My apologies for missing the Argentina vs Saudi Arabia match — I got confused juggling post timelines!
Saudi Arabia vs. Argentina
🔘 27 Clearances
🔘 21 Fouls
🔘 18 Tackles
🔘 14 Interceptions🔘 3 Shots
🔘 2 Shots On Target
⚽️ 2 GoalsAn incredible performance. 👏#ARGKSA | #FIFAWorldCup | #KSA pic.twitter.com/p4XPccp0Nm
— EPL Statman (@EPLStatman) November 22, 2022
And, apparently, it was not one to miss. Per Rory Smith at the NYTimes, “Saudi Arabia Stuns Lionel Messi and Argentina in World Cup’s First Shock”:
This is not how it was supposed to be, but this is how it always seems to end. That slump of the shoulders, that distant stare, that mournful grimace. Argentina came to this World Cup to enshrine Lionel Messi’s legacy in gold. It will remember it, for some time, for one of the greatest humiliations in its history.
A team that had traveled to Qatar on the back of 35 games without defeat, the glow of its first international honor in a generation fresh in the memory, with arguably the greatest player of all time in top form and surrounded by teammates of the highest caliber, opened its tournament with a 2-1 defeat to an opponent, Saudi Arabia, that was supposed to be little more than a sacrificial lamb.
The sting of the defeat — not just a defeat: an embarrassment, a shame, a stigma being carved into Argentine skin in real time — will burn all the more because, by the end, it was nothing if not warranted, ample punishment for Argentina’s inability to pick its way through the Saudi resistance, to keep a cool head, to leverage all of its experience and talent to its advantage…
———–
Next up!
All is set for Denmark 🇩🇰 vs Tunisia 🇹🇳 . These are the men starting the match for each team. #afrostat #worldcup2022 #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/SiLOuctDmo
— AfroStat (@AfroStat) November 22, 2022
KEY STATS: Denmark versus Tunisia https://t.co/a10guKEKZe #FIFAWorldCup2022
— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 22, 2022
SportsMole:
Denmark and Tunisia kick off their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign when they go head to head at the Education City Stadium on Tuesday.
Both nations will be looking to claim an early advantage in Group D before group rivals France and Australia square off later in the day.
Having won four of their previous five World Cup opening games, Denmark will head into Tuesday in sky-high spirits as they look to kick off their campaign with a bang.
Kasper Hjulmand’s men secured their spot in Qatar thanks to a near-perfect qualification campaign, where they finished top of Group F after picking up 27 points from their 10 matches….
On the other hand, Tunisia are making a second consecutive appearance at the World Cup after qualifying for the tournament in 2018, which saw their eight-year absence come to an end.
However, the Carthage Eagles’ participation in Russia was short-lived, as they picked up three points from their three matches to finish third and suffer another group-stage exit from the tournament…
Baud
I’m not even a soccer fan and SA vs AR is shocking.
oldster
“Argentina came to this World Cup to enshrine Lionel Messi’s legacy in gold.”
I suspect that when you play against SA, there are a lot of ways to bring home gold.
“No way Argentina would tank for money! No way Messi would tank for money!”
Yeah, probably not. But against this opponent? In this venue?
It would be irresponsible not to speculate.
OzarkHillbilly
The curse of Messi continues.
Leto
For those of us that watched it in real time, this is a great story: Christian Eriksen from heart attack to the World Cup: How Denmark star made squad in Qatar after brush with death
OverTwistWillie
@oldster:
Just no.
He was never the greatest player in the history of the game, he is thirty five, and Argentina doesn’t have the quality in depth player pool the modern WC requires.
JML
@OverTwistWillie: Yeah, for every story being run about the “last chance for Messi” there’s been a smarter piece about how flawed this Argentinian squad was and how they might completely flame out.
Tunsia v Denmark has been a pretty good game so far, but I think Denmark has the quality to win it. But the longer it’s 0-0 the more confidence Tunsia is going to get…
Omnes Omnibus
@oldster: I would guess that it is simpler than that. The Argentine side believed their own hype, and let a side that was better than they thought take advantage of them.
Alison Rose
Wake up.
Check WC scores.
Brain shorts out over Argentina vs Saudi Arabia.
West of the Rockies
Not a fan, but too bad the Sauds won.
Origuy
From the Guardian:
Fifa and Qatar in urgent talks after Wales rainbow hats confiscated
Now I want one of those hats.
oldster
Okay, I withdraw my accusations.
I saw a clip of the second goal, and it was just beautiful. No tanking needed — that goal was legit.