“Mexico did not seem to see it coming. As he stood by the corner flag, Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul thought about slinging the ball into the penalty area, but then decided against it. Instead, he went short, clipping a gentle ball to Lionel Messi. Perhaps Mexico, at that point, thought Argentina was conserving possession, protecting its slender lead. Messi had other ideas. He eschewed the cross, too, choosing another short pass, this time to Enzo Fernández, on the edge of the penalty area. Fernández shimmed once, twice, and then sent a shot on a perfect parabola that took the ball beyond the reach of Mexico’s goalkeeper. The goal sealed Argentina’s win and — eventually — Mexico’s fate at this World Cup. …”
NY Times