Van Gaal Not Thinking About Messi

The Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal expects a “balanced” game against Argentina, but thinks the “luckiest” side might edge it to Sunday’s final in Maracana.

Four-time World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi, will get just a step closer to cementing his name among the echelons of greats and is expected to again spearhead the two-time champions’ attack in Wednesday’s semi-final.

However, Van Gaal insists he is bracing up for a battle with a team of 11 players on the pitch and is rather concerned about Oranje’s stars’ performance in Sao Paulo.

Holland Coach Louis van Gaal Feels It Could take Some Touch of Luck to Win Wednesday's Semi-Final Against Argentina.
Holland Coach Louis van Gaal Feels It Could take Some Touch of Luck to Win Wednesday’s Semi-Final Against Argentina.

“I’m not thinking about individual players, I’m thinking always that we have to play against a team, but Messi is a very important player,” the Manchester United boss said.

“But we also have very important players in our team: Van Persie, Robben and Sneijder. They have never won the [FIFA Ballon d’Or], but they are very good players who can decide a game, like Messi.

“So we have to play against Argentina and we have to try to stop Messi getting the ball, passing the ball, scoring goals, and you do that as a team. I hope my team can do the job.”

The only time Argentina have defeated Holland in eight previous meetings came with a silverware, as ‘La Albiceleste’ claimed their first World title on home soil at the expense of the Dutch in 1978- one of the two occasions Van Gaal’s side have ended up as losing finalists on the world biggest football stage.

The manager, who will resume the coaching role of Premier League club Manchester United after the World Cup, have already highlighted his skills as a master tactician. His match-winning decision to thrust Tim Krul into the thick of penalty shootout thrills against Costa Rica increased his reputation the world over.

Nonetheless, it could take more than a single decision to win a cracker against a team, which has never lost a World Cup semi-finals or better still, stop Messi, who has been involved in 85% of his side’s goals, the most of any player in Brazil.

Van Gaal admits Argentina are a well “organised” team with many intelligent players lucking around Messi but believes ‘Oranje’s’ best possible plot to a third World Cup final is to score first; a setback none of Argentina’s five previous opponents have been able to inflict.

“When they (Argentina) are ahead they close the door for every opponent, so it’s better that we score the first goal,” Van Gaal added.

Having scaled a difficult group which had the likes of the soon-to-be-dethroned champions Spain, the impressive Australia and the surprise team of the tournament Chile, the coach says his players have the confidence to douse the South Americans’ flame this time around.

“Yes, I think so,” Van Gaal replied, when quizzed if his team has the character to go all the way to a first World Cup victory. “We got through the group stage against Spain, the world champions, unbeatable for two years; against Australia – we had never beaten Australia before; and we beat the runners-up, Chile.

“They are all very good sides, so that has given the team a boost, confidence to the players. We are very difficult to beat. That’s down to our organisation and also the belief and confidence that we have, that we have to battle for every victory.”