Argentina and Belgium will battle it out as the two sides collide at the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2014. The match will be played at the Mane Garrincha National stadium in Brasilia on Saturday, June 5.
Argentina looked tired and haggard as they just managed to cross the line as they won 1-0 against Switzerland after extra time. Angel di Maria combined to great effect with Lionel Messi as the former scored in the 118th minute of the game to give the South Americans a victory in the round of 16.
Belgium were able to see off the USA despite the heroic efforts of their ‘keeper Tim Howard in the round of 16 fixture. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku both scored in extra time as the Europeans inflicted a painful defeat on the Americans, who matched them for most of the match.
Argentina have a lot to worry about as they go into the quarter final. Their over-reliance on Messi nearly backfired against Switzerland as Ottmar Hitzfeld’s men shackled the Barcelona star for most of the game. While Sergio Aguero is out injured with a groin issue, the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Ezequiel Lavezzi, or Rodrigo Palacio have flattered to deceive in Brazil. In fact, had luck not been on their side, the Argentines would have had to book an early ticket home for all intents and purposes.
While they have collected a couple of clean-sheets on their way to the quarters, it had more to do with the opposition’s failure to score from some clear-cut chances rather than the mettle of Ezequiel Garay and company. Some major improvement is needed for this team to go through and there is a big need to play with a faster tempo than they have in Brazil.
The Red Devils coach Marc Wilmots revealed that the game against the Americans was not particularly good for the heart although his team played high quality football. Unlike most matches at the World Cup, Belgium have played a high tempo game and have been thoroughly entertaining for most part.
While they do not have much goals to show, the Belgians have been carving out some great openings in their games in Brazil. The likes of Eden Hazard, De Bryune, Kevin Mirallas and the rest have been quite brilliant for the men in red at the tournament. It is another matter that they do not possess a seasoned attacker who could go out and score a few, although Lukaku would likely have something to say about that after a successful season with Everton in the Premier League.
They have a good compact defence which is marshalled by Vincent Kompany, one of the best defenders in football at the present time. Kompany has able support in the form of central defensive partner Daniel Van Buyten and Jan Vertonghen. Belgium also have an excellent ‘keeper in Thibaut Courtois who has been a big presence between the posts.
This will be a very tough assignment for Argentina and one really gets the feel that Belgium’s golden generation of footballers have what it takes to send the opposition home and progress into the semis. On the evidence of both team’s recent form, that looks like a distinct possibility.