AFP, Salvador :Belgium coach Marc Wilmots is targeting a “lack of balance” in Argentina’s ranks as the two sides prepare for their World Cup quarter-final showdown on Saturday. The Red Devils advanced to the last eight of the World Cup for the first time since 1986 on Tuesday with a battling extra- time victory over the United States. That Belgian campaign 28 years ago ended in the semi-finals, when an Argentina side inspired by Diego Maradona defeated them 2-0 in the Azteca Stadium. Parallels with that meeting have been drawn in Brazil, not least because Argentina so far have been heavily reliant on captain Lionel Messi. Wilmots, who has yet to experience defeat in a competitive match since he took over at the helm in 2012, spoke admiringly of Argentina but is confident the South Americans can be attacked. “I saw three central defenders, two fullbacks who play very high, (Angel) Di Maria and (Ezequiel) Lavezzi, (Gonzalo) Higuain and (Lionel) Messi,” said the 45-year-old coach. “But I also feel there is a lack of balance in that team. “For once we’re not favourites but I don’t mind. Once you’re in the quarter-finals the only thing that matters you want to go all the way and that is what we want to do.” Wilmots meanwhile said he believed Belgium would cause problems for Argentina, and insisted he would not focus exclusively on stopping Messi. “We won’t only be watching Messi-we’ll deal with this Argentina team as a whole,” he said. “Switzerland did very, very well. And we play the same way from forward to back. I don’t know how they will adjust to our game. “So we have to be creative. But I want to see what they will do to trouble us.”I was nervous: MessiLionel Messi said he feared Argentina would be knocked out of the World Cup before he set up Angel Di Maria’s late extra-time winner against Switzerland. Di Maria fired in Messi’s pass to clinch a 1-0 win, ending stubborn Swiss resistance and setting up a quarter-final tie against Belgium.”I was nervous towards the end because we couldn’t score and any mistake could have knocked us out,” said Messi, 27.”The minutes were passing and we didn’t want the match to go to penalties.” Two-time champions Argentina dominated possession in Wednesday’s last-16 tie against the Swiss but were unable to break through until Di Maria converted in the 118th-minute.”We were suffering but had a special play,” added Argentina captain Messi, Barcelona’s four-time World Player of the Year.Switzerland defender Blerim Dzemaili headed against the Argentina post then prodded wide after Di Maria’s strike.But Real Madrid winger Di Maria said victory was “more than deserved”. “It wasn’t me, the heroes are 23 players and the technical staff,” the 26-year-old added. “We gave our lives, our souls.”Argentina attempted 29 shots over the 120 minutes, while the Swiss did not manage an effort on target after the 50th minute.But Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side created the best chances of the first half. Argentina keeper Sergio Romero saved in quick succession from Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichtsteiner, before denying Josip Drmic shortly after. “It was a game that we deserved to win in 90 minutes,” said Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella.”It was even during a first half in which they had two clear chances to score, but in the second half we were clearly superior. We had five or six shots at goal and, in extra-time, we also had more chances.” Defeat marked the end of Hitzfeld’s 31-year managerial career. The 65-year-old German is a two-time World Coach of the Year who won 19 major club trophies for Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Grasshoppers, before taking charge of the Swiss national team in 2008. United States boss Jurgen Klinsmann hailed his side’s heroic performance after their last-16 exit to Belgium and says he hopes to build on their success at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.The US were beaten 2-1 by Belgium after extra time but came desperately close to taking the game to penalties.”I’m very proud of our team,” said former Germany striker Klinsmann. “Every player on the field made their country proud with this performance in this World Cup.”Having captured the imagination of the US public with their displays in Brazil, Klinsmann is determined to improve even further in four years’ time, adding: “All of the players went beyond their capabilities and I told them they should take a lot of very positive stuff back home with them.”We are doing everything we can in every corner of the country to find the talent. “We will continue to grow and grow, We are looking for all Americans around the world, no matter what background they have. It’s all part of globalisation.”We have to learn more and more, we are in that process. I don’t know how many years that will take but we have to take it to the opponent. Even if it is against very talented teams you have to play your game.” Klinsmann also paid tribute to keeper Tim Howard, who pulled off a World Cup record 15 saves during the match.”What Tim played last night was just phenomenal, outstanding – he kept us in that game for a long time,” said Klinsmann. “We are proud to have him with us.”It was an absolutely amazing match and you can give him the biggest compliment in the world.” But Everton keeper Howard said the record meant nothing to him adding their “dream” of a quarter-final place had been ended by Belgium, who will now face Argentina on Saturday. “None of that really matters to me,” he said. “I signed up to do that, to put my face in front of balls. If I had no saves or 20 saves it doesn’t mean any more or less. It hurts when we lose.”We dreamed and we fell short of our dream but we got out of the group of death playing well and came up against a top Belgium side.”Hats off to the way we played. We are hungry, we have tasted what it’s like to play against the best in the world and we will be back.”For the best of BBC Sport’s in-depth content and analysis, go to ourfeatures and video page.
