JOHANNESBURG // Diego Maradona's Argentina last night made their World Cup quarter-final date with Germany, and will gladly share a shrug with them if they are faced with a day or two of complaining by defeated opponents about dubious officiating. Argentina and Carlos Tevez's first goal yesterday appeared a long way off-side and it was cruel on Mexico, who began and ended the match looking dangerous. But once Gonzalo Higuain, with his fourth World Cup goal, and Tevez, with a beauty, had put Argentina three goals ahead, the Maradona momentum continued.
Argentina are on a roll, and the Germans will worry that Lionel Messi, quieter last night but still influential, must be due a goal. As for Mexico, they actually begun rather promisingly. Their head coach Javier Aguirre's decision to include from the outset Javier Hernandez would certainly have been popular. It had looked exciting, too. About quarter of an hour in, Hernandez darted across the front of the Argentine penalty area, his fine first touch having opened space for him. His shot had power, but curled off target.
That confirmed that Mexico had made the more menacing start. The signal of their ambition: a bumptious effort from Carlos Salcido, struck from all of 40 yards. The left-back fancied his chances and his adventure was not misplaced; the mortar he launched pinged back off Sergio Romero's crossbar. For 20 minutes, Mexico had looked like they were enjoying being at Soccer City again. Their previous match here had been the opening game, against hosts South Africa, where the pressure had felt more suffocating, the noise louder.
Argentina soon created renewed anxiety with their two goals either side of the half-hour. Mexico's anger at the first was understandable. The ball ping-ponged back and forth several times between the moment Messi shrugged off a challenge by Giovani dos Santos to slide a through-ball to Tevez. Oscar Perez, the goalkeeper, advancing to about 15 metres from his goal-line, blocked Tevez's effort at his feet but the ball came back to Messi, who lobbed the ball back toward goal.
On its way to the target, Tevez, whose run had taken him into the six-yard box as defenders back-tracked, nodded the shot on and into the net. Tevez certainly appeared offside at the point Messi struck. Roberto Rosetti, the Italian referee, and his assistant conferred at length, in front of a rabble of Mexican protesters and Argentine lobbyists and the goal was upheld. Seven minutes later, Argentina had their second. Ricardo Osorio gave possession away loosely and Higuain capitalised, easing his task with a skilful sidestep away from Perez and a smooth tap-in once he had the goal at his mercy.
By half time, Mexico's players felt doubly wronged. Their anger could not be restrained, even in the few seconds it normally takes to leave the pitch and enter the privacy of the tunnel towards the dressing rooms. Several Mexicans were involved in angry altercations with members of the Argentina staff. Barely 20 minutes later, Mexico reached the point of no return, and perhaps the point at which appeals over the legitimacy of the first Argentina goal were being drowned out by overwhelming evidence of Argentina's attacking superiority.
Tevez's second goal invited no controversy; the most adequate response to it was not argument but applause. Hard-working, as ever, in making himself available, Tevez arched a shot past Perez from 25 yards. It was a fabulous finish and Maradona gave Tevez one of his big bear hugs in celebration of the effort. The coach knew this was not a lead Argentina were likely to squander, even if Hernandez's excellent left foot strike, which made the score 3-1, gave Mexico something to rouse their fans in the final 20 minutes.
sports@thenational.ae
