Argentina Edge Belgium to Reach World Cup Semi-Finals
Argentina secured a place in the semi-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup with a narrow 1-0 victory over Belgium in Brasília, thanks to an early strike from Gonzalo Higuaín.
In a match that rarely sparked into life, the decisive moment arrived in just the eighth minute. A lapse in Belgium’s midfield allowed Lionel Messi to pounce and initiate a quick attack. The Argentina captain found Ángel Di María, whose deflected pass fell fortuitously to Higuaín on the edge of the box. The Napoli striker made no mistake, curling his shot past a static Thibaut Courtois to give Argentina the lead.
From there, the game struggled to develop any real momentum. Belgium, despite boasting an array of attacking talent including Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne, failed to carve out clear-cut chances in the final third. Argentina, for their part, appeared content to defend their early advantage, and the match descended into a slow-paced affair riddled with imprecise passes and tired legs.
After the interval, neither side managed to lift the tempo significantly. Argentina looked more focused on preserving their lead than extending it, while Belgium’s attempts to press forward were often stifled by a well-organised Argentine defence marshalled by Javier Mascherano.
There was a late flurry of action in the final minutes. Messi, who had been relatively subdued, had a golden chance to seal the result but was denied in a one-on-one with Courtois. Moments later, Belgium almost snatched an equaliser when a late cross was nearly bundled in, but it wasn’t to be.
Despite a lack of flair or dominance, Argentina held firm to book their place in the final four for the first time since 1990. Alejandro Sabella’s men will now face the winner of the Netherlands vs Costa Rica quarter-final, set to be played later on Saturday.
It was far from a vintage performance, but for Messi and his teammates, it was another important step in their pursuit of a third World Cup title. For Belgium, the exit marks the end of a promising campaign that failed to live up to its early hype.
