The sudden deficit and expiring clock quickly forced the Swiss into a desperate attack, leading to another Argentine goal – this time by center-forward Lautaro Martinez – nine minutes later, and on a night that featured just about every emotion imaginable over the course of its 120 minutes, the tens of thousands sporting sky blue could finally embrace what felt like the inevitable, but proved elusive until the very end.
"We suffered quite a lot \[tonight\], Switzerland was playing very well, but to reach a Semifinal, you have to suffer – you have to go through it," Scaloni said. "In Qatar, we also suffered…This is part of our blood and our DNA, and we will never give up."
The celebration went long into the night, from the songs that persisted in the stands well after the final whistle to a palpable energy in the post-match locker room. The Argentine players began trickling toward the team bus nearly two hours following the victory, and as they passed the hundreds of assembled media shouting questions and commentary, one individual handed each passing player a polaroid photo of the night's action.
Seemingly every player gladly took the keepsake, eager to obtain a lasting reminder of another incredible night of Argentinian pride. Kansas City's decade-long dream of hosting FIFA World Cup matches had come to a triumphant end, and its finale – in more ways than one – was picture-perfect.