Day 24 - Belgium v Argentina

Post Match Thoughts
I'm hoping for a better day of football, though this game doesn't offer much encouragement. I've not seen much from either team to suggest they've played as well as they could. For all the talk of this being the best generation Belgium has ever produced, they've been little more than functional for 99% of this World Cup so far, needed Roman Lukaku to wake up and do a job to get past the USA.

In the same way, Argentina have (more obviously) relied on the magic of Messi to put them into contention. Throw in the news that Brazil have lost Neymar with a broken vertebrate and there will be a feeling amongst everyone else that their odds just got better.

Somewhat surprisingly, Fellani stays in the team despite a poor showing in the last game while Lukaku stays on the bench, though Kevin Mirallas starts. ITV TV have tried stirring a little by suggesting the real power in the dressing room lies with captain Vincent Kompany rather than coach Marc Wilmots, which seems hard to believe.

1-0 win to Argentina seems a fairly likely outcome here.

Drink?
It's Saturday, it's warm. Of course I want a beer!

First Half
As I expected, not the most thrilling of games, with I think only one shot on target. Sadly for Belgium, Higuain pulled off a perfect finish for his first goal of the tournament. Since then, both goalkeepers may as well have brought a book, such is their lack of work. The pace of the game has been essentially as quick as me, though if anybody else is going to score, it'll be the South Americans.

Second Half
Argentina perhaps knew this result was solid, as they rarely pushed too hard and Belgium never offered much in the way of any threats. Indeed, the best chance of the half came right at the end when Messi was clean through, only to squander an opportunity.

Belgium may look back on this World Cup as a wasted opportunity. Eden Hazard especially was poor and it was their lack of attacking threat that means they're not in the final four.

Result
Argentina win 1-0 and will face Germany.

Beer O'Clock
Why does anyone drink the American Budweiser (which is total piss) when the original is infinitely times better?