Origi’s Belgium face Argentina

Argentines dread quarter-finals. The Albiceleste have exited at that stage thrice in the last four editions of the World Cup.
Standing in their path to a first semi-final place since 1990 is a Belgium side running on a wave of momentum.

Argentina have reached this stage because of the exceptional brilliance of the world’s best player Lionel Messi. It is a strength any team would want in Brazil – having the game’s ultimate No.10 in your side. Yet it can also be a weakness.

 It is that weakness that Belgium will try to exploit at Brasilia’s Estadio Nacional; Argentina’s over-reliance on Messi. Get Messi out and Argentina are an ordinary side. With him, they look potential world-beaters.  The Belgians have the most astute bench in the tournament. No team has scored more goals off the bench than Marc Wilmots’ side.

Origi has matured
Divock Origi, the son of ex-Harambee Stars international Mike Okoth, has showed maturity beyond his years when he has started or come off the bench for Belgium. Origi will definitely play against Argentina.

Whether Wilmots entrusts him wilth a starting remains to be seen. If he benches him, Romelu Lukaku will get the nod. Despite the oddity of Belgium’s forwards scoring as substitutes, either player will be itching to start a game of so much significance.

The challenge for any team playing Argentina is that Messi requires 24-hour surveillance. In essence, two or three bodies ought to be stationed to track his every movement. Many times it works.

But when, not if, he evades his markers and peels away advancing to goal all of a sudden one or two Argentine forwards are freed, the Angel Di Maria winner against Switzerland being a prime example.

If Belgium stops Messi, they will stop Argentina. It’s not rocket science. The challenge though is how to stop a player who seems to have a date with destiny. 

Argentina and Belgium were both forced into extra time in their second round matches against Switzerland and USA respectively, and the two teams narrowly survived penalties.

The prospect of a post-match shoot out looms large tonight. The other quarter-final between Holland and Costa Rica in Salvador is a David vs Goliath contest.  The Costa Ricans have already dumped former world champions Italy and England out of the tournament and will hold no fear for the Dutch.

But somehow, their stunning World Cup run is bound to end somewhere. This could be it seeing that the Dutch, for whom Arjen Robben has been in terrific form, will treat them as equals and not inferiors.

 Costa Rica’s advantage over Holland is that they have overachieved and are most probably in a World Cup honeymoon. Victory over Holland will continue their Brazil nirvana but defeat will be celebrated, almost as much.

Teams with Costa Rica’s nothing-to-lose attitude are difficult customers. Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal will however have learnt their attributes, having watched Costa Rica’s shock march to the quarter-finals and identified Bryan Ruiz as their key man. The odds of a Costa Rica upset in the semi-finals could well be lengthened.