DOHA, Qatar – It was a strange and unprecedented scene.
After a 2-0 win over Poland at Stadium 974 in Doha on Wednesday, Argentina and its top star, Lionel Messi, celebrated winning Group C and progressed to the knockout stages. But Poland was also enraptured after his loss. Many of his players huddled on the field around a mobile phone, then cheered and hugged too, a strange reaction after a defeat.
30 minutes into Lusail Stadium, in the other Group C match of the night, Mexico led Saudi Arabia 2-0 with a handful of minutes remaining in extra time. If that score held, Mexico would finish with 4 points, the same as Poland. But Mexico’s advance to the knockout stage in seven World Cups in a row would end up losing the sixth – yes, the sixth – tiebreak between Poland and Poland: the number of yellow and red cards of each team.
But when Salem al-Dawsari scored in the fifth minute of extra time – and with three minutes remaining – the yellow card difference between Mexico and Poland became moot. Suddenly, Mexico had a worse goal difference than Poland, losing the first tiebreak. Looking at the screen, the Polish players rejoiced. Moments later, after the final whistle in Mexico’s 2-1 victory, they celebrated their country’s first trip to the knockout stages since 1986.
“Sometimes defeats are bittersweet, or sweet and bitter,” Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz said through an interpreter. “But we continued, after many years.”
Knockout stage drama awaits – it kicks off on Saturday – but Wednesday provided a thrilling teaser. Entering the day, the mission was clear for Argentina and Poland: win and keep going. But both teams – like Mexico – knew about the scenarios where Mexico could take one of the other teams in the standings. If Argentina beat Poland, Mexico had to win – and score a lot of goals.
A brief guide to the 2022 World Cup
What is the World Cup? During this four-yearly event, the best national football teams compete for the title of world champion. Here’s an introduction to the Men’s tournament 2022:
Argentina took care of its own destiny. After losing to Saudi Arabia in the first match – one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history – Argentina bounced back to beat Mexico and then Poland.
Poland’s goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, turned away shot after shot in the first half on Wednesday, but Argentina quickly broke through in the second half. In the 46th minute, midfielder Alexis Mac Allister tapped in a Nahuel Molina cross for Argentina’s first goal. And in the 67th minute, striker Julián Álvarez fired a shot through a closing window of Polish defenders for his team’s second score.
But by then, Mexico were leading Saudi Arabia 2-0, meaning all the teams involved were quick to adjust the math in their heads. Michniewicz said he and his coaches had an agreement in which they would not tell their players about the ongoing game between Mexico and Saudi Arabia “unless nothing bad happened”. At one point, he said, he told the Polish captain, Robert Lewandowski, and a few others.
Knowing they had a yellow card lead – and thus the ability to continue if the scores held – Poland changed its approach. It played conservatively and tried to avoid becoming too aggressive to attract more yellow cards through hard fouls. It also tried to score, but that proved challenging against an Argentinian team focused on preserving victory.
In the 78th minute, Michniewicz said his spirits were sinking. Midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak was booked for a hard slide tackle. Poland’s yellow card margin had shrunk and it now had five overall to Mexico’s seven. Five minutes later, Michniewicz pulled Krychowiak out of the game and replaced him with striker Krzysztof Piatek.
“We wanted to avoid yellow cards and score,” said Michniewicz. “That is why we had another striker. But Argentina did not allow us.”
In the 86th minute, Argentina striker Lautaro Martínez missed just wide of a shot that would have changed the group’s standings and sent Mexico into the knockout stages and Poland home. And in the third minute of extra time, defender Jakub Kiwior saved Poland by heading a kick from Nicolás Tagliafico that would also have sent Mexico through to the next round.
After the final whistle, players from Poland and Argentina, including Messi and Lewandowski, shook hands and hugged. Although Messi had a penalty saved by Szczesny in the 39th minute, his younger teammates helped carry the load.
“We have a spectacular group and people who perform,” Messi said in Spanish afterwards. “Because it’s such a short tournament and so many games in a row it’s good that we have everyone.”
But after the usual post-match pleasantries, the Polish players lingered on the pitch. The fact that they couldn’t score late against Argentina or worrying about the yellow card total didn’t matter anymore when al-Dawsari scored for Saudi Arabia against Mexico. As Poland continues, the Mexican players and their coach awaited questions and criticism at home as they failed to reach the knockout stages for the first time since 1978.
“I take responsibility for this huge failure,” said Mexico coach Gerardo Martino, adding that his contract expired after the final whistle.
Mexican midfielder Luis Chávez, who scored in the 52nd minute, added: “I’m really sad because we didn’t do a lot of things from the first two games. We responded a little late. We knew we still had hopes of qualifying, but we didn’t succeed.”
However, Poland did it and now faces a tough road: it will take on France, the winner of Group D and the reigning World Cup champions, on Sunday. And Argentina and Messi, in what is probably his last attempt to win a title that has long eluded him, will face an easier path: they will take on Australia, runners-up in Group D, on Saturday.
As his post-game press conference approached 1 a.m. and he continued to answer questions about his team’s advance despite poor play, Michniewicz stopped talking and looked at his cellphone. It buzzed.
“It is very late and the Prime Minister is calling,” he said.