Socceroos captain Mat Ryan is blaming himself after the world’s best footballer helped end Australia’s best World Cup.
Argentina ace Lionel Messi scored with a sublime strike in a 2-1 win in a round of 16 encounter to eliminate the plucky Socceroos from the showpiece tournament in Qatar.
But Ryan is lamenting his own messy moment.
The keeper gifted Argentina a second goal when losing control of the ball at his feet, his heavy touches mirroring his heavy heart post-game.
“It’s hard, it’s tough,” Ryan told reporters.
“You feel an array of negative emotions.
“We learn from the hardships in life and that is definitely one for me and it hurts a lot.”
Ryan’s foot fault came as two Argentinians swarmed on him after a back-pass.
The Australian completely lost control of the ball with his second touch and Julian Alvarez mopped up, scoring into a vacant net.
“Maty has been a fantastic captain … a fantastic player,” Socceroos coach Graham Arnold said.
“Everyone makes mistakes.”
Just 20 minutes after Ryan’s error, the Socceroos were revived when substitute Craig Goodwin’s long-range speculative shot deflected from Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez into the net.
And only three minutes later, Australia’s bundle of energy Aziz Behich went on a daring run, tearing through Argentina’s defence and, as his eyes lit up when five metres from folklore, his shot was blocked.
“If Aziz Behich had scored that, it would’ve been like Lionel Messi in a yellow shirt,” Arnold said.
With a minute remaining, the youngest Socceroo ever to play at a World Cup, 18-year-old Garang Kuol, went inches from equalising when his gilt-edged chance thumped into the left arm of Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
“Garang had a great chance at the end but he’s a kid, he’ll learn from it,” Arnold said.
The late dramas came after Messi hit yet another landmark with a first goal in a World Cup knockout game and the ninth of his cup career.
“I’m very happy for taking another step forward, achieving another objective,” Messi said after his side booked a quarter-final berth against the Netherlands.
“It was a very difficult match. We knew it was going to be this way, we knew it was going to be a very physical match and they were very strong.”
The Australians leave Qatar after their best overall performance at the World Cup, with two wins in a single edition of the tournament for the first time.
They also kept consecutive clean sheets for the first time in cup history.
But, just as the only other Socceroos team to advance from the group-stage did in 2006, they depart at the round of 16.
And Arnold’s contract as coach has now expired.
“I just want to go away, have a good holiday, have a break and see what happens,” Arnold said.
“I have worked extremely hard this campaign to get to where we’ve got to with these players.
“I need a break. I need a rest. And no doubt I will have good discussions then with the organisation.”
Arnold’s Socceroos defied gloomy predictions in Qatar – he was almost sacked in March after the qualifying campaign stumbled and Australia were the second-to-last nation to secure a cup spot.
“Before we came here everyone said we were the worst Socceroo team ever to qualify for a World Cup and we were the worst Socceroo team ever,” Arnold said.
“That has gone now.
“Even though we have … been successful, I feel like we have failed tonight.
“I just wanted to win so badly for the nation … making the last 16 for me wasn’t enough, I wanted more.”
