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  • Messi, Argentina try to avoid World Cup upset vs. Australia

    Messi, Argentina try to avoid World Cup upset vs. Australia

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    DOHA, Qatar — Australia’s players speak in glowing, almost reverential terms about Lionel Messi.

    “He just does things that, you know, no one else can do,” forward Mathew Leckie said.

    Milos Degenek went even further. “Probably,” the Socceroos defender said, “the best footballer ever to grace the game.”

    Imagine, then, how they’ll be feeling on Saturday when they share the same field as Messi and his Argentina team in the last 16 of the World Cup.

    These are pinch-yourself times for a group of unheralded players who were expected to be on their way home by this stage of the tournament. Yet here they are in Doha, looking to cause the latest upset in a World Cup that has been full of them — right from the moment Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina in perhaps the most unlikely win in the tournament’s 92-year history.

    That set the tone for the past two weeks, during which Japan has beaten both Germany and Spain, Morocco has defeated Belgium, Tunisia has beaten France and, let’s not forget, Australia has stunned Denmark.

    The Australians want to add to that list.

    “No one expects us to win,” Leckie said. “So let’s shock the world.”

    Don’t expect any complacency among the Argentina squad, though. Not after what transpired against Saudi Arabia during the group stage.

    “We know, at the moment, everything is very difficult,” said Messi, who is bidding to win the World Cup in his fifth and likely last attempt. “All the opponents are complicated. We know it as well as anyone.”

    There is a growing feeling, though, that Argentina might have come through the worst of the storm. It is only a week ago that Argentine soccer was going through a period of introspection, digesting one of its most embarrassing results ever.

    Then, after an hour of its second group match against Mexico, the Albiceleste were being held 0-0 to raise the genuine prospect of a group-stage exit with a game to spare.

    Now, Argentina has qualified as the winner of its group and is facing the world’s 38th-ranked nation, which is playing at this stage of the World Cup for only the second time, after 2006. Netherlands or the United States will be the opponent in the quarterfinals.

    None of Argentina’s players will dare get ahead of themselves but it’s undeniable that the draw has opened up for them.

    “We went back to being what we were for a long time,” Messi said after Argentina’s 2-0 win over Poland that secured a place in the last 16, “and how we were looking to be at the beginning of the World Cup, which for different reasons we could not manage.

    “It gives confidence for what is coming.”

    Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni looks to have finally found a winning formula in Qatar. The center of midfield now appears to be set, with Alexis Mac Allister and 21-year-old Enzo Fernandez having forced their way into the starting team alongside Rodrigo De Paul.

    Up front, Julian Alvarez has dislodged Lautaro Martinez and should keep his place against Australia, fresh from finishing off a 27-pass sequence for an exquisite second goal against Poland.

    The only place that looks up for grabs is at center back, with Lisandro Martinez having dropped out against Poland perhaps so Argentina had a taller player to deal with the aerial threat of Robert Lewandowski.

    Given only one player in Australia’s 26-man group plays in Europe’s top five leagues, it appears to be a mismatch at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. For spells of its win over Poland, Argentina played like a team that arrived in Qatar riding a 36-match unbeaten record and as one of the tournament favorites.

    And then there’s the Messi factor, a subplot which is hanging over the World Cup as he looks to win the only major title to elude him in his career.

    “I think they’re obviously driven by the motivation that it could be Messi’s last World Cup,” Degenek said, “and he wants to win the World Cup and end it on a high.

    “For us, it’s about stopping that. Unfortunately, I’m a big fan of his, but I’d love to win the World Cup probably more than him.”

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    Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Argentina-Mexico World Cup Spanish TV gets 8.9M US viewers

    Argentina-Mexico World Cup Spanish TV gets 8.9M US viewers

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    Argentina’s 2-0 win over Mexico was the most-watched Spanish-language World Cup group stage broadcast in U.S. history, draw 8.9 million viewers on Telemundo television and the streaming services of Telemundo and Peacock

    DOHA, Qatar — Argentina’s 2-0 win over Mexico was the most-watched Spanish-language World Cup group stage broadcast in U.S. history, drawing 8.9 million viewers on Telemundo television and the streaming services of Telemundo and Peacock.

