In the 83rd minute, Spain launched a counterattack.
Su Hang and Torres split left and right, charging down both flanks!
Su Hang had never been known for his pace, yet this time, he was almost as fast as Torres.
His stride and running posture made it look as if Spain had two Torres on the pitch.
In fact, this was the effect of "Torres' Acceleration Path."
When making vertical runs down the wings, it granted him a burst of extra speed.
Unfortunately, the nickname "El Mago" had never been misplaced—players who bore it were always inconsistent.
Even with Su Hang and Torres both in excellent positions, Luis García surprisingly decided to take a long-range shot himself.
The ball flew over the bar, giving Argentina a brief scare but no damage.
In the 84th minute, Messi struck again.
Dribbling down the wing, he drew a foul and won a dangerous free kick for Argentina. For such a young player, he had been brilliant this match—if not for Su Hang overshadowing him.
Riquelme stepped up to take the free kick.
Tevez, though short, had superb instincts in the box. Despite Ramos marking him tightly, he still managed a header on goal.
But Saint Casillas lived up to his name, diving and punching the ball away.
Ramos, who had fallen earlier, jumped up and charged straight at Tevez, chest-bumping him while shouting that Tevez had fouled.
Tevez wasn't the type to back down—he met Ramos head-on, the two clashing chest to chest as tempers flared.
Players from both sides rushed over.
The Argentines were split: the hot-headed ones were ready to brawl, while the calmer ones just wanted to focus on equalizing before time ran out.
Truthfully, Ramos might have been stirring trouble just to waste time.
Spain, on the other hand, was united—everyone was fine with slowing things down.
Mascherano, Heinze, and Ayala surrounded Ramos from the front, trapping him.
Su Hang immediately joined in, spreading his arms wide in front of Ramos like a human wall.
Mascherano, Heinze, and Ayala found themselves blocked by Su Hang's massive frame, unable to push through.
They couldn't risk throwing punches—some already had yellow cards and didn't dare get sent off.
So they just leaned in, trying to shove him back.
Su Hang didn't strike either. He simply held his ground, keeping them from getting to Ramos.
After a short struggle, the three Argentines still couldn't move him an inch.
Awkward.
Three players' strength combined couldn't even push back one man?
Messi, watching from the side, spread his hands helplessly. His expression said it all: I told you not to mess with him. Look at you now—embarrassed yourselves.
Even when the referee arrived, Mascherano and his teammates hadn't managed to get past Su Hang.
Technically, no one had hit anyone, so neither side took a card—but the psychological edge clearly belonged to Spain.
They all knew that if this turned into a real fight, everyone could guess who'd win.
That's what you call a strategic deterrent.
Spanish fans erupted in cheers, while the Argentine supporters fell silent again.
The skirmish became a clear signal—Spain was locking down to defend.
...
In the 88th minute, Riquelme sent a beautiful pass forward.
Messi cut inside, dropped his shoulder to fake out Puyol, then curled a left-footed shot toward the far corner.
Even Puyol, his own captain, looked momentarily beaten.
But Casillas once again came to the rescue, pulling off a near-impossible save.
Messi held his head in frustration—he knew he'd just missed the equalizer.
Argentina took the corner, but Ibáñez rose first and cleared the danger.
Senna picked up the ball in the box, but before he could act, Tevez came sliding in and took him down hard.
A clear foul.
The referee raised the whistle but didn't blow—Spain still had possession.
Su Hang had already scooped up the ball and taken off. Advantage Spain!
After two quick strides, Fabregas called for the pass ahead.
Su Hang glanced at him—then launched a long ball forward!
Mascherano tried to intercept, but the fake pass completely fooled him. His legs slipped out from under him, forcing him into a full split. He clutched his groin and rolled on the grass in pain.
"Long pass! Su Hang didn't pass to Fabregas—he's gone straight for the counterattack!"
"The ball's heading for Torres up front!"
"Once again, Su Hang shows off his incredible vision!"
"Torres is accelerating—it's a one-on-one! What will he do?"
"Shot! Tackle! Ayala saves Argentina!"
Ayala had read Torres perfectly, sliding in to block the shot out for a corner.
Argentina had narrowly escaped disaster.
"But time is running out—it's already the 90th minute!"
"The referee shows Tevez a yellow card for that earlier tackle on Senna. That was a clear foul—could've even been a red!"
The fourth official raised the stoppage board—four minutes added. Fair enough.
Spain set up for the corner. García started toward the flag, but halfway there, Su Hang called him back and gestured for Fabregas to take it instead.
Argentine fans booed loudly. Everyone could see Spain was wasting time.
The referee saw it too—he pulled out a yellow card for García.
García stood there dumbfounded.
Come on, my captain told me to come back! If you're gonna give cards, give him one too!
The referee's look said, Kid, your captain's not wasting time because he knows better.
García: …
Moments later, Fabregas got booked as well—for wiping the ball over and over before the kick.
The final minutes of a match, especially with just one goal between the teams, were always the most thrilling.
The stakes were high—well, so were the ratings.
And now Spain was wasting time?
On the sidelines, Aragonés smiled faintly.
That's football.
When you're leading, who wouldn't do the same?
Thud!
Fabregas finally sent the corner in.
Inside the box, Su Hang tracked the ball and shifted position rapidly.
He and Ramos coordinated perfectly, blocking Heinze's path and shaking off the defender.
Su Hang switched positions, now facing Mascherano—still recovering from his earlier slip.
Before Mascherano could react, Su Hang jumped.
Mascherano froze.
What the hell—did you jump too early?