Nicolas very Otamendi knew it too, collapsed alongside his goalkeeper, a win and a place in the last eight of this World Cup only then finally and mercifully secured.
It had taken every effort, every sinew of the two-time winners, dreamers of a third in a fortnight's time, to survive an onslaught from an Australia that never thought they would be here at all.
Their fairytale tournament is now over, the stadium they qualified for Qatar in against Peru back in June, now the scene of their exit from it.
It took Lionel Messi to save Argentina again, Julian Alvarez too, and Martinez alongside them at the last to get them there but there they are, the Netherlands, foes so many times on this grandest of stages, their next step on their journey towards the trophy they crave the most.
That desire can be felt at all of these Argentina games at this World Cup, a feeling in the air you just can't shake. You could feel it outside the stadium walking in for this last-16 tie, the supporters here at this tournament as so many before perpetually caught between hope and fear. Hope that this time, finally, might just be their time. Fear though, that, again, it won't be once more.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 04, 2022-Ausgabe von The Independent.
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