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On the back of Germany’s crushing 7-1 demolition of Brazil, Argentina take on the Netherlands in Sao Paulo in the second semifinal of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The Dutch will be looking to reach their second consecutive final, while the Argentines will be looking for redemption after rather forgettable recent World Cup campaigns.
The Dutch have been fantastic at this World Cup, led by the mercurial Arjen Robben, while Argentina have finally seen their favourite son, Lionel Messi come to the party on the international stage.
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While this clash may not be as exciting as yesterday’s semifinal, a mouthwatering contest still awaits us in Sao Paulo.
Venue
The Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo hosted the opening game of the tournament and has hosted both the Netherlands and Argentina previously in this tournament. Netherlands won 2-0 in their group stage game against Chile, while Argentina played their Round of 16 game here, in which they beat Switzerland 1-0 after extra time. The stadium has a capacity of 62,000 and in terms of noise, has been among the loudest stadiums at this World Cup. With the Argentine fans renowned for making a lot of noise, a festive atmosphere ca be expected.
Kickoff Time
July 10th: 01:30 IST
July 9th: 17:00 Local Time
Possible Starting Lineups
The Netherlands have a lingering doubt over the fitness of captain Robin van Persie. If van Persie is deemed unfit, Klaas Jan Huntelaar should take his place upfront. Otherwise, the Dutch are expected to field the same team that took to the field against Costa Rica. His heroics in the penalty shootout notwithstanding, Tim Krul is expected to start on the bench again.
Netherlands XI: Jasper Cillessen, Dirk Kuyt, Stefan de Vrij, Ron Vlaar, Bruno Martins Indi, Daley Blind, Georginio Wijnaldum, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie/Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Memphis Depay
Argentina will be dented by the absence of Angel Di Maria, with Enzo Perez expected to take his place in the starting lineup. Lucas Biglia is expected to retain his place, while Marcos Rojo returns from suspension and is likely to replace Jose Basanta at Left Back.
Argentina XI: Sergio Romero, Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis, Ezequiel Garay, Marcos Rojo, Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Enzo Perez, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain
Key Facts and Stats
– There have been 8 matches between Argentina and Holland with the Dutch leading the head to head 4-1, with 3 games ending in a draw.
– The Dutch have scored 13 goals at this World Cup. Argentina have been rather less expansive, scoring 8 goals in their 5 games.
– Daley Blind has 3 assists so far in this competition, 3 times as many as any member of the Argentine squad.
– Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie have scored 3 goals each, being the top Dutch scorers at this World Cup. For Argentina, their top scorer is Messi, who has scored 4 goals.
– The Dutch have won 59% of their aerial duels at this World Cup, while Argentina have won 53% of theirs.
Key Battles
Arjen Robben vs Marcos Rojo
Robben has been the undoubted star of the tournament for the Dutch. The Dutch will undoubtedly be turning to him for inspiration in attack. The Argentine defense has looked rather shaky all tournament, and they will have their task cut out, especially Rojo, who returns from suspension.
Lionel Messi vs Netherlands defense
Messi has had the best World Cup of his career yet, but it will all amount to nothing if he cannot lead Argentina to glory. Standing against him will be a resolute Dutch defense, limited on talent, but blessed with abundant grit and determination. Messi might well have the most difficult game of his World Cup yet, although he will be thanking his stars for the absence of Nigel de Jong.
Match Officials
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir(Turkey)
Assistant Referees: Bahattin Duran and Tarik Ongun (Both Turkey)
Fourth Official: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
Prediction
It should be a close game, with both teams likely to take a safety-first approach, especially after seeing what happened with Brazil last night. So, Extra Time is a realistic possibility, but I’m tipping the Dutch to squeak through, especially with the injury to Di Maria.
1-0 to the Netherlands
