Argentina Advance in Extra Time

Maxi Rodriguez produced the goal of the tournament at the 99th minute to send Argentina through to the Quarter Finals 2-1 in Leipzig.

It left the Mexican’s pondering 'what could have been' in a game that had fast pace, and great attacking plays, and saw the referee in the spotlight again for all the wrong reasons.

Mexico were given little chance by anyone of matching it with the red hot Argentine’s, but from the opening whistle the Mexicans looked to play the game at a fierce pace, to unsettle the Argentines, and it worked. After having a couple of very early chances go awry including Jared Borgetti, heading straight to Abbendenzieri.

The Mexicans were the recipients of a corner in the sixth minute and Borgetti flicked the ball on to Rafael Marquez who slid in to drive the ball into the roof of the net at the far post, sending the Mexican fans in the stadium into a frenzy, and the rest of the world into a degree of shock. The Mexicans were going to make a game of this.

End to end football followed and it was all action all the time, then at the 10 minute mark, after an attacking spree from Argentina, Riquelme took an exquisite corner which found its way into the net, off the head of none other than Jared Borgetti, who had undone his good work at the other end almost instantly. Hernan Crespo was involved in the challenge, so naturally he claimed it.

The game continued at a breakneck pace with some stylish attack on display from both teams. Borgetti went close, in the 13th minute, but had his shot blocked by some desperate Argentine defence, then in the manner this game was developing, after 23 minutes Hernan Crespo failed to find the open net when attempting to chip an onrushing Oswaldo Sanchez.

Almost immediately, the Mexicans were attacking and another chance fell to Borgetti, who let off a cracking shot from the top of the box, only to see it tipped over the bar by a diving Abbendenzieri. Borgetti was by now becoming visibly frustrated at his inability to beat the keeper.

The chances continued to come and Cambiase wasted a great chance from outside the box for Argentina when he blasted way over the cross bar despite having a very clear view of Sanchez’ goal.

The all out attack continued; and then controversy hit, when after a Jose Fonseca effort sailed wide, Abbendenzieri took a short goalkick to Gabriel Heinze. The Manchester United defender then let the ball run and Fonseca swooped in taking the ball and looking to run into a very inviting one on one situation with the keeper.

Heinze, as the last line of defence, hacked Fonseca from the side at the edge of the penalty area. With his studs raised, the Swiss official should have produced a red card, however with some benefit of doubt the yellow card was shown instead.

Argentina had earlier avoided going a man down, for the remainder of the game. The referee made the wrong decision and the Mexicans were furious. Therefore, at half time the score remained locked at 1-1.

At the commencement of the second period the pace dropped a little bit as Argentina looked to play more controlled football, and Mexico were resigned it seemed to be on the counter constantly, and at the 57th minute Maxi Rodriguez volleyed a cross from Riquelme only to see it tipped over the bar by Sanchez.

The Argentines kept up the intense pressure but were unable to crack the Mexican defence which was well marshalled as always by their leader and captain Marquez, but in the 59th minute Saviola broke free into the box, only to be foiled by Sanchez, who many regard as the world’s best keeper once again.

The pace of the game was beginning to slow, but it was also taking its toll and after 64 minutes Guardado was stretchered off for the Mexicans with a leg injury, forcing the Mexicans into a change they would have rather not made as Borgetti was tiring and the livewire Omar Bravo would have been a good choice.

At the 73rd minute after enjoying a brief renaissance, the ball fell to Fonseca in the Mexicans attacking third but he failed to capitalise hitting a very weak shot straight to the keeper.

Almost immediately, Mexico used their last sub, bringing on the diminutive Brazilian Zinha, and he reinjected pace and dribbling skill to the Mexican team, making many livewire runs.

Then the Argentine bench came to life with Crespo off for Tevez, Cambiaso off for Aimar, and then finally the wizard of dribbling Lional Messi came on for Saviola to wraek havoc.

Mexico were enjoying a large amount of possession in the final stages and Zinha produced a brilliant run, then Penica used some brilliance of his own to beat two defenders down the Argentine left side and crossed into the box to a waiting Fonseca who could only edge the header wide.

At the very death the Argentines produced a raid of their own when Riquelme burst into the box, and squared the ball to Aimar, who found the net, but was given offside, and the goal disallowed, the replays showed he was clearly on.

So off to extra time the game went, and it was once again true end to end football, but the chances were few until in the 9th minute of the first extra period Maxi Rodriguez, struck what will be the goal of the tournament.

The ball was crossed to him by Riquelme, and with his back to goal and almost at the outside corner 0f the box, Rodriguez chested to himself and on the turn took a prodigious and powerful swipe with his left boot, sending a rocket of a shot into the tiop right hand corner of Oswald Sanchez’ goal. Such was the quality of the strike that Sanchez at full stretch diving through the air actually got nowhere near it, and the Argentine’s had finally hit the lead.

From there, the Mexico team went into all out attack but just could not create enough chances. Zinha struck centimetres wide of the post, while Marquez, in the 112th minute, was taken out on a corner – dragged down - but the referee failed to notice and the Argentines retained possession and played Mexico out of the World Cup in one of the finest displays of football that has been seen this year.

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