It’s been an attitude drilled into them by Herve Renard, and probably what is necessary to pull off a result like that. After the game, the accomplished coach told them to celebrate for 20 minutes and that’s all”. It is, however, so much more than one win or three points. It is one of the biggest sensations in World Cup history and maybe the greatest ever shock.
What would surpass it? Perhaps Argentina’s own defeat to Cameroon in 1990. Even that was in a very different football era, though, the gaps not as pronounced. It is why it can be said it had a similar feel to Algeria beating West Germany in 1982 but not quite the same dynamic. Maybe the closest in scale was Senegal defeating France in 2002.
This Argentina are not quite that French team, given the latter were defending world and European champions. But then this Saudi side did not have the European pedigree of that Senegal. The goalkeeper and fully deserved man of the match, Mohammed Al-Owais, is the substitute goalkeeper for his team Al Hilal. He is now responsible for one of the great World Cup moments, in his save from Nicolas Tagliafico.
It was, simply, an awesome moment. And that is something worth reflecting on when it comes to results like this. There’s only so far you can reduce it to maths. It is ultimately about something bigger, beyond quantifying, which is the emotion of it all. That was what the Lusail Stadium radiated. With tens of thousands of supporters from both countries, it was perhaps this World Cup’s first proper football occasion. It was about the people and the simple humanity of it all.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 23, 2022 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 23, 2022 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
The 'invective corrective' is putting our best jibes at risk
A new survey shows that words such as ‘prat’ and ‘nitwit’ are falling out of favour with Gen Z. It’d be a shame for Brits to lose touch with our talent for insults
Reverse your slump cycle and have a great day at work
In her regular column, wellness expert Nicola Elliott looks at easy ways to make our nine-to-five feel happier and healthier
A MODERN AESTHETIC
Artists are vexed with Google for using their art to train AI. But from the tensions, a new art revolution, one bigger than Impressionism, may well emerge
Heavy lies the crown on a rare undisputed champion
Tyson Fury fights Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday to decide the first undisputed heavyweight king in a quarter of a century
Toone wonder goal shapes final - and United's future
Wembley was hot and Ella Toone was red in the face, the frustration of missed chances in the Women’s FA Cup final written clear.
Casemiro's struggles reveal Man United's stark decline
Manchester United’s last title challenge came 11 years, five managers and an interim appointment ago.
Trossard ensures Arsenal take title race to the wire
In having done the bare minimum here, Arsenal have so far done all they can in the title race.
Tributes paid as Hollywood director Roger Corman dies
Roger Corman, the B-movie director credited with changing the face of Hollywood, has died aged 98.
Giuliani blames loss of radio show on 'trailer trash' Biden
Rudy Giuliani has attacked the WABC radio station for firing him on Friday and is accusing it of axeing him to appease “trailer trash little creep” Joe Biden in an effort to gain favour among Democrats.
Trump calls Biden a 'total moron' at New Jersey rally
The former president addressed 80,000 supporters on a windy beach in a conservative area of a Democratic state