“Obviously Messi is your most dangerous and most creative player,” Van Gaal clarified in an interview with NOS TV channel, but where there’s a lot of light, there’s also a lot of shade, says the 71-year-old: “On the other hand , participates little in the game when the opponent has possession of the ball. That’s where our chance lies.” On the other hand, the Netherlands showed how quickly they can change when they have the ball in their comfortable 3-1 victory over the United States in the round of 16.
Now the Argentines would be in trouble in the replay of the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Then Messi’s Argentines beat Van Gaal’s Dutch on penalties after a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes, also because Messi was neutralized by ‘Oranje’. The superstar scored in the shootout (4: 2) as the first shooter for the Argentines, but had hardly appeared offensively before that. As a collective, ‘Oranje’ has managed to not often let the game designer take effect, even with man marking.
His circles were also disturbed by Daley Blind, who is the only one of the then “Elftal” who is still there in Qatar. Virgil van Dijk has also managed to make Messi look old with Liverpool before. 2019 was the last stop for FC Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals at Anfield Road after a 0:4 defeat. In his recollections of that time, Van Dijk agreed with Van Gaal’s hypothesis, but at the same time warned. “The difficult thing about him is that when we attacked he was relaxed. But then you have to be very careful, because they always look for him when counter-attacks arrive”.
He is not a decisive player
Even though the Argentines have more than the number ten to offer, the Dutch media’s questions have all been about Messi since the quarter-final draw was confirmed. The players have tried to hide the topic. “The match will not be won by one player alone,” said Inter right-back Denzel Dumfries, who shone as a coach and goalscorer against the United States.
Nathan Ake said of the upcoming clash with the Argentine superstar that it was “a good job to stop him”. The Manchester City centre-back couldn’t do much with the question of whether he had asked his club manager Josep Guardiola about Messi. “I haven’t had contact with Guardiola. But I’m sure he would tell me it’s going to be pretty tough,” said Ake succinctly.
A finale and a debut
In any case, Argentina against the Netherlands brings back memories of great duels regardless of Messi. There have already been five world championship meetings between “Albiceleste” and “Oranje”. Most famously took place in the 1978 World Cup final in Buenos Aires, when Argentina secured their first title with a 3-1 win over Ernst Happel’s Dutch team.
The two great football powers have met only once in the group stage, but this match had an indirect impact on the upcoming duel. Because at the 2006 finals, Messi, who was under 19 at the time, started 0-0 for Argentina for the first time in a World Cup. At the tournament in Germany, however, the young star did not play a big role. In the last finals he looks very different.
