The Enigma of Argentina: Pasteurized by Battle – Napoleon Ato Kittoe writes 

Argentina shocked me. I knew they were capable, but the way and manner in which they notched victory over England was overwhelming. The pyrrhic celebrations that followed the difficult win were understandable.

The night before that clash I dreamt Argentina would secure a dramatic 2-1 victory, but in reality I was unsure due to England’s dominance in the first half. While I celebrate the accuracy of my dream, England’s sudden relapse after their goal in the 55th minute earned the unenviable tag of an inaccurate approach — the turning point of the game.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. England looked broken and switched to defensive mode, very much unlike its football tradition. Once again, the match highlighted the enigma of Argentina. The team revives after concessions, yet coaches of opposing teams have failed to read all their games and map effective strategies to deal with them.

On this occasion, Djed Spence was assigned the duty of marking Lionel Messi, yet nobody could stop Argentina from scoring what have become its trademark goals: headers from crosses and shooting from outside the box through dense situations. Excessive focus on the danger likely to emanate from Messi caused England to flop, as even first striker Harry Kane had to fall back to augment the defence. Striking partner Jude Bellingham was also found in the unorthodox role of occasionally tackling Messi.

Indeed, Argentina play like a team where all players look efficient and like potential goal-scoring options. It is Argentina that has been pasteurized by the tough matches it encountered before this semi-final. Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland were hard to beat, yet the Albiceleste (the sky blues) prevailed.

Now, it is clear Argentina bears an undying spirit in its ability to exuberantly score in dying minutes. Enzo Fernández, Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez are some of the sharpest attacking machines ever seen in World Cups. They are reliable and give glimpses that Argentina cannot be undone, even with the imminent exit of Messi.

Another aspect opponents have exploited is Argentina’s vulnerability to angled shots and crosses, though their own crosses are deadlier. Against Spain — noted for possessive football and equally hungry for the diadem — a lot of fireworks are expected.

The pairing of Argentina and Spain fits a final, and the outcome is not easily predictable. This is one match where Argentina needs Messi to glow to help balance the scales against the latent force Spain is set to unleash. It will be hard-fought and the game could go either way. If forced to stick my neck out, I still cannot predict, except to say my heart is with Argentina.

The South Americans have come a long way in World Cup tradition. Sometimes I’m surprised when some soccer fans seek to flaw their progress by accusing FIFA of favouring them. They forget that in 1994, after a blistering start to the football mundial, Argentina abruptly caved in after FIFA targeted its talisman Diego Maradona with a drug test that cut short his participation. Earlier, in 1990, Argentina experienced brutal tackling on Maradona by players of opposing teams. Undaunted and miraculously, Argentina advanced to the grand finale, only to be vanquished by the award of a penalty to Germany. It was a tournament where FIFA had tightened the rules, and defender Pedro Monzón fell foul of a slight touch in the penalty box. Andreas Brehme scored for Germany.

Until 2022, when Argentina won its third World Cup, the journey from 1998 had been tortuous, with shocking, ill-fated exits midstream. Against England — which also rues its inability to win the cup since 1966 — Argentina silenced all the critics with another clean result born from hard work.