Resilient Argentina keep dancing into FIFA semi-finals

DOHA: Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni believes the never-say-die attitude his team showed in their quarter-final against the Netherlands will hold them in good stead as they move forward to a last-four meeting with a similarly resilient Croatia.

The Albiceleste looked to be cruising to the semi-finals on Friday with a 2-0 lead heading into the last few minutes of the game but the Dutch hit back with two late goals to take it into extra time.

Argentina recovered their composure to have the better of the scoreless additional 30 minutes before progressing comfortably in the penalty shootout.

“I don’t know how many tests of character we have come through in this World Cup, we lost our first game [against Saudi Arabia], we found it hard against Mexico and today, the way the Dutch hit long balls obliged us to defend,” Scaloni told the post-match news conference.

“But this team always knows what it has to do.”

Scaloni has always made it clear that he believes Lionel Messi to be the best player of all time but also takes every opportunity to talk up the rest of his team.

Typical of their attitude, he said, was that he had too many volunteers to take penalties in the shootout that won the game.

“The team has a spirit of knowing how to face up to any situation at any time,” he said.

“They continued to show that face in a complicated, very difficult match. When you think it’s all over, it’s not over. But this team has what it takes, they have the desire, the youth, the pride, and never give up on any situation.”

Scaloni said reaching the semi-finals was a great achievement but that was not the extent of their ambitions.

‘MARADONA WATCHING US FROM ABOVE’

Messi said Argentina have felt the presence of the late, great Diego Maradona throughout their World Cup campaign, including on Friday when they beat the Netherlands.

“Diego is watching us from heaven. He is pushing us and I really hope this stays the same until the end,” Messi told reporters.

“When Lautaro scored and we qualified, there was a huge joy,” he added.

Meanwhile, Messi said referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz should not have officiated Argentina’s tempestuous shootout victory over the Netherlands.

“After they got the draw, I felt a lot of anger,” said Messi. “I don’t want to talk about the referee, because they immediately reprimand you or sanction you but I think people saw what happened.”