Chapter 306: Spain vs. Argentina Semi-finals, Messi's Nerves!
Costa Rica's second aggressive attempt was unsuccessful, leading instead to Spain scoring another goal. The suspense of the match was essentially gone. Looking back, Navas's recent charge seems problematic from a hindsight perspective. It appears he was influenced by Lin Huang's earlier goal, causing a slight change in his mentality, making him somewhat impatient. He's not usually impulsive, but his desire to prove himself against a world-class star like Lin seemed to get the better of him.
Navas knew that scouts from various top clubs, including some of the biggest names, were assessing him. Facing the world's number-one ranked team Spain in a crucial World Cup quarterfinal match, while being scouted by other clubs, created a mix of pressures that made him somewhat impatient. Fortunately, he quickly recognized this, and his subsequent performance stabilized, satisfying the scouts present. After watching most of the game, they began to jot down their observations in their notebooks:
"Navas is technically solid, reacts quickly, has a strong anticipatory ability, can swiftly identify the opponents' offensive routes, and makes the most sensible choices."
"He is very decisive in coming off his line, occasionally reckless, but with his excellent physical skills and superb goalkeeping, he manages to resolve most crises. Moreover, in the match against Costa Rica, Navas showed outstanding leadership and communicated well with his teammates, particularly the defenders. This allowed Costa Rica, far less skilled than their opponent, to hold their own against the world's best team, Spain."
"Overall assessment: Excellent!"
"Transfer price estimate: 10 to 18 million euros!"
After David Silva scored Spain's second goal, Bosque quickly made substitutions. In the 67th minute, Torres was replaced by Pedro. Spain switched to a familiar false nine formation. With the false nine, Spain's players passed more often and quicker. Costa Rica's players, hitting a physical limit, could not keep up with the increased pace of the game. This inability to keep up meant their goal was continuously under threat.
In the 71st minute, Pedro broke into the penalty area and his shot just missed the post. Five minutes later, Pedro again, receiving a pass from Lin Huang in the left side of the penalty area, executed a volley that Navas narrowly saved with one hand. Just ten minutes on the pitch, and Pedro felt what his teammates had experienced against Navas. How was this guy so tough to play against?
Similar to Pedro's feelings, Costa Rica's defenders, out of breath, incredulously watched Spain's number 30. Just moments ago, in a tight space and despite being double-teamed, he managed to pass the ball out. How did he do it? How could they completely stop him? It seemed they couldn't, but fortunately, they wouldn't have to consider this problem much longer.
In the 80th minute, Bosque indeed brought on Diego Costa, replacing team star Lin Huang. To prepare for the match against Argentina in four days, Bosque wanted to reduce the wear on his key players so they could face Argentina in better condition. After Lin left the field, Spain's attack did not stop. Substitute Diego Costa, freshly recovered from injury, energetically ran back and forth in the front, looking for scoring opportunities. Assisted by Spain's master midfielders, he indeed created several good chances. Unfortunately, he couldn't capitalize on them; his shots were either easily saved by Navas or went awry.
Under close guard by Costa Rica's defenders, Costa, just back from injury, played awkwardly. His ball-handling in tight spaces was nowhere near Lin's, making it difficult to find open space. Costa Rica's players, initially intimidated by Costa's reputation from Atlético Madrid, felt after a while:
Is that all?
He seemed much weaker compared to the previous number 30!
Of course, Costa's style differed from Lin's; his dribbling and breaking weren't as good, but he still managed to forcefully create a few chances in the penalty area. Unfortunately, these chances didn't turn into goals, and with Costa Rica's midfield core Ruiz tightly marked, their attacks also struggled to threaten.
The score of 2-0 was maintained until the final whistle. Spain easily overcame their opponents and proudly advanced to the semifinals. After the match, Costa Rica's players appeared somewhat dazed. Some stood with hands on hips, others knelt on the ground, and some just lay there sprawled out, gasping heavily, looking enviously at the celebrating Spanish players in the distance.
They were envious as Spain clinched the last semifinal spot. Unfortunately, they admitted their own skills were inferior, accepting their defeat gracefully. After all, of all the teams Spain had faced, Costa Rica had conceded the fewest goals. Considering the vast disparity in player values between the two teams, holding on to such an extent was quite commendable.
In the post-match press conference, Bosque was visibly delighted as he had just led his team to the semifinals. He energetically answered a barrage of questions from journalists, even addressing topics he usually avoided. Seeing his good mood, journalists eagerly continued their inquiries.
"Coach Bosque, your team has made it to the semifinals, and your next opponent is the formidable Argentina. Do you believe your team can win?"
Bosque smiled: "Of course, why not? We are the defending champions, after all!"
An Argentine journalist quickly retorted: "We have Messi, how could Argentina lose?"
Before Bosque could respond, a Spanish journalist countered: "Spain has Lin Huang!"
"How can you compare Lin, who has only been playing for a few years, to the great Messi?"
"Well, although Lin hasn't been playing long, he has already won a Confederations Cup with the team. What honors can Messi claim with the national team?"
This sparked a heated debate between the Argentine and Spanish journalists over who was stronger, Messi or Lin. The other journalists enjoyed the spectacle, not stopping the argument but rather fueling it, hoping it would escalate into a bigger confrontation.
