KEIR RADNEDGE in DOHA —- Argentina never make it easy for themselves. Victory had to be target in their concluding Group C tie against Poland for Leo Messi in a personal as well as a team challenge matching against his player prizes successor in Robert Lewandowski.

Eventually, after Messi had missed a penalty, Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez saw Argentina to a comfortable 2-0 victory in the second half. Poland squeaked through as runners-up because Mexico beat Saudi Arabia by an inadequate 2-1 in the other match.

Many great players have come and gone without even playing the World Cup finals yet alone come close to winning them so it remained a weird expectational burden for Messi to grasp the ultimate national team prize on his his farewell appearance.

Perhaps it was that indelible reminder of the painful moment in Maracana in 2014 when Messi had to stumble past the golden trophy to receive his award as best player at the finals in Brazil. He was inches away. So near and yet so far.

Argentina and Messi had misfired in Russia and the past four years had brought the tear-laden exit from Barcelona and slightly jarring exile at Paris Saint-Germain. But now he was back on the World Cup stage, one more curtain call from destiny.

Poland, at kickoff in Stadium 974, topped Group C with four points followed by both Argentina and Saudi Arabia – about to face Mexico – on three. No room for error anywhere. Even Mexico could qualify for the knockout stage with the right coincidence of results.

Argentina began as if they meant business. No egos showing, just a solid, hard-working, quick-moving team ethic. The aim was to win the match as soon as possible. Messi led the way. Szczesny saved one effort delivered whie Messi was falling, then pushed another effort around a post after Messi had accelerated out beyond the fullback.

Thus was breathtaking stuff. Poland stood strong and rolled with the punches. Lewandowski was abandoned, marooned up in attack with only Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi for company.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni had set one particular puzzle for Poland by posting Angel di Maria wide on the left instead of the right and he and Acuna achieved significant overload. Acuna was only narrowly off target with a rasping angled drive in the 28th minute.

The clearest opportunity to open the scoring was gifted to Argentina by referee Danny Makkelie in the 37th minute. The Dutchman ruled that Szczesny had fouled Messi by pushing his hand, as he fell, in the Argentinian’s face. It was dubious at best and justice was done when Szczesny dived left to make a suerb save from Messi’s penalty.

Not that it remained goalless much longer.

Six minutes into the second half rightback Molina pulled back a cross and Alex Mac Allister scuffed the ball just inside Szczesny’s right-hand post. Another 17 minutes and it was 2-0 with Julian Alvarez turning and shooting into the top corner after being set up by the increasingly impressive Enzo Fernandez.

Szczesny pulled off another couple of saves from Messi as the substitutes came and the yellow cards began totting up. This was important because, at this point, Poland and Mexico were level on everything except fair play record. Here Mexico had collected seven yellow cards compared with Poland’s five.

This did not matter to Argentina as they strolled through the closing minutes. Oddly that helped Poland because their defenders were not sucked into desperation, card-drawing tackles and fouls.

So everybody was happy – but Argentina and Messi would have been the happiest.

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