This Guardian article from Taha Hashim, captures the mood for most of us today...the first pause in the World Cup schedule after 27 consecutive days of matches. It's a strange feeling not having any football games to cheer. But perhaps we needed this break to process Argentina's/Argenfifa's? dramatic comeback against Egypt?
Enter the Void
As Taha writes: "What do we do now? Stare numbly at a blank wall for the next 24 hours?...Endlessly re-watch Sidny Lopes Cabral’s curler against Argentina and his Pat Cash-style climb into the stands to celebrate?...We’re 96 matches down, just seven to go – eight if you are, for some reason, heavily invested in who finishes third. But maybe we do need a moment to chill, to decompress, after Argentina’s desperate comeback win over Egypt, an emotional cracker that even left Lionel Messi in tears at full-time. There’s so much to discuss: another spurned penalty by Messi before his redemption act; the wall that was Mostafa Shobeir; the anger felt by the Egyptians after Enzo Fernández’s winner. Space must, however, be given to the greatest goal that never was."
Yes, Egypt's first goal in the 15th minute was superb--Yasser Ibrahim beat Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez with a header into the top right corner to give the Pharaohs a 1-0 early lead. And then in the 58th minute, Haissem Hassan weaved "his way through half the pitch, a move straight out of the Messi playbook. He found Mohamed Salah, whose cute through ball met the perfectly-timed run of Mostafa Ziko, a first-time finish giving his side a two-goal lead against the holders. It would have been wrong if he hadn’t taken his shirt off to celebrate.
"...Cue the machinations of VAR, with Lisandro Martínez’s shirt pulled and foot stood on at the other end before Hassan’s otherworldly run, prompting the goal to be disallowed."
But justice was served in the 67th minute when again Hassan connected with Ziko for their third second fantastic goal. Somehow, Messi and La Albiceleste clawed their way back and then in stoppage time Argentina scored an almost split reversal of Egypt's disallowed goal; this time Salah seemed to get fouled in the Argentine penalty, but play was allowed to go on and the counterattack that ended with Enzo Fernandes heading in the winner. Was it recalled? Was it even checked on VAR checked? Umm, no! At least go through the motions FIFA, don't be so blatant! This match was the best of football, and also the worst. Mabrouk ya Misr. Ja'alatmuna fakhurayn!
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