Of all the teams that might have needed time to grow into this World Cup, Argentina were not due to be one of them.
The Albicelestes were supposed to have sailed into Qatar on the fairest of winds, champions of their continent and unbeaten in three years. Then Saudi Arabia happened, and only because Lionel Messi then also happened were Argentina alive heading into this final Group C fixture against Poland.
But at last, here last night, Lionel Scaloni’s side offered a glimpse of their best, as goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez earned a 2-0 win, top spot in the group and a last-16 tie against Australia to savour.
Scaloni’s knee-jerk five changes in the wake of the Saudi defeat had caused a stir, and four more here again spoke of a manager still not entirely sure of either himself or his best team, but this time they paid off.
Recalled full-back Nahuel Molina made the opener for Brighton’s Mac Allister with a smart pull-back after the break, then Enzo Fernandez created the second for Manchester City’s Alvarez.
Both men were making their first starts of the tournament, but will surely keep their places against the Socceroos; Alvarez bringing energy to the forward line and took his goal superbly, while Fernandez’s initial omission has appeared more baffling with his every touch at this tournament. The 21-year-old could easily line up in a team of the group stage.
At last, too, this was a night on which Argentina were not solely reliant on Messi, who saw a farcically-awarded penalty brilliantly saved by Wojciech Szczesny just before half-time, having been grazed by the glove of the Polish goalkeeper.
It was a poor piece of refereeing, but even poorer from the VAR, who needlessly urged Danny Makkelie to review the incident on the pitchside monitor, creating the expectation of a spot-kick. In easily the most partisan atmosphere of the entire tournament, it would have taken a brave man to stick with his gut.
If Makkelie briefly threatened to be an unwanted kingmaker then, by the latter part of the second half his role had been rendered almost entirely obsolete, as Poland, on course to reach the last 16 ahead of Mexico on fair-play points, declined to get within five feet of their opponents for fear of a booking.
It was a dangerous game, one more goal for Argentina or for the Mexicans across the city enough to shift the sands.
Substitute Krzysztof Piatek came on and hurried around his team-mates, like a man circulating at a cocktail party, telling each of them tackles were off the menu. He ought to have clarified that playing the opposition striker clean through on goal was still on the no-go list, too, as Jakub Kiwior did just that, only for Lautaro Martinez to drag wide.
Some Argentina players seemed happy to engage cruise control, but others clearly had Mexican mates. In stoppage time, Messi poked in Nicolas Tagliafico, who chipped Szczesny but Kiwior made amends on the line.
As news of a Saudi goal filtered through, Poland began the celebrations early. A Mexican reply still would have been curtains but there was no late twist, Poland into the knockout phase for the first time since 1986, to play France.
For Argentina, of course, that year evokes all kinds of emotion and memories of triumph that, for the first time since this tournament began, they look capable of emulating.
