本文节选自《卫报》的Inspired Lionel Messi takes Argentina past Croatia and into World Cup final一文，原作者为David Hytner
It was Argentina’s sixth World Cup semi-final and they have yet to lose one. Once Álvarez had scored his first, it came to look like an awfully big ask for Croatia and a symbol of their broken resistance came on 81 minutes when Zlatko Dalic substituted the talismanic Luka Modric.
这是阿根廷第六次打入世界杯半决赛，此前他们在世界杯半决赛中还未尝一败。阿尔瓦雷斯打入第一粒进球后，克罗地亚看起来便很难翻盘。而最终让他们放弃抵抗的是第81分钟，主教练达利奇换下了球队灵魂莫德里奇。
a big ask：表示难以做到的事情或者棘手的事
talismanic：原意为护符的，避邪的，这里可以指球队的法宝，核心球员
Lionel Scaloni was able to reflect on getting his tactics right after full time. He went with a narrow but flexible 4-4-2, in which the full-backs were encouraged to push high and wide. It provided the platform for Messi to roam, his teammates filling the gaps around him, and also to get runners in behind, particularly Álvarez. Croatia came to be stifled , their full-backs pinned back.
阿根廷主教练斯卡洛尼在比赛后应该觉得自己本场比赛的战术奏效了。他运用狭窄但灵活的4-4-2阵型，鼓励边后卫压上拉边，为梅西提供跑动的空间，并让他的队友填补他周围的空位，联系到阿尔瓦雷斯等后插上的球员。克罗地亚成功被压制，他们的边后卫上不去前场。
stifle：压制 If someone stifles something you consider to be a good thing, they prevent it from continuing.
It was an uncharacteristic loose touch from Modric that Argentina seized on to blow the contest open, Enzo Fernández sending Álvarez galloping away from Dejan Lovren. It was startling to see how much space Álvarez had and, although he could not finish, Lovren getting back to clear his chip , he was blocked off by the goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic, who made no attempt to play the ball. Messi was never going to miss from the spot.
阿根廷利用莫德里奇的一次罕见的传球失误，抓住机会打开了局面。阿尔瓦雷斯飞速绕开洛夫伦，接到了恩佐的传球，获得了很大的射门空间。虽然他最后的射门被洛夫伦解围，没能直接得分，但守门员利瓦科维奇没有碰到球就先将他撞倒了。梅西稳稳罚中随后的点球。
uncharacteristic：非 (某人) 特征性的 If you describe something as uncharacteristic of someone, you mean that it is not typical of them.
gallop：这里指“急速奔跑”
clear his chip：这里chip的意思猜测为“缺口” ， A chip in something such as a piece of china or furniture is where a small piece has been broken off it. 因此clear his chip这里的意思近似为“补漏”“补位”“收拾掉烂摊子”
Messi was irresistible, overwhelming . He got Argentina up and running with a coolly converted penalty – his fifth goal of the tournament, taking him level with France’s Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot – and he was involved at the beginning of the killer second for Álvarez. He saved his jaw-dropping moment for midway through the second half to end any notion of a Croatia comeback.
梅西势不可挡。他用这粒冷静的点球让阿根廷队进入了节奏。这是他本届世界杯的第5粒进球，让他在金靴的竞争中与姆巴佩齐头并进。他还参与了第二粒阿尔瓦雷斯的进球的发动过程。在下半场中段，他的助攻更是令人瞠目结舌，击碎了克罗地亚重整旗鼓的想法。
overwhelming：强悍而令人难以应对的 If something is overwhelming, it affects you very strongly, and you do not know how to deal with it.
up and running：运行正常，生龙活虎，进入节奏
jaw-dropping：令人目瞪口呆的 Something that is jaw-dropping is extremely surprising, impressive, or shocking.