The Netherlands (Holanda) vs Argentina match will be played this Wednesday, July 9, 2014 (1:00 PM Pacific) at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo. The second semifinal will decide who faces Germany on July 13 in the grand final.
Neither of these teams has lost a match up to the semifinal, but they had a tough task to accomplish in their latest games. Netherlands survived a penalty shootout scare against the biggest surprise of the tournament, Costa Rica. Meanwhile, Argentina had a tense match against the very solid Belgium, but with Gonzalo Higuain’s excellent goal, they won by 1-0.
These two teams have a rich history of encounters in the World Cup. Netherlands is the more successful team, they won two out of four matches, and one of them ended as a draw. However, the most important match they’ve ever played was won by Argentina. That was in the 1978 World Cup final, when Argentina won 3-1, after extra time.
Netherlands will seek revenge in this game for that loss, and if we look back at the previous matches of both teams, perhaps they are slightly more favored to win this one.
Both managers have encountered problems with injured players. Angel Di Maria, who had a terrific tournament so far, was injured in the match against Belgium, and he won’t feature in this semifinal. However, Argentina received a boost since Sergio Aguero recovered from his injury, and will be available for the pick, and is expected to be in the starting lineup for this match.
In the Netherlands team, Nigel de Jong is injured, and Ron Vlaar, Leroy Fer, and most significantly, Ruben Van Persie, are doubtful to start – they will have to undergo a late fitness test before the match.
All the teams in this year’s World Cup have been very cautious after the knockout rounds have started, and we expect the same mindset from this match. The stake is too high, and both Argentina and Netherlands will have a defensive approach, and rely on their talented attackers and individual actions in attack.
Also, both teams proved to be pretty vulnerable on the flanks, so Messi and Robben have the chance to be the heroes of their respective national teams.
Netherlands vs Argentina Prediction
It is very possible that one goal will decide the outcome of this clash, and the team which scores first will have an enormous advantage – both teams are great when it comes to counter attacks, and if their opponents leave them enough space, it could be fatal for them.
Considering all the facts, it is expected that this game won’t abound with goals, and a solitary goal from Messi or Robben could very well dictate the outcome. The Netherlands vs Argentina match will end in a 1-0 win for Argentina.
Netherlands vs Argentina TV Schedule
The Netherlands vs Argentina match will be televised on ESPN and Univision at 1:00 PM Pacific.
