Van Persie Or Messi? Who's it gonna be?

Lionel Messi
Courtesy Thee Poch Times

Time ticks away and an hour remains till the match between Argentina and Netherlands. The Dutch led by Robin Van Persie and with stars like Arjen Robben and Sneijder to pump in the attack, Argentina's defense has got to have a hard time. Great miracles are expected of the 27 years old Argentinian star Lionel Messi who has won the Ballon d'Or thrice, but Messi is sure to miss Angel di Maria who was ruled out because of a thigh injury in the last match. Messi often relied on di Maria for attacks and in