World Cup fans are getting quite the treat in these semifinals as the hosts from Brazil and Germany meet in one match, and in the other, Argentina will face the Netherlands with a spot in the final on the line. The Dutch have had the upper hand in their head-to-head matchups with the Argentineans, but the South Americans won the biggest meeting of them all in the 1978 final. This should be a fantastic game to watch on Wednesday.
World Cup Odds: Argentina +145, Netherlands +210, Draw +220
Odds To Advance: Argentina -135, Netherlands +110
Why The Netherlands Can Win
Everyone knows that the Dutch has a lot of technical talent, but their mental toughness was questioned coming into the tournament. But they didn’t panic when Costa Rica held them over 120 minutes of play, kicking Arjen Robben all over the field during that time. Robben kept pushing, as did his teammates, and Wesley Sneijder was especially good, hitting the post a couple of times and spraying passes all over the field. Then they had to hold their nerve in the shootout, where they needed just four shooters to beat Costa Rica 4-3.
Louis van Gaal put on another managerial masterclass, substituting Tim Krul in goal for Jasper Cillessen late in extra time. Krul came in to stop two shots and lift the Dutch to the next round, and it was a move that could have backfired, but van Gaal has been amazing this tournament.
Why Argentina Can Win
Lionel Messi showed signs of being human as he wasn’t great in a 1-0 win over Belgium, and attacking wise, Argentina didn’t really look that great. But they showed their mettle by keeping a clean sheet against the Belgians and never looked threatened, although there were some concerns over their ability to defend set pieces. It was a disciplined performance from the two-time World Cup winners, who didn’t need to be flashy and depend on their captain for once. Gonzalo Higuain scored in the eighth minute, and he played his best game of the tournament.
Argentina could need him to duplicate that effort as Angel Di Maria was lost in the 33rd minute with a muscle injury, so keep an eye on his status. Di Maria is Argentina’s most dynamic player after Messi and after a slow start to the tournament, he has certainly come on, scoring the winner in extra time against Switzerland. If he can’t play, Higuain will need to step up again.
Outlook
Holland has won four and drawn three of their meetings with Argentina, who beat the Dutch in the 1978 final at home to win their first World Cup. This is going to be a cagey game and both managers are willing to switch their tactics depending on the opposition, but if Di Maria can’t go, Argentina is in trouble. Their inability to really support Messi is going to come back to bite them as Holland have more players that can score goals, and that will fire the Netherlands to the final.
Pick: Netherlands
