For the second time in the past four days, Argentina's hopes to repeat as World Cup champions were hanging by a thread, as they stared down the possibility of a seismic upset.

短短四天之内，阿根廷队第二次命悬一线，卫冕世界杯的希望摇摇欲坠，眼看就要被对手爆出惊天大冷门。



And for the second time in four days, they were rescued by the greatest player in the history of the game.

而在短短四天之内，他们第二次被足球史上最伟大的球员拯救。

One game after pulling out an extra-time win against Cape Verde, Lionel Messi and Argentina were once again in dire trouble. Seventy-nine minutes into the game, they trailed Egypt, who entered the game a massive underdog, 2-0. The 39-year-old Messi's final World Cup seemed all but certain to end in ignominy.

在加时赛险胜佛得角之后仅过了一场比赛，莱昂内尔·梅西和阿根廷队又一次陷入了绝境。 比赛进行到第79分钟时，他们仍以0比2落后于埃及队，而后者在本场赛前被普遍认为是不折不扣的弱旅。 39岁的梅西，最后一届世界杯眼看就要以屈辱的方式画上句号。

That's when a sudden blitz in the game's closing moments turned the tide. First, Argentina pulled a goal back in the 79th minute through Cristian Romero. Then, in the 83rd, Messi struck to pull the champions level. With the ball bouncing near Egypt's goal, Messi lashed it home to notch his eighth goal of the World Cup.

就在那时，比赛最后时刻的一次突然爆发扭转了局面。 先是第79分钟，克里斯蒂安·罗梅罗为阿根廷队扳回一城。 随后在第83分钟，梅西破门，将卫冕冠军拉回同一起跑线。 足球在埃及队球门附近弹跳之际，梅西迎球怒射破门，打入了他在本届世界杯上的第八粒进球。

Finally, when Enzo Fernandez headed home a stunning third goal in the second minute of stoppage time, they had done what they needed to survive again and win 3-2.

最后，在伤停补时第2分钟，恩佐·费尔南德斯头槌破门，打入一记精彩的第三球，他们又一次完成了绝地求生，以3比2获胜。

Argentina's win meant that one day after his eternal counterpart Cristiano Ronaldo bowed out with Portugal, Messi's last dance would continue—even on a day when Messi missed a penalty kick.

阿根廷队的胜利意味着，在他一生的对手C罗随葡萄牙队出局一天之后，梅西的最后一舞仍在继续——即便他在这场比赛中罚丢了一粒点球。

"It was very difficult, especially when we were two goals down, to come back again, to suffer again," Messi said. "But this is the World Cup for you."

梅西说：“这非常艰难，尤其是在我们两球落后的情况下，要再次逆转，再次承受煎熬。” “但这就是世界杯。”

The irony in the latest white-knuckle comeback is that no one at this World Cup seemed to have a smoother road to the final than Argentina. While others worried about the superpowers in their path, the entire tournament was opening for Messi to defend the trophy he won in Qatar four years ago.

颇具讽刺意味的是，在这场令人揪心的逆转之前，本届世界杯上似乎没有哪支球队比阿根廷队通往决赛的道路更顺畅。 当其他球队还在为路上的强敌忧心忡忡时，整个世界杯的形势似乎都在为梅西铺路，让他去捍卫四年前在卡塔尔赢得的奖杯。

But both of Argentina's knockout matches here have turned into near-death experiences. Argentina entered Tuesday's game as the second-ranked team in FIFA's rankings, having won its last 10 World Cup matches. Egypt, despite being the most decorated team in African soccer, had to grind out two tense draws just to survive its World Cup group, and got through the Round of 32 only after a penalty shootout.

但阿根廷队在本届赛事的两场淘汰赛，都变成了死里逃生的惊险经历。 周二这场比赛开始前，阿根廷队位列国际足联世界排名第二，并且已豪取世界杯十连胜。 埃及队虽然是非洲足球历史上夺冠次数最多的球队，但本届世界杯小组赛也只是艰难拿下两场平局才惊险出线，到了32强赛更是靠点球大战才过关。

Track records flew out the window in the 15th minute, though, when it was Egypt who opened the scoring. Suddenly, the heavily Argentine crowd inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium went ballistic. They had come to witness more of Messi's miracles, not his World Cup swan song.

然而过往战绩在第15分钟就被抛到了九霄云外——率先破门的竟然是埃及队。 刹那间，梅赛德斯-奔驰体育场内占绝对多数的阿根廷球迷炸开了锅。 他们是来见证梅西更多的神迹，而不是他的世界杯谢幕演出。

Things appeared to be going in that direction, when Messi saw a penalty saved in the 21st minute. Strangely, for the greatest player of his generation, it was the second penalty miss of the World Cup.

情况似乎正朝着那个方向发展——第21分钟，梅西主罚的点球被扑出。 说来也怪，对于这一代人中最伟大的球员来说，这已经是他在本届世界杯上罚丢的第二粒点球了。

In the second half, Mostafa Zico made it 2-0 to Egypt, moments after the Pharaohs had a goal disallowed by instant replay for a foul that occurred at the other end of the pitch. But the hour that Egypt spent believing it was about to record one of the great upsets in World Cup history was merely prologue.

下半场，穆斯塔法·奇科将比分扩大为2比0，而在此之前，埃及队曾有一粒进球因视频回放判定另一端犯规而被取消。 但埃及队相信自己即将创造世界杯史上伟大冷门的那一个小时，不过是整出大戏的序章。

An hour of game time after Messi couldn't convert a penalty, he had a much more difficult and infinitely higher-pressure chance. The ball was careening this way and that in the Egyptian 18-yard-box when Messi found it with his left foot. It bounced off the goalkeeper and crossbar before it found the net.

在梅西罚丢点球后的一小时比赛时间里，他获得了一次难度大得多、压力也大得多的机会。 足球在埃及队禁区内左弹右蹦，梅西左脚赶上一撩。 足球打在门将身上又撞到横梁，最后才弹进了球网。

"He missed a penalty, you could focus on that," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. "But Messi asks for the ball again. He tries again and again. I get goosebumps, to be honest."

阿根廷主帅斯卡洛尼说：“他罚丢了一个点球，你可以盯着这一点不放。 但梅西会再次要球。 一次又一次尝试。 说实话，我起了一身鸡皮疙瘩。”

Messi went sprinting off the field, leaping into the air and embracing his teammates. And just a few minutes later, he hugged them again—when the final whistle mercifully sounded and Argentina had, once again, survived.

梅西冲下球场，跃起拥抱队友。 。仅仅几分钟后，终场哨声如释重负地响起，阿根廷又一次活了下来——梅西再次与队友们拥抱庆祝。

Messi's World Cup career will extend at least one more game: a quarterfinal on Saturday evening.

梅西的世界杯之旅至少还将延续一场：周六晚上的四分之一决赛。

素材来源：iYuba

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