Argentina's dance goes on, as their fans sing, all the way to Tuesday's World Cup semifinal match against Croatia and then potentially a shot at eternal glory in Sunday's final, or to a melancholic end to the Lionel Messi-era in Saturday's third-place consolation game.
Barring the gateway to glory are the very opponents against whom, in a perverse kind of way, this whole unlikely adventure became a possibility.
Argentina met Croatia in the second group-stage game of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Albiceleste were coached at the time by Jorge Sampaoli -- highly rated, highly talented, highly volatile.