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Saturday's Schedule
| MATCH | TIME (CT) | NETWORK | TEAMS / SITE | REFEREE | ANNOUNCERS | ODDS |
| 60 | 11:00am | ABC |
Argentina vs Belgium Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha Brasília |
Nicola Rizzoli (ITA) |
Derek Rae Kasey Keller |
Argentina 6:5 Draw 9:4 Belgium 11:4 |
| 59 | 3:00pm | ESPN |
Netherlands vs Costa Rica Arena Fonte Nova Salvador |
Ravshan Irmatov (UZB) |
Adrian Healey Alejandro Moreno |
Netherlands 1:2 Draw 3:1 Costa Rica 7:1 |
Game 60: Argentina-Belgium
It's the fifth meeting between the two sides, with Argentina winning three and Belgium one -- in the 1982 World Cup. Marcos Rojo is benched for la Albiceleste, having picked up his second yellow against Switzerland. José Basanta probably fills in. Sergio Agüero is also out, as Alejandro Sabella will let him get to 100% for a potential semifinal clash rather than risking an aggravated injury today. Either Maxi Rodriguez, Rodrigo Palacio, or Ezequiel Lavezzi are likely replacements there. For the Belgians, Thomas Vermaelen looks fit to return, which could send Jan Vertonghen or Daniel van Buyten to the sideline, though Marc Wilmots may leave things as they were against the Americans. He won't have the bench services of Anthony vanden Borre, who suffered a broken ankle against South Korea. Lastly, Romelu Lukaku is a good bet to return to the starting XI after his thrilling performance against the USA in extra time. Argentina are the solid favorites in this match at the bookmakers' window, but their performance thus far in this tournament hasn't truly warranted it. Then again, Belgium hasn't fulfilled their youthful promise either. But this is a game the Red Devils are perfectly capable of winning, especially if Eden Hazard comes to life. In SB Nation's match preview, Jack Sargeant predicts penalty kicks.
Game 59: Netherlands-Costa Rica
Today marks the first-ever meeting between the Ticos and Oranje. Nigel de Jong has been ruled out of further action following a tear in his groin, an injury so terrible that you're unable to play today after reading about it. That will lead to a chain reaction, with Bruno Martins Indi sliding left to replace Daley Blind, who'd move forward to replace de Jong. Paul Verhaegh got a shot against Mexico and was found wanting, so Daryl Janmaat is expected to return to the lineup. For Costa Rica, Keylor Navas suffered an injury scare in their round of 16 win, but is expected to be fit. Óscar Duarte will be missing after being sent off against Greece, and Rory Miller may not be in shape to play; that's going to create problems for the Ticos defensively. Although the rallying cry now is We Are All Ticos, the tournament's last underdogs are probably not going to survive the Dutch onslaught today. Jack Sargeant is, again, on the case with SB Nation's match preview.
Are we destined for a pair of South America-Europe semifinals? Will Europe instead send three teams through? Or will we have the shocking spectacle of three Western Hemisphere squads standing in Germany's path as the sole remaining European side? Stick with us today and we'll all find out together.