Quick glance to scan the playing field. But Julian Alvarez was never looking to pass. It was just a formality to double-check the location of the target.
Then he fired a thunderous shot from outside the penalty area into the upper right corner of the net. Far from any Swiss defender hoping to tackle him. Away from the outstretched arm of Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Koppel. They are only eight minutes away from a victory that will qualify them for the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
Alvarez made it 2-1 to Argentina in the 112th minute, taking the wind out of the sails of the 10-man Switzerland squad. In one of the final minutes of play, Lautaro Martinez made it 3-1 to secure a place in the quarter-finals for the seventh time in the global competition.
The reactions after the match this time were optimistic. The players joined their fans in singing and dancing as they took another step closer to their quest to become only the third nation to defend their World Cup title.
But they were forced to do it the hard way.
In every knockout match of this World Cup, Argentina have reached the limit. The round of 32 match began with the Cape Verdean team putting on a lively display, with Argentina eventually winning 3-2 in extra time.
In the round of 16, Egypt led 2-0 before superstar Lionel Messi inspired them to come back with three goals in the last 12 minutes of regular time to snatch a 3-2 win. After that match in Atalanta, the emotions were overwhelming, and Messi, who has been leading the team forward for years, cried as he had when he helped them lift the title in 2022.
But on Sunday morning (IST), the Swiss managed to do what not many teams have done in the past. They kept Messi calm.
The Argentine national team has developed a dangerous habit of over-reliance on the 39-year-old. It is true that he has shown time and time again that he can handle responsibility, but the team needs to find more sources of inspiration.
Against a disciplined and disciplined Swiss team, others stepped up.
But Messi had a contribution in the opening goal of the match. He played a perfect cross from a corner, and Alexis McAllister made a bold run forward and glanced in with an accurate header to put Argentina ahead.
This is the same McAllister who plies his trade with Liverpool, and who has been rated as one of the three best midfielders in the world today by former England star Steven Gerrard.
McAllister’s goal came from an elaborate routine on the training ground. This came at the right time for Argentina, as its last two matches had gone off script.
Switzerland started the match as the better team, clinging to possession and creating chances, until McAllister’s goal gave Argentina more momentum to fight for possession.
But this is the Swiss team that remains unbeaten in the competition. This was the first time since 1954, when they hosted the World Cup, that they had reached the quarter-finals of the competition. This was a good team. They showed it in the way they worked their way forward as Dan Ndoye scored past Emiliano Martinez against Argentina from an acute angle, after a brilliant pass and a mazy run.
The Swiss looked in control again. But that only lasted for five minutes. Briel Embolo, who had already received a yellow card, was sent off for simulation.
After she was on the rise, Switzerland’s back suddenly leaned against the wall. But this was something they were preparing for.
Reports emerged before the match that coach Murat Yakin conducted drills that simulated a team playing with ten against 11, nine against 11 and even eight against 11. These preparations showed that the Swiss had not lost their fitness even though they were playing with ten players.
And through it all, they watched and kept Messi – who had scored in nine consecutive World Cup matches before the match – calm.
Argentina needed someone to step in if they wanted to avoid a penalty shootout. Alvarez did.
This stunning goal from long range, his first in the tournament, gave his team a boost.
Switzerland did everything they could in the remaining few minutes to get another equaliser. But committing too many men forward left them exposed at the back. At the end of a quick counter-attack, Martinez had the enviable task of slotting the ball into an almost empty net.
For the third game in a row, they made an escape.
Next up are their old rivals, England. This will be the first time in a World Cup that Argentina will play a top-10 team.
They survive in Kansas City. But when they go to Atalanta in the semi-finals, they will know they have other players stepping up to support their talisman Messi.
