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Argentina advances to the semifinals, After defeating Netherlands in penalties.

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Argentina beat the Netherlands in a penalty shootout in the early hours of Saturday after a dramatic 2-2 draw to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

Dutch substitute Wout Weghorst scored two late goals, including a stoppage-time leveller, after Argentina had led 2-0 through Nahuel Molina and Lionel Messi’s penalty.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was Argentina’s hero in the shootout, saving two spot-kicks as they won 4-3 on penalties.

Argentina got on the board first thanks to Lionel Messi, of course. In the 35th minute, Messi somehow threaded the ball through three Dutch defenders to Nahuel Molina. Molina poked it with his right foot beyond the towering 6-foot-8 Netherlands goalkeeper Andries Noppert. It was Molina’s first-ever international goal.

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And then, in the 73rd minute, Messi made his presence really known when he lined up to take a penalty kick. With a swift strike low and to the right, Messi flatfooted the keeper to extend the Argentina lead to 2-0.

It was a bruising, physical match. Referee Antonio Mateu called 48 fouls and gave out a record 17 yellow cards. Tempers flared not long after Argentina’s Leandro Paredes fouled a Dutch player and then fired the ball into the Netherlands bench. Substitutes stormed the field with lots of pushing and shoving. Yellow cards given and then play continued.

Deep into stoppage time (90’+11), Weghorst scored again on a beautiful set piece that evened the score 2-2 just before the referee whistled the end of regulation to force 30-minutes of extra time. It would still not be enough to decide a winner.

The game would go to a penalty kick shootout where the Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez dazzled – blocking the first two Dutch attempts – while Argentina scored on its first three tries to win 2-2 (4-3).

The Netherlands, ranked eighth in the world, had a strong tournament – beating the champions of Africa (Senegal), Asia (Qatar) and CONCACAF (the United States). But they could not find a way past the South American titleholders. And it was essentially a home game too. Lusail Stadium has a capacity of nearly 90,000 and it was mostly a sea of Argentinian blue and white with just a few slivers of Dutch orange.

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