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| Gonzalo Higuain of Argentina (2nd L) celebrates scoring his team's first goal with Angel di Maria (L), Lionel Messi (2nd L) and Lucas Biglia during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Quarter Final match between Argentina and Belgium at Estadio Nacional on July 5, 2014 in Brasilia, Brazil. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) |
For once Lionel Messi didn't carry Argentina on his shoulders.
He didn't have to.
Gonzalo Higuain ended a four-game scoreless streak with an early winner as Argentina beat Belgium 1-0 and reached a World Cup semifinal match for the first time since 1990.
"Since the first game of this World Cup I said I was calm, that the goals would come. It came and at an important moment," Higuain said. "It's been so many years since we made it to the semifinals. Now we did."
Higuain came into the World Cup still recovering from an ankle injury that had sidelined him since early May. The 26-year-old Napoli striker looked out-of-form in the group stage and wasn't giving Argentina the edge it needed in the penalty area.
That changed in the eighth minute of the game in Brasilia, as he picked up a deflected pass from Angel Di Maria just inside the area and beat goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with a half-volley toward the far post.
"Higuain has the class to put the ball where he wants it. There is nothing we could do about it," Courtois said.
