On December 14, the World Cup semi-final against Croatia, in a sense, Argentina was tough enough to beat their opponents in the way they do best. In addition to Messi's great individual performance, the performance of his teammates is also crucial, especially the "little spider" Alvarez, who is getting better and better.
After the game, Messi lifted the Player of the Match trophy, but he gave credit to the whole team and the outstanding "little spider": "Teamwork is our strength. I would give the tournament award to any team-mate, but the one who stood out today was Alvarez, who was a very important player throughout the tournament and he deserved to be the best of the game. ”
As Messi said, Argentina's three goals in the whole game were related to Alvarez. Messi's penalty was made by Alvarez, who burst into the box and was brought down by goalkeeper Livakovic. The second goal came from Argentina's counter-attack, and Alvarez completed the goal. The key to the third goal was Messi's wonderful assist, and it was Alvarez who successfully "ate the pie".
Scored twice + created a penalty, Alvarez performed impressively. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
In this World Cup in Qatar, Argentina has as many as 11 players aged 25 and under, of which 25-year-old Lautaro Martínez is the most expensive in the team and is also expected to be high. But as the game progressed, the most impressive and trusted by Messi were two post-00s players, 21-year-old Enzo Fernandez and 22-year-old Alvarez.
Earlier this year, River Plate Argentina reached an agreement with Manchester City to move to the Premier League giants for more than 20 million euros. After the start of the season, Alvarez officially landed in the Premier League, and although he did not have many opportunities to start at the star-studded Manchester City, he still won the trust of manager Pep Guardiola with his efficient performances.
Coming to the World Cup, the young Alvarez wore the number 9 shirt, which symbolizes the top scorer, and when Lautaro was in mediocre form, "Little Spider" did not disappoint coach Scaloni, whether starting or coming off the bench, he always created great opportunities on the field. So far, Argentina has scored 12 goals in this World Cup, 11 of which are related to Alvarez, a record equal to Messi.
Alvarez Jr. (left) poses with idol Messi. Photo/Social Media
Alvarez celebrates with Messi after the goal. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
Scoring twice in the semi-final or final, Alvarez, at 22 years and 316 days, became the youngest player to achieve the feat after Pele. He also became the third player of the 21st century to score twice in the semifinals of the World Cup, following Kroos and Schurrle at the 2014 World Cup. Alvarez is already a little impatient for the final on December 18, "Now we're going to go and rest and try to play a great game on Sunday. ”
Beijing News reporter Xu Bangyin
Edited by Wang Chunqiu
Proofreading by Wang Xin