What a perfect opportunity for sensational news: Spain vs. Argentina, Lin vs. Messi, such tags were sure to escalate discussions and traffic.
Sure enough, when the semifinal matchups were announced, fans of the teams involved erupted into fierce online debates.
"Brazil is the world's number one, I see Brazil eliminating Germany!"
"Haha, with Brazil's captain suspended and their key player injured, what do they have to fight the German machine?"
The upper bracket's semifinal between the host and Germany was a clash of titans. If Thiago Silva hadn't been suspended and Neymar hadn't been injured, the match would have been highly suspenseful. But with the loss of these key offensive and defensive players, Brazil's capabilities were severely weakened.
This makes people skeptical about the host's chances. If this weren't Brazil, their chances of winning might be less than 30%. But because this is Brazil, with the advantage of being the host, predictions for the game are 40-60 in favor of Germany.
Regarding the other semi-final, Spain versus Argentina, the fans are even more divided.
"With Spain in such an unstoppable form, Argentina is likely to face a tough challenge!"
"Indeed, Spain's matches look effortlessly stylish, and they seem to win easily no matter the opponent. They've never been pushed to the brink!"
Spanish fans, not just locally but also neutrals abroad attracted by Spain's strong performance and beautiful play, are in the majority.
"Ha, Spain is only good against weaker teams. They might not be so impressive against a real powerhouse!"
Naturally, Argentine and Messi fans disagree, believing Spain's record is so good only due to favorable draws and not facing top teams. Argentina, unlike Spain's previous opponents, is one of the favorites to win this World Cup. It won't be easy for Spain to beat them. Moreover, Argentina has Messi!
As the World Cup nears its climax, interest and stakes continue to rise. In the world of football, there has always been a debate: Is European or South American football stronger?
European football is known for its strong leagues, steady youth development, and rapidly evolving tactics, which have increasingly influenced the sport, achieving back-to-back World Cup wins. South America, known for producing talented players, has produced two Ballon d'Or winners. Their leagues may not be as influential as Europe's top five, but the prowess of South American players is undeniable. Thus, the debate continues without a clear winner, as fans from both sides cannot convince each other.
The World Cup offers a direct platform for this showdown, allowing them to prove on the field whether European football is more advanced or South American football is stronger. Besides this World Cup, in the past 19 editions, South American teams have won 9 championships, with Brazil taking 5 and Argentina and Uruguay 2 each. European teams have won 10 championships, slightly edging out South America. However, in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, South American teams failed even to reach the finals, which ended up being contests between European teams—quite a setback for fans supporting the strength of South American football.
Therefore, this World Cup in Brazil presents a perfect opportunity for South American teams to redeem themselves. They have indeed made significant progress compared to the last two tournaments, with both Brazil and Argentina reaching the semi-finals. Fortunately, there has been no internal clash; both semi-final matches are between European and South American teams. This means that if they perform well, both could meet in the finals, presenting a South American showdown to the world. Of course, if things go wrong, the finals could again be between two European teams. Allowing European teams to meet in the finals for the third consecutive time on their home ground would be a significant embarrassment for Brazil and all South American teams.
Therefore, before the semi-finals, the South American Football Confederation has called on fans to support Brazil and Argentina at the venues. The debate over whether European or South American football is superior may well be settled after these semi-finals. They cannot afford to lose!
With a loud thump, the football flew in a beautiful arc just brushing the top left corner of the goal. Seeing this, Messi finally cracked a satisfied smile. After learning that Argentina's semi-final opponent would be Spain, Messi increased his training intensity. Only having played in La Liga, he knew firsthand how formidable the Spanish national team was.
If it were before that guy joined the Spanish team, Argentina might have had an even chance or even held a slight edge over Spain. But now, Messi felt that Argentina's chances were less than 40%, possibly even more precarious than Brazil's in the upper half. Considering Germany's performance from the group stage to the knockout stages, their offensive firepower was not as strong as imagined. If Brazil could choose a more robust strategy, even without Neymar and key defender Thiago Silva, and not engage in an all-out attack but control the pace with solid defensive counterattacks aimed at Germany, their chances would still be substantial. But Spain is different!
This team shows no significant weaknesses; instead, their strengths are incredibly pronounced—superb offensive power, tremendous control, and extensive experience in major competitions. These are all areas where Argentina falls short. Despite having Messi, Aguero, Higuain, and Di Maria, Argentina's biggest weakness turns out to be their offense. Their forwards have collectively hit a dry spell in scoring at this World Cup, with Aguero yet to score after five matches. Higuain only recently scored, and Di Maria has scored just once. Messi, the previous major contributor to their victories, has also not scored in the last two matches. Compared to Lin Huang, who scores consistently, Messi has gone 225 minutes without scoring! This situation has understandably caused Messi concern. He's unsure if he can score against Spain, but if even he can't step up for the team, who can he rely on?
Thus, Messi has chosen to maximize his remaining time to improve. He's focusing on penalties and free-kicks, especially impressed by Lin Huang's penalty against Mexico. With numerous shootouts at this World Cup, Messi feels it necessary to practice, thinking that maybe his extra training could prove decisive if it comes to a shootout!
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon