Argentina barely survives to win World Cup

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In one of the greatest and sensational finals witnessed in our lifetime, Argentina gingerly hung on to lift the 22nd edition of the World Cup Football tournament in Doha,Qatar at the expense of defending champions France.


In a ding- dong  battle, Argentina barely survived the French gallant fight back.They led  in the regulation time but failed to hold onto a 2-0 and 3-2 lead.They finally came through victorious in the nerve racking penalty shootout to crown themselves the world champions for the third time.


At long  last  one of the finest players in the world, Argentina skipper and playmaker Lionel Messi's cherished dream of  World Cup glory came true.

 

He had a phenomenal tournament and  lived up to expectations. As skipper he dazzled,inspired teammates,delivered the goods consistently and lifted his team from a shock defeat in the opener against Saudi Arabia to the  game’s ultimate glory.


He won a record breaking man of the match award five times. Furthermore, he scored seven goals,scoring in every match in the knockout stage. It is  an enduring testament to his greatness.


France made a valiant and astonishing comeback in the last quarter of the match after a mediocre  first half performance.


The way the match panned out in the first  45 minutes,it seemed though France was headed for an embarrassing defeat.


Argentina was in total control of the proceedings,dominating exchanges and ball possession.They were aggressive and in an attacking mode. 


On the other hand,the French  looked off-color. They struggled uncharacteristically to find rhythm, tempo and momentum in their game.Nothing got going for them and played second fiddle to the opposition.


As a result, they paid a heavy price for the uninspiring  and lackluster performance and were on the back foot.


Going into the second half they trailed by two goals and had a mountain to climb which they did but the penalty shootout proved to be their Waterloo eventually.


The match took a dramatic U-turn as  the French woke up from slumber and made a stunning comeback in the final  20 minutes of play.


Ace striker Kylian Mbappe who had a quiet first half erupted like a volcano and scored a brilliant hat-trick to sway the match in France's favor . 


After  England’s Geoff Hurst (1966 World Cup against West Germany), the 23 year old became the second  player  to score a hat-trick in the final.


In fact,he almost single- handedly took away the match from Argentina.The French star who idolizes Portugal’s Ronaldo pipped Messi for the Golden boot award. He scored 8 goals in the tournament.


Had it not been for the Golden Glove award(the best goalkeeper) winner Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez brilliance in the dying minutes of stoppage time,it would have been a spectacular comeback victory for the French.


He made a stunning save  to deny Kolo Muani  the winning goal from a point blank range.He was at his best in the entire tournament and  had played a pivotal role in Argentina’s victory over the Netherlands in the penalty shootout as well.


Messi might have been adjudged man of the match for  the two goals he scored and his towering presence for his team but  my man of the match was Martinez.


His critical save rescued Argentina  and paved the way for World Cup success at the end.


By getting the better of France,Argentina confirmed the fact that they are the best team in the world when it comes to translating a penalty shootout into victory. 


The  riveting,enthralling,nail biting and suspense filled final  will remain in our memory for a long,long time.




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