    The game, which started at 2 p.m. EST Saturday, topped the previous group stage mark of 5.7 million set in Brazil’s 2-0 win over Serbia, a 2 p.m. EST kickoff on Nov. 24. The overall U.S. Spanish-language record is 9.2 million on television for the Netherlands’ 2-1 win over Mexico in a round of 16 game on June 29, 2014, a Sunday match that kicked off at noon EDT.

    The Argentina-Mexico match set a record with 2.08 million viewers of the streams on Telemundo and Peacock, topping the 1.35 million for Mexico’s 0-0 draw against Poland on Tuesday, the networks said.

    Telemundo and Peacock are part of NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast Corp.

    Fox has U.S. English-language television rights.

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • World Cup Viewer’s Guide: Argentina, Messi look for rebound

    World Cup Viewer’s Guide: Argentina, Messi look for rebound

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    DOHA, Qatar — Lose and go home. That’s the harsh fact facing Argentina as the team heads into its crucial World Cup match against Mexico.

    Argentina arrived in Qatar as a favorite but suffered one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history with a 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in its opening match. Now Argentina is in danger of elimination Saturday, when anything but a win or draw would mean an early Group C knockout for the Albiceleste.

    Argentina has only failed to advance out of the group stage twice in the last 60 years, in 1962 and 2002. And in what is likely Lionel Messi’s fifth and final appearance on soccer’s biggest stage, Argentina has become something of a laughingstock in Qatar.

    “Where is Messi? We broke his eye!” fans have been singing in Arabic, using a slang expression meaning to bring shame on a person.

    “We always said we were going to look to win every game,” said Messi, “and now more than ever.”

    The loss to Saudi Arabia was Argentina’s fourth defeat in its last six World Cup matches, and also ended its 36-match unbeaten streak that stretched for more than three years.

    Now goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said Saturday’s match against Mexico must be approached as its “first World Cup final” if Argentina wants to continue playing in Qatar.

    “We’re hurting a lot from our first defeat and on top of that at the World Cup,” he said. “We expected to play like it was a final, but we didn’t do that. After we scored the first goal we relaxed a bit and we paid for that. Saturday will be our first World Cup final.”

    Argentina has beaten Mexico in its last 10 meetings dating to the 2004 Copa America, and it won all three of its previous World Cup matches against Mexico at the World Cup, in 1930, 2006 and 2010.

    Mexico, meanwhile, played to a 0-0 draw in its opening match against Poland. Mexico has failed to score in its last three World Cup matches — two losses and a draw — dating to group play in Russia in 2018.

    Guillermo Ochoa saved a Robert Lewandowski penalty kick in the match against Poland and the 37-year-old goalkeeper, playing in his fifth World Cup, has never made it past the round of 16. Mexico has been knocked out in that round in its last seven appearances and last reached the quarterfinals in 1986 when it hosted the World Cup.

    “Everything, I would trade everything to get to the quinto partido (fifth game),” he said.

    Mexico is coached by Gerardo Martino, who led his native Argentina from 2014 to 2016 until back-to-back losses in the Copa America final led him to quit.

    “I know where I was born, the name of the hospital, the year and the characteristics of my city in Argentina, but I have to do the impossible for Mexico to win, I can’t do anything else,” Martino said.

    Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni hadn’t lost a match before the opening game defeat by Saudi Arabia.

    “There is no other choice but to get up and move on,” Scaloni said. “They made us favorites, but in a World Cup these things can happen. You have to work on the aspects that didn’t go well.”

    POLAND-SAUDI ARABIA

    Saudi Arabia was an overwhelming underdog and pulled off the upset against Argentina, and will again be the underdog Saturday against Poland.

    Saudi Arabia has lost eight straight and nine of its last 10 World Cup matches against European teams. Included in that run was an 8-0 loss to Germany in 2002, a game forward Saleh Al Shehri said was too long ago to matter to this current squad.

    “That was a defeat in the past,” said Al Shehri. “I think we, as a country, want to get back and go up to the top as a team. And I guess in the 20 years, we worked a lot, we worked hard. Now, in 2022, in Qatar, we made history, and there’s still more to come.”

    For Poland, star Robert Lewandowski is struggling to find the net and hasn’t scored in his four previous World Cup matches on 11 shots and a failed penalty in a 0-0 draw against Mexico.

    In fact, Poland attempted only six shots against Mexico and has now had six goalless draws in 35 World Cup matches.

    “There’s room for improvement going forward, we have to risk more,” Lewandowski said. “It’s very hard for a forward to track so far back. But if the coach has these tactics, then we have to adjust. Of course, as a forward I wish for more of the ball.”

    FRANCE-DENMARK

    France overcame a slew of injuries — including the loss of striker and Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema with a thigh injury on the eve of the tournament — for an easy 4-1 defeat of Australia in its opening match.

    The defending World Cup champions next play Denmark on Saturday and a win would push France through to the round of 16.

    The victory over Australia made France the first reigning champion to win its opening World Cup match of a tournament since Brazil in 2006, but only four champions have won their opening two matches of a World Cup campaign.

    France is trying to become the first team since Spain in 2010 to win six consecutive World Cup matches. Denmark, meanwhile, has drawn its last three matches including against Tunisia in its opening game.

    TUNISIA-AUSTRALIA

    Tunisia and Australia meet for just the third time in history, with the last match a 2-0 Tunisia victory in the 2005 Confederations Cup.

    Tunisia has lost just one of its last 10 matches but opened the World Cup with a goalless draw against Denmark.

    Australia had won five straight before France routed the Socceroos 4-1 in their opening match.

    Australia coach Graham Arnold called France “bigger, stronger and faster,” but is confident his squad will be ready for Tunisia.

    “We’ve got to be ready for that war,” Arnold said. “They are aggressive and they’re going to have 40,000 fans behind them and it’s going to be a truly amazing experience again for everyone.”

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Messi scores as Argentina routs UAE 5-0 in World Cup warmup

    Messi scores as Argentina routs UAE 5-0 in World Cup warmup

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    ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Lionel Messi played the entire game in Argentina’s final World Cup warmup and scored in a 5-0 rout of the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday as the pre-tournament favorites stretched their unbeaten run to 36 games.

    Messi scored his team’s fourth goal right before the break, having also set up Julián Álvarez to open the scoring in the 17th minute. Angel di Maria scored twice in between.

    Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made four changes at halftime but opted against resting his star player, leaving Messi on for the full 90 minutes.

    Inter Milan forward Joaquín Correa scored the visitors’ fifth goal on the hour mark.

    Argentina starts its World Cup tournament against Saudi Arabia on Nov. 22. It also faces Mexico and Poland in Group C.

    “We’re confident,” midfielder Rodrigo De Paul said. “But for many it will their first World Cup so the first game will be very important.”

    Earlier, Andrej Kramarić’s late goal was enough for Croatia to beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Riyadh.

    Croatia star Luka Modrić played only the last 25 minutes, enough to set up Kramarić for the winner in the 82nd. Kramarić still had to elude five Saudi defenders before scoring his 20th international goal inside the far post.

    Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić began with an unfamiliar lineup and gradually brought on his established players. Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovačić, Hoffenheim forward Kramarić, Tottenham midfielder Ivan Perišić and Real Madrid’s Modrić all came on in the second half.

    Saudi Arabia’s French coach Hervé Renard also made numerous second-half changes. His team has a tough task in Group C against Argentina, Mexico and Poland.

    Croatia is in Group F along with Belgium, Canada and Morocco.

    Germany was playing in Oman later, while Poland faced Chile for its last World Cup warmup. Mexico and Sweden were to play in Girona, Spain after that.

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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