World Cup 2014: Argentina Ousts Belgium, 1-0

Argentina beat Belgium, 1-0, on Saturday, holding on after Gonzalo Higuaín's half-volley gave them an early lead. Belgium pushed forward throughout the rest of the game but was lacking in offensive fluency, often resorting to floated crosses that Argentina's defense cleared with relative ease.
 

Argentina's win was tempered by a first-half injury to star winger Ángel Di María, who appeared to hurt his thigh after his shot was blocked by Vincent Kompany. But the organization the team showed will give them hope entering the semifinal, along with the knowledge that Argentina could have won by a greater margin. Ezequiel Lavezzi hit the crossbar in the second half, and Lionel Messi was narrowly denied by Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in injury time. 

 Belgium leaves the World Cup with the consolation that its team has a bright future, its young stars just hitting their prime for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 

Argentina will play the winner of this afternoon's game between the Netherlands and Costa Rica in the semifinals.

What to Expect 

Lionel Messi has lived up to his reputation at this World Cup, at times carrying Argentina despite triple and quadruple coverage. But winning it will require help from Ángel di María, who scored the game-winner in the last round, as well as Gonzalo Higuaín and Ezequiel Lavezzi. Belgium has dispatched Algeria, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. With respect to those teams, its World Cup really begins here. 

What’s at Stake 

 A semifinal against the winner of Netherlands-Costa Rica.