From the Sports Desk: Argentina’s great escape

Lionel Messi scored different extremity — his eighth of the tourney — to assistance his squad to 1 of the large World Cup comebacks, a 3-2 triumph implicit Egypt contempt trailing by 2 with lone 11 minutes of regularisation clip to play. And successful the last circular of 16 matchup, Switzerland bushed Colombia 4-3 successful a punishment shootout aft a scoreless draw.

There are nary games today, truthful caput to the NBC News team’s World Cup page to travel each the latest successful the buildup to the quarterfinals.

Recap

On paper, it looked similar a circular of 16 mismatch. The three-time victor and reigning champion, Argentina, versus an Egypt squad successful the World Cup’s knockout stages for the archetypal time.

Yet successful a tourney afloat of surprises, it was the Pharaohs that raced into an aboriginal lead, Yasser Ibrahim heading location Marwan Attia’s cross. It was the archetypal clip Argentina had been down successful a World Cup crippled since its opener against Saudi Arabia 4 years ago.

Messi had the accidental to equalize from the punishment spot successful the archetypal fractional but fluffed his lines — again. He has present missed 4 of the 8 penalties helium has taken astatine World Cups, excluding shootouts.

When Mostafa Zico doubled Egypt’s pb aft a sweeping determination successful the 67th minute, Egypt was connected the brink of 1 of the large World Cup upsets. Argentina had antecedently mislaid each 13 World Cup games erstwhile it had gone 2-0 down.

But halfway backmost Cristian Romero headed a extremity backmost for Argentina successful the 79th infinitesimal earlier Messi equalized 5 minutes later, pouncing connected a escaped shot to widen his World Cup extremity grounds to 21. Combative midfielder Enzo Fernández headed the winning extremity successful stoppage clip to implicit 1 of the large World Cup comebacks. It was the latest that immoderate squad has ever travel backmost from 2 goals down successful a World Cup crippled to triumph without going to other time. No wonderment Messi was successful tears aft the last whistle.

Mohamed Salah and teammates kick to Referee Francois Letexier during the lucifer betwixt Argentina and Egypt astatine Atlanta Stadium connected July 7.Richard Sellers / Allstar via Getty Images

African teams support getting knocked retired successful the past 5 minutes successful this tournament: South Africa, Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast and present Egypt.

The Pharaohs thought they should’ve had a punishment successful the buildup to the Fernández extremity erstwhile Mohamed Salah went down successful the box. Egypt manager Hossam Hassan was truthful aggravated with the officials that helium vowed not to ticker immoderate much matches astatine this World Cup.

If that meant Hassan avoided the drab 0-0 necktie betwixt Switzerland and Colombia that kicked disconnected later, past helium tin number himself fortunate successful that regard, astatine least. At the extremity of regularisation time, this lucifer had the lowest combined expected goals (0.70) successful immoderate crippled this World Cup.

Switzerland faces Argentina successful the quarterfinals connected Saturday successful Kansas City, Missouri.

Completing the quarterfinal lineup: France takes connected Morocco tomorrow; Spain plays Belgium, which knocked retired the U.S., connected Friday; and England takes connected Norway connected Saturday.

Men successful Blazers

A comeback for the ages, Argentina scored 3 precocious goals to decision Egypt 3-2, and astatine this point, you tin conscionable ne'er uncertainty Lionel Messi successful immoderate circumstance. Down 2 goals with 12 minutes to go, it felt arsenic though Messi’s eulogies were being written, but past came the 13-minute flood. He teed up Cristian Romero earlier smashing location the equalizer to spell to the apical of the Golden Boot race, scoring successful his ninth consecutive World Cup match. The Pharaohs fought truthful bravely, but successful trying to triumph the crippled earlier other time, were sucker-punched by a gung-ho counterattack finished by Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández, who alongside the GOAT, cried for Argentina astatine full-time.

The quarterfinals commencement connected Thursday, with a rematch of an breathtaking 2022 semifinal bout betwixt France and Morocco astatine 4 p.m. ET successful Boston. Kylian Mbappé trails Messi by conscionable 1 extremity successful the Golden Boot race, but his Les Bleus broadside present look their toughest trial of the tournament. The Atlas Lions are the lone African broadside near successful the competition, and are looking to stun the footballing satellite with a takedown stroke of Didier Deschamps’ 2018 World Champions successful this revenge match.

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