As it happened - The battle of Lusail

This will undoubtedly be one of the best games of the tournament. This game, which at times resembled a boxing match (and not just because of the record 16 yellow cards given out), took a dramatic turn after Louis van Gaal, trailing 2-0, decided to substitute in his superstars.

The Dutch were forced to play direct football toward the land of the giants in the opposition box before Wout Weghorst scored in the 83rd minute. The introduction of 6-foot-2 Luuk de Jong and 6-foot-6 Weghorst by Van Gaal proved to be a masterstroke, as Argentina's defence was unable to withstand the constant aerial assault. But direct football and giants don't help much in penalty shootouts.

Only 17 days ago, Argentina was on the receiving end of one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, losing to Saudi Arabia 2-1. The Argentines beat the Netherlands in the quarterfinals at the same stadium, the Lusail Iconic. And in those dire straits, a loss in the penalty shootout would have been the icing on the cake.

If nothing else, this shootout victory guarantees more Lionel Messi at this World Cup. Including his four goals and two assists, Messi has a hand in six goals so far in this tournament. He also leads all players in chances created (16) and in chances created from open play (13).

Messi was much quieter than in previous games in these finals, but that is precisely what makes him so dangerous; even when he is seemingly shackled by an opponent, he is able to turn the game on its head with a single act of brilliance.

With his second-half goal, he tied the great Gabriel Batistuta for the most goals scored by an Argentine player in World Cup finals history with 10, albeit in twice as many games (24 vs 12).

The Netherlands had already knocked off the defending champions of the AFC Asian Cup, the defending champions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and this year's AFCON champions in the 2022 World Cup, but they were unable to add the defending champions of the Copa América to this list of victims.

Van Gaal, who is 71 years old, may have just led the Netherlands in his final game as coach, but he helped turn the tide of the game in his team's favour with strategic substitutions, so he can go out on a high note. Penalties are like a lottery, and Van Gaal didn't win this time.

Croatia stunned Brazil earlier last night, and now they'll face Argentina for a spot in the 2022 World Cup final on December 18. Messi has won nearly every major football award except the World Cup. Just another 180 minutes of football separate him from a possible perfect record.