KEIR RADNEDGE in LUSAIL —- Argentina are in the semi-finals of the World Cup after being put through the sporting agonies by Netherlands in their quarter-final. Leo Messi and his team took a two-goal, were dragged back to extra time by late goals from substitute Wout Weghorst then needed a penalty shootout to earn a semi against Croatia.

Goalkeeper Emi Martinez was one Argentina hero by saving the initial spotkicks from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis while Lautaro Martinez was the other for shooting the decisive kick for a 4-3 success.

History thus repeated itself.

In 1978 hosts Argentina defeated the Dutch 3-1 after extra time in the World Cup Final played amid more dark shadows than the lowering clouds and the Buenos Aires night. In 2014, in the semi-final, Argentina edged through on penalties. Netherlands coach then, as now, was Louis van Gaal.

Both Van Gaal and opposite number Lionel Scaloni, having successfully surpassed the group stage and Round of 16, decided this rerun demanded tactical and thus selection alterations. In the case of Argentina that meant going three at the back and offering more attacking options to wingbacks Nahuel Molina and Marcos Acuna.

Netherlands appeared more confused than Argentina by their own nuanced revisions.

Steven Berwijn had been added to the centre of attack with Cody Gakpo dropping deeper but this curtailed the offensive value of Denzel Dumfries. Lobbing in hopeful crosses from out of the right was far from the ruthless strategy which had brought Netherlands this far.

Not surprisingly, Argentina took the lead with the match’s first meaningful attack in the 35th minute. Naturally it was initiated by captain Leo Messi who found space in front of the penalty box and cut out five defenders with a superb reverse pass which Nahuel Molina jabbed past Andries Noppert.

Tempers began to flare both on the pitch and from the benches. Spanish referee Antonio Matej Lahoz showed a yellow card to to Dutchmen Jam Timber and substitute Weghorst on the bench. He also flashed yellow cards to Argentina coaching aide Walter Samuel as well as various players including Marcos Acuna and Cristian Romero.

This was Acuna’s second card of the finals, meaning he will miss the semi-final against Croatia.

At halftime Van Gaal sent on Steven Berghuis in attack and Teun Koopmeiners in midfield in place in Bergwijn and Marten de Roon but without seriously disturbing Argentina’s grip on the match.

Netherlands, basically, were not playing very well and should have been finished off by a 73rd-minute penalty. Leo Messi, having missed one against Poland, made no mistake this time after Acuna had been tripped lazily and needlessly by Gakpo. Messi thus equalled Gabriel Batistuta’s record of 10 World Cup goals for Argentina.

Various substitutes joined the action and, this time, one made a difference. Weghorst, having been booked on the bench in the first half, took over from Memphis Depay and proved more effective as he glance-headed home a right-wing cross.

Tempers ramped up with the tension. A multi-player melee followed a clash between Nathan Ake and Leandro Paredes which ended with bookings while the Argentinian was fortunate not to see for also thrashing the loose ball into the dugout.

The teams had scrapped into the 10th and last minute of stoppage time when the Dutch were awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty box for a needless push by substitute German Pezzella on Wieghorst. As the Argentinian wall awaited a piledriver free kick so Koopmeiners slid a low pass outside the defenders and Weghorst stepped in behind them to sneak it past keeper Martinez.

For all that this had been a silly free kick to concede, the free kick which earned extra time was brilliant in conception and execution.

The first half of extra time came and went without incident before Argentina dominated the second half. Messi shot a weary free kick high over the bar Netherlands struggled to hang on. Lautaro Martinez had a shot deflected for a corner off Van Dijk and Enzo Fernandez not only saw a drive deflected over the top off Weghorst but struck a post with virtually the last kick of the match.

Dumfries was shown a second yellow card in a brawl after the shootout – thus the match concluded with a World Cup record bookings.

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