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Messi Desafia Van Gaal

“Without disrespecting the other teams, the real World Cup begins now for us. Argentina, like Brazil, is a top team, they are countries of a very different caliber». After facing Ecuador, Senegal, Qatar and the United States, the Netherlands measure their ability to be world champions, which is the aspiration of Louis van Gaal, against a candidate with identical pretense An Argentina articulated around Lionel Messi, no matter who accompanies him.

The Netherlands face the same opposition that knocked them out of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil – they failed to qualify for Russia 2018 – and are still unbeaten since then in both spells under Van Gaal. The orange selection did not lose any of the seven matches (fell against the Albiceleste on penalties, 2-4) and adds to the four of the current edition. It is the longest streak of matches (11) in the World Cup. Argentina, who entered with a 36-match unbeaten run, fell to Arabia in their opener. It is the sixth time they have met in a World Cup.

The style of the selections has changed little after eight years. Van Gaal explained that he changed his approach at that time. “I joined a very offensive Ajax and at Barça I learned that you can’t always be so offensive”, he confessed about the evolution he has led. What hasn’t changed is that he adopts a fixed eleven and barely tweaks it. Seven of the eleven players have always been starters.

This stability of the Netherlands is a virtue recognized by Lionel Scaloni. “Holland is a very balanced team; all defend and all attack. Before it was thought that only four players attacked, now football is something else”, said the Argentine coach.

Penalties hover over the two delegations. The Netherlands has a historical obsession with this fate due to the traumatic experiences it has lived through. Before the one in 2014 with Argentina (2-4 fell after 0-0 after 120 minutes), he suffered one of the worst at Euro 2000: he wasted two during the match and three more in the shootout against an Italy that finished the semi-final with nine players. Frank Rijkaard was the coach and resigned from the position.

In Brazil, South American goalkeeper Sergio Romero had been Van Gaal’s apprentice at AZ Alkmaar. He signed him from Avellaneda and then wanted to take him to Manchester, where he had already sacked Ángel di María, who declared that the Dutch coach had been the worst of his career when they met at Old Trafford in 2014. The Netherlands prepares penalties with almost daily practices and with “scientific data” to acquire a certain advantage. Which contrasts with the information that, at the same time, any rival is looking for. Scaloni does not want to think about this agonizing outcome of the match.

The Netherlands-Argentina will be the star match at the start of the quarter-finals. Earlier, at 4pm, Brazil and Croatia will have sought the semi-finals in a more unequal duel. The Brazilians are favorites despite having in front of them the current runners-up. La Canarinha has never lost to the Croatians and will be looking to be in the semifinals of a World Cup for the ninth time.

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