Argentina Defeat Netherlands in Penalty Shootout, Advance to FIFA World Cup Semifinals

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Argentine national football team defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout in the World Cup quarterfinals on Friday, allowing the group to advance to the semifinal match against Croatia.

The Friday match at the Stadion Ikonik Lusail went to penalty kicks after initially ending in extra time with a score of 2-2. Nahuel Molina scored in the 35th minute with an assist from Lionel Messi, who scored from the spot in the 73th. Wout Weghorst scored for the Dutchmen in the 83rd and dramatically equalized in the 90+11th.

Argentina won the penalties shootout 4-3, their goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved two shots from the spot.

The teams were managed by the youngest and the oldest coaches in the tournament: The Argentines were led by 44-year-old Lionel Scaloni and the Dutch by 71-year-old Louis van Gaal.

The Argentines reached the semifinals of the World Cup for the sixth time in their history, having previously won the tournament twice. In the next match on December 13, they will face the Croatian team, which knocked out the Brazilians in a penalty shootout earlier on Friday.

Messi scored the tenth goal at the World Cup and caught up with the record holder of the Argentine national team, Gabriel Batistuta. Messi also set the record for the most assists in the playoffs of the World Cup (5), beating Brazilian legend Pele (4).

In total, the captain of the Argentina national team has 7 assists in the World Cup matches, behind only Diego Maradona (8).

Messi also now tied-second in the number of appearances in the World Cup, equaling with Germany's Miroslav Klose. Only legendary German stopper Lothar Matthaus played more games at the world championships (25).