There is a reason we keep coming back to the World Cup. It is not merely for the sweeps of genius or the polished patterns of play. It is for the mome...
There is a reason we keep coming back to the World Cup. It is not merely for the sweeps of genius or the polished patterns of play. It is for the moments when logic is hanged from the nearest crossbar and the script is torn up in front of 80,000 bewildered souls. What unfolded in that round of 16 tie between Argentina and Egypt was not just a comeback; it was an exorcism.For 75 minutes, La Albiceleste were a rabble. Egypt had set their low block with the discipline of a Pharaonic guard and struck twice on the break, leaving an Argentinian defence that looked as solid as a paper umbrella in a monsoon. The noise from the stands was a dirge. Lionel Messi, so often the light in the gloom, appeared to be fighting the weight of a nation on his shoulders and the quicksand beneath his feet. But then, with the clock ticking towards a cruel exit, something snapped.What followed was a study in pure chaos. The equaliser came from a set piece scrambled home by a centre back. The winner arrived via a deflection that kissed the post before nestling in the net. Was it luck Perhaps. But you make your own fortune in the mixer. Argentina abandoned their pretty passing and just got the ball in the box, forcing Egypt into errors they had avoided all evening. It was squeaky bum time at its most raw, and it was Egypt who bottled it first.Now, Switzerland lie in wait. For all the tactical flexibility Argentina suddenly showed in that frantic fifteen minute spell, they cannot rely on a miracle every time. The Swiss will watch that tape and see a defence that can be unlocked with a direct runner. But they will also see a team that, when its back is against the wall, refused to die. In knockout football, that stubborn refusal is often more valuable than any formation. This Argentina side has a pulse again. For how long, only the quarter final will tell.
