World Cup: Argentina to complete the "quarterfinals"

Los Angeles – Agencies – Defending champions Argentina, led by their legendary star Lionel Messi, will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup in Kansas early tomorrow Sunday.

The winner of this match will advance to the semi-finals to face the victor of the England-Norway clash, while the other semi-final promises a fiery showdown between France and Spain.

Argentina began their campaign to retain the World Cup title smoothly, aiming to become the first national team since Brazil in 1962 to win the tournament consecutively.

However, as they entered the knockout stages, some vulnerabilities began to surface, following difficult matches against Cape Verde, making their World Cup debut, and then against Egypt.

Lionel Messi, who celebrated his 39th birthday during the group stage, was once again the inspiration for the Argentine national team, with his genius repeatedly rescuing the side from precarious situations.

Nevertheless, some believe that the Swiss team, known for its well-organized structure under the leadership of veteran Granit Xhaka, may be able to exploit any signs of fatigue in the Argentine players and trouble them at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Messi will attempt to extend his unprecedented record of 21 World Cup goals, accumulated across his six tournament appearances.

The two teams meet in Kansas City after Argentina overcame a tough hurdle by defeating Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16, the same scoreline with which they beat Cape Verde in the round of 32, albeit after extra time.

On the other hand, after defeating Algeria 2-0 in the round of 32 and overcoming Colombia on penalties following a goalless draw in the round of 16, facing a tougher opponent, the defending champions Argentina, will present a new challenge for Murat Yakin’s team as they seek to chart new horizons and ambitions and achieve a historic semi-final qualification never before attained by a European national team.

The Argentine national team carries not only the responsibility of defending its title but also preserving the pride of South American football against European dominance, with only European teams—France, Spain, and either England or Norway—remaining in the semi-finals.

This may be seen as a display of character for Argentina, insisting on winning in the dying moments, but conversely, the path to the Tango players’ goal is not difficult, as evidenced by the four goals scored by Egypt and Cape Verde.

Switzerland, meanwhile, may approach the match with less pressure. Despite its efforts to write new history in the World Cup, it has nothing to lose, as it is theoretically not the favorite to advance.

History also clearly favors Argentina, having faced Switzerland seven times previously without a Swiss victory, recording five wins for Argentina and two draws.

Among those encounters were two World Cup matches: the first in 1966, which Argentina won 2-0, and the second in 2014, where the Tangos also won 1-0, but after extra time.

Argentine manager Lionel Scaloni will have no choice but to continue relying on the key players who make the difference, especially captain Lionel Messi, who is no longer chasing records; rather, the records are chasing him from match to match in the World Cup, having scored in every Argentine appearance in the tournament.

Equally important are the influential attacking roles of Julián Álvarez and Enzo Fernández, the match-winner against Egypt. Switzerland are expected to adopt a more defensively secure approach in the upcoming clash, similar to their performance against Colombia but with greater compactness.

Swiss coach Murat Yakin hopes his team will be at their best, particularly star goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, whose crucial saves helped secure qualification, as well as the experience of defenders such as Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodríguez, and the prominent midfield role of Granit Xhaka.

However, alongside these elements, the attacking trio of Xherdan Shaqiri, Breel Embolo, and Haris Seferović could play a key role in swift counterattacks against Argentina, as they did against Egypt and Cape Verde, aiming to trouble Emiliano Martínez’s goal and increase their chances of scoring, with hopes of pulling off an upset.

The Swiss national team suffered a significant blow ahead of their quarter-final match against Argentina at the World Cup, with confirmation that their young star and tournament top scorer (3 goals), Johan Djourou, will miss the anticipated encounter due to a knee injury.