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In what was the last set of round-of-16 games in this year’s World Cup, Argentina and Belgium got the better of Switzerland and USA respectively, both in extra time. This means that it was a complete sweep, with all the group winners making it through to the quarter-finals. Argentina and Belgium will meet each other on the 5th of July in Estádio Nacional de Brasilia, Brasília for the final action in the round-of-8 stage.
Messi’s dream still alive
Angel di Maria finally produced the goods as the clock struck 118. You read it right. A goal, deep into extra time from the Real Madrid winger proved to be the difference between Argentina and Switzerland after 120 minutes of action.
It took another moment of inspiration from Lionel Messi for an unconvincing Argentina to topple the Swiss.
Ottmar Hitzefeld had decided to stick to the same starting line-up for the Swiss which had won so convincingly against Honduras in their last group game. This however was a different story altogether.
The ex-Bayern manager made his team sit deep, to deny Lionel Messi any space to conjure up his wizardry, while the Albiceleste looked to the Barcelona man time and again to provide them with the spark that they needed so badly.
The result was a game that was devoid of inspiring moments for most of the time. Hence, it was no surprise that the game had to wait till the dying minutes of the first half to produce its first goal-scoring opportunity.
Granit Xhaka's low shot was brilliantly saved by Sergio Romero with his left foot. Xherdan Shaqiri then produced a pass that found Josip Drmic as it split the Argentine defence wide open. However, the Bayer Leverkusen forward was able to only manage to chip it straight to a gleeful Sergio Romero.
"They had two clear chances and after that the match was ours," Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said, and said so rightly.
The Argentines looked more resurgent in the second half and looked threatening particularly on the left through Marcos Rojo. The Sporting Lisbon youngster produced an array of crosses into the box in the opening minutes of the half, but to his dismay, couldn’t find anyone breaking his back to get at the end of one.
Lionel Messi was also beginning to make his imprint known in the game as he came close to scoring on two occasions. Firstly when he struck a scything volley that was inches from the target and secondly with a shot that followed another of his trademark runs. Diego Benaglio however, was equal to the task, producing a brilliant save low down at his near post.
With the two teams inseparable, the full-time whistle ushered in extra time for the fourth time in what was the seventh game in this round.
Argentina remained the aggressor in the extra-time period as Ezequil Garay and then Angel di Maria nearly punishing La Nati. The game however looked destined for the penalty shoot-outs with clock dwindling down to the end of the extra allotted minutes.
That was until Lionel Messi decided to step it up a notch. The diminutive number ten finally succeeded in eluding the Swiss midfielders and proceeded towards goal, pushing up the gears as he neared the penalty box.
With the majority of the Swiss defence having their attention on the approaching danger of Lionel Messi, the Barcelona forward had the presence of mind to find an on-rushing and unmarked Angel di Maria at the edge of box.
Di Maria duly obliged with a superb finish that nestled into the bottom corner of the goal to send the Albiceleste to seventh heaven and through to the final eight.
Tim Howard’s heroics not enough as Lukaku makes the difference for Belgium
Tim Howard did all he could but still couldn’t prevent the Belgians from advancing to the next round. The American custodian was able to parry most of the 27 shots that Belgium had on target in the match. However it was the 2 that he couldn’t that made all the difference.
With Jurgen Klinsmann deciding to go for it, rather than sit back and absorb against the formidable Belgians, the Red Devils enjoyed a lot of space in the final third. However they were to encounter an inspired Tim Howard, who was seemingly on “God mode”. But for his heroics, the score line could have been pretty nasty for the Americans to take.
Belgium’s intentions were clear from the 1st minute as Kevin de Bruyne brilliantly split open the US defence to set up Divock Origi, but Howard was on hand to thwart the Lille teenager from giving the Red Devils an early lead.
De Bruyne and Mertens created havoc in the US defence in the first half. However, if not for some last ditch defending from the Americans and poor finishing from De Bruyne in particular, the game might well have been put to bed in the opening forty-five itself.
It was however not to be, as the entertaining first-half failed to produce any “net rippling” moment.
The proceedings remained the same heading into the second forty-five as Belgian continued to produce chances galore. While Jan Verthongen was rolling dangerous balls in from the left, Origi was hitting the post with a header of his own.
Howard though remained unperturbed. He was just immense for the Americans; pulling saves left, right and centre. The biggest of them came in the 76th minute when Kevin Mirallas broke free only to see his far post finish saved brilliantly by the Everton man.
The US however had the opportunity to rob the Belgian as the ball fell to the feet of an unmarked Chris Wondolowski in the second minute of stoppage. Jermain Jones headed the ball across the six-yard box to find his team-mate from an Omar Gonzalez chip into the box. With the goal at its mercy and Courtois helpless, the San Jose Earthquakes winger managed to sky the ball high over the goal from only six yards out. The midfielder was made to rue his missed opportunity as the game moved into extra-time.
Romelu Lukaku who came on in this one as a late substitute after rather uninspiring performances in the group games, made the difference. His bustling runs and physicality made himself a nuisance that US defence was finding hard to contain. The Chelsea man set up Kevin de Bruyne in the 93rd and then scored himself in the 105th minute as the relentless Belgian attacks finally bore fruit.
Bayern Munich youngster Julian Green soon pulled one back for USA, but that proved to be too little too late.
