Egypt Had Argentina Beaten, Until It Didn’t

Starting Lineup

For most of the afternoon in Atlanta, Egypt had Argentina on the ropes. Egypt had scored twice by the 67th minute, had a third taken away by VAR, and still looked like it had done enough to send Argentina out of the World Cup.

Argentina had chances, including a penalty, but could not turn any of them into a goal. Messi hit the post. Mostafa Shoubir kept Argentina out. The longer it went, the more rattled Argentina looked, and Egypt’s second goal made the upset feel close enough to finish.

Romero’s goal in the 79th minute pulled Argentina back from the edge, and things turned on a dime from there. Messi pulled Argentina level within minutes. Fernández scored again in stoppage time. Tempers flared, cards came out, and what had seemed inevitable suddenly turned. Egypt was left in disbelief. Argentina was left with relief.

1st Half

Egypt gave the afternoon its first shock in the 15th minute. Mohamed Hany’s pressure on Lisandro Martínez won Egypt a corner. They played it short, and the routine ended with Marwan Attia sending a curling cross into the box. Yasser Ibrahim slipped away from Martínez and headed it past Emiliano Martínez, sending Salah and his teammates celebrating into the corner.

Six minutes later, it looked like Argentina had found its way back into the match. Enzo Fernández slipped a ball in behind for Nicolás Tagliafico on the left side of the box. Egypt defender Haissem Hassan arrived late and brought Tagliafico down. Messi stepped to the spot with a chance to pull Argentina level, but it was not the best of penalties. Mostafa Shoubir read it, went to his left, and pushed it away to keep Egypt in front.

The save gave Egypt another emotional lift and a real reason to believe the afternoon could belong to them.

In the 28th minute, Alexis Mac Allister met Rodrigo De Paul’s cross from the right and headed from six yards. The chance should have brought Argentina level, but Shoubir made a reflexive save to parry it away.

Two minutes later, Mac Allister drew a foul from Ashour about 30 yards from goal, slightly left of center. It gave Messi a free kick in a dangerous area, though far enough out that it still needed something special. Messi nearly found it. He bent the shot toward the top-left corner and beat Shoubir, but the ball hit the outside of the post. The referee initially gave Argentina a corner, then VAR corrected the decision and gave Egypt a goal kick.

Shortly before halftime, the Egyptian goalkeeper made an even bigger save. Julián Álvarez drove a shot toward the bottom right corner. Shoubir stretched all the way across and got a strong hand to it, pushing it around the post and keeping Egypt in front. Argentina had already missed from the spot, forced a reflex save from six yards, hit the post, and been denied again from open play.

The half ended with Egypt leading Argentina 1-0.

2nd Half

Neither team made a change at halftime, and the break did little to change either side’s approach. Egypt came back out on the front foot. Argentina stayed quiet.

In the 62nd minute, Egypt broke again. Salah helped move the ball forward, Hassan carried it into space, and Zico finished the chance. He tore away into his celebration, thinking Egypt had gone 2-0 up and pushed Argentina to the edge. But VAR found a foul in the buildup, and the referee took it off the board. Zico’s celebration turned into disbelief. Argentina had been spared.

Minutes later, Argentina had a corner. Egypt cleared it to Salah. He drove at Romero, then slipped the ball wide to Hassan on the right. Hassan beat Molina to the byline and cut it back across goal. Zico arrived six yards out and slammed it into the net.

Egypt led 2-0 in the 67th minute, and Argentina was 23 minutes from a World Cup exit.

For 10 minutes, the upset was there for all to see. Egypt was in full control. Argentina was dejected, and the players looked like they could see it slipping away.

Argentina finally broke through in the 79th minute. Messi curled the ball in from the right, and Romero was left unmarked six yards from goal. He powered his header toward the right side of the net. Shoubir got a hand to it, but this time the ball got through.

Four minutes later, Argentina were level. The ball bounced around Egypt’s box, with defenders trying to clear it and Argentina throwing bodies toward goal. Álvarez kept the play alive and found Messi in the crowd. Messi met it on the half-volley and drove it past Shoubir to make it 2-2 in the 83rd minute.

Reality was slamming shut on Egypt. After Messi’s equalizer, Egypt could not get the ball out of its own half. Argentina pushed forward with everything and nearly found the winner in the 89th minute, when Messi drove a free kick low toward the near post and Shoubir blocked Mac Allister’s touch in front of goal.

In stoppage time, Marmoush led a four-on-three break, but Paredes slid across to block it. There was contact in the box between Mac Allister and Fathy. Egypt saw it as a clear penalty. The referee waved play on. Egypt still had the ball. Salah cut in from the right side of the box, and Álvarez challenged him. Egypt wanted another penalty. Álvarez came away with the ball, and Argentina broke.

Álvarez moved the ball to Lautaro Martínez on the right. Lautaro crossed. Enzo Fernández arrived in the middle and headed it into the top-right corner in 92nd. Argentina were now leading 3-2.

The cards started after that. Egypt were furious over the denied penalty shout. Shoubir was booked for protesting, and a member of Egypt’s staff was sent off after running onto the pitch. Hamdy Fathy was booked in the 96th minute. Marwan Attia was booked in the 98th after clipping Lautaro Martínez. Hossam Hassan was booked in the 99th while still arguing the Mac Allister incident.

But the penalty claims were refused. The lead was gone. The chance to reach a World Cup quarterfinal was almost gone. Salah looked devastated, and Egypt’s players were left staring at a match that had turned against them in minutes.

Argentina looked transformed. The players who had looked beaten 15 minutes earlier were now running toward each other, drawn by relief as much as joy. Messi had dragged them back into the match. Fernández had pushed them in front. Argentina had gone from the edge of elimination to the edge of the quarterfinals.

And there it ended. Argentina 3-2 over Egypt.

Closing Thoughts

Egypt deserved more than sympathy. It played like a team that believed the upset was possible. From the beginning, they pushed forward, used the right side, and gave Argentina problems for most of the game.

That is why the ending hurt so much. Egypt had the lead, the chances, and the feeling of a quarterfinal within reach.

Egypt had a disallowed goal, two late penalty appeals, and a stoppage-time sequence that turned from hope into punishment. The anger did not end with the final whistle. Egypt’s head coach accused Argentina of pressuring the referee and believed that pressure helped shape the outcome.

Argentina left the match differently. They were filled with relief, disbelief, and the joy of a team that had seen the exit door closed, and managed a way to re-open it.

Argentina had looked stretched, vulnerable, and at times beaten. But they scratched their way back. Scaloni had the reaction of someone who understood how close Argentina had come to losing everything in Atlanta.