It was a night of good football as though a red marker pen has been inked to cancel the great display Croatia showed to reach the semis of the 2022 World Cup, as they suffered an ignominy that felt like a deep wound being inflicted in the their hearts as they succumbed to a 3-0 defeat against the White and Sky Blue.
Zlatko Dalić and his men suffered in this brutal encounter in which Argentina scored two goals (34th and 39th minute) in five minutes and put up a stellar display as though their opponents might have been invited from the club as they wasted bottles of pelinkovac liquor.
The Croatians were not just stopped from reaching the final but they were embarrassed in a way that will make them look back at this mundial and curse their stars for meeting the football gods of South America.
The Croats should just be grateful Argentina did not make it more harrowing after Julian Alvarez had added another goal in the 69th minute after Messi expertly laid the ball to him in a superb fashion to complete the slashing of the 'Checkered Ones'. Alvarez's goal prompted a standing ovation from the teeming fans who had travelled miles to watch their nation trounce over the Europeans.
This was not just a defeat, it was a dream being shattered. There was anger, a strange gaggled sound and pain in the eyes of Croatian captain Modric - who lingered too long on the pitch at the end of the match. Until this stage Croatia were tipped to pull a trick on the Argentines and surge past them in reaching the much-needed finals, but unfortunately they threw it into the Al-Thakira Mangroves.
With Argentina, it was a masterclass performance and all that is left for Scaloni now is to lackadaisical illuminate into the final as they await the winner of the Morocco and France game on Wednesday.
By: Pascal Nii Gogo Amoah
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