Forward not scoring in win can disappoint fans.

Iti911

I remember the match between Argentina and Australia in the 2022 World Cup. My friend, who supports Argentina, went on a rant about Argentina's forward, Lautaro Martinez, saying that if Lautaro had capitalized on his chances, Argentina wouldn't have struggled in the later stages of the tournament. This got me thinking because I recalled that Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku, who famously missed crucial chances for Belgium and got criticized, both played for Inter Milan. I jokingly thought that Lautaro might have been infected by Lukaku's bad luck.

Later, I watched the highlights of Argentina's game against Australia, and indeed, Lionel Messi provided several excellent passes to Lautaro Martinez, but unfortunately, Lautaro couldn't convert them into goals. After the match, Lautaro faced a barrage of criticism, including from Argentine fans. Some of the comments were very harsh, with some comparing him to Gonzalo Higuain 2.0 (referring to Higuain's infamous misses in previous tournaments). However, I've always believed that the World Cup is a tough competition. While some argue that the World Cup's level of competition may not be as high as club football, its pressure is certainly greater.

In an interview, some players were asked about the difference between the World Cup and club matches. They mentioned that in terms of competitiveness, club matches might be higher, but in terms of difficulty, the World Cup is tougher because every player on the field feels a different aura, something that surrounds the entire pitch. The opposition players seem to be on fire in their eyes, and there's a constant feeling that if they don't give their all, they might get swallowed up. In my own words, clubs emphasize competition, while the World Cup places a stronger emphasis on mental strength.

This leads to a series of curses in the World Cup. So, I don't entirely blame Lautaro because the pressure at the World Cup is immense. Even someone like Lionel Messi, who was considered a football deity, had never scored a goal in a World Cup knockout match before this one. So, criticizing Lautaro too harshly is unfair.

However, in football, missing chances as a forward can lead to intense criticism, and losing the match would make it even worse. In fact, it's the same for every player. Lautaro's club teammate Lukaku, for example, faced severe criticism for not scoring, which led to Belgium's elimination. This time, Lautaro's performance even led to a funny meme among fans. One of the most classic striker partnerships in football is often referred to as "[One Tall, One Fast]," meaning one tall striker and one fast striker. Because Lukaku and Lautaro's forward partnership was also called "[One Tall, One Fast]," with Lukaku being the tall one and Lautaro representing the fast style of play. This meme humorously dubbed them "[One High Blood Pressure, One Happy Football]." Football fans have quite the sense of humor!

Yamini003

"Indeed, that's the reality for forwards – their primary job is to score goals."

Jiger955

A forward who doesn't score goals is not considered a good forward. The primary task of a forward is to score goals, and if they don't, they may face criticism, just like what happened to Lukaku.

Iti9

In that case, it's really demanding for forwards.

Samiksha

On the World Cup stage, I believe that everyone wants to score, and sometimes it's the immense pressure that can lead to missed opportunities. It happens to even the best players.