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Argentina Squad Report: First semifinal berth in 24 years comes at a cost

Reuters

Bittersweet. That's surely the feeling running through the Argentine camp right following their 1-0 victory over Belgium in Saturday's quarterfinal match.

Argentina are into the semifinals at the World Cup for the first time in 24 years, having not accomplished the feat (remarkably) since Italia '90 — where they eventually lost to West Germany in the final.

"After 24 years, this is a good tribute to this squad  they will go down in history as one of the best four teams in the world and we will see if they can go one step more," manager (and latest Internet sensation) Alejandro Sabella said after the win.

They even got a goal from someone other than Lionel Messi. Gonzalo Higuain's first tally of the tournament — and first from a striker other than Messi — was enough to seal the win. The captain was finally getting some help.

By every metric, it was a momentous moment being celebrated feverishly in Buenos Aires. 

After the match, however, reports that Angel di Maria would miss the remainder of the tournament with a minor tear in his right thigh somewhat dampened the euphoria. He has been their second-best player in Brazil, behind you know who.

Messi is still in the fold, giving Sabella the ultimate ace in the hole heading into the semifinal against the Netherlands. The dream final with the hosts is still intact. There is plenty of reason to celebrate. 

But you can't fault Argentine supporters who are a little anxious at the moment.

Fixtures/Results

Group F — June 15 — Argentina 2, Bosnia-Herzegovina 1

Group F — June 21 — Argentina 1, Iran 0

Group F — June 25 — Argentina 3, Nigeria 2

Round of 16 — July 1 — Argentina 1, Switzerland 0 (AET)

Quarterfinal — July 5 — Argentina 1, Belgium 0

Semifinal — July 9 — Argentina vs. Netherlands

Squad News/Rumors/Injury Report

Reports that Di Maria will play no further part in Brazil are nothing short of devastating for the Albiceleste. The Real Madrid winger is the only player who has looked capable (and willing) of taking the attacking burden off the shoulders of his captain throughout the tournament. Scorer of the winning goal against Switzerland, it was his deflected pass that set up Higuain's strike yesterday in Brasilia.

The injury itself looked innocuous enough, with the speedy winger going down on his own after taking a shot in the first half. Without any contact from a defender on the play, the ailment was always likely to be this type of muscular issue.

As is customary, the manager noted after the match that the winger will undergo testing on Sunday to determine the extent of the injury. Expect a firm diagnosis of his condition at some point later in the day.

The manager has already been dealing with the absence of striker Sergio Aguero, whose muscular injury suffered against Nigeria has forced him to watch the Albiceleste's last two matches from the sidelines. The Manchester City star was able to train on Friday with his teammates, and in an ideal world the extra few days ahead of the match against the Netherlands would give him enough time to regain full fitness.

Left-back Marcos Rojo, who missed the win over Belgium through suspension, is expected to reclaim his place in the starting lineup on Wednesday, replacing Jose Basanta.

Team Leaders

Goals: Lionel Messi - 4

Assists: Ezequiel Lavezzi, Lionel Messi - 1 

Quick Notes

1. Alejandro Sabella became an Internet sensation after his near-tumble on the sidelines during yesterday's contest.

2. Lionel Messi's passing ability needs to be discussed more often.

3. John Brewin on Gonzalo Higuain, and how he picked a great moment to finally step up and offer Messi a helping hand.

4. Higuain's goal was his 5th in the World Cup, putting him in a tie with Messi for 5th on Argentina's all-time list. Gabriel Batistuta is the country's all-time leading scorer at the tournament with 10 goals.

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