extending.
Coach Lionel Scaloni was emotional and lost for words after their title defence continued at the death.
"I can't look up, I'm sorry. I'm really emotional right now. What agroup of players, man. That's it, I've got to go," he said in a first interview.
Match winner Fernandez said: "We have a phenomenal group, a group that never gives up no matter the difficulties and adversity. We're always together.
"Thanks to my team-mates, to the coaching staff, and to everyone cheering us on here and all the Argentines back home in Argentina. Well, one more step forward."
Continue reading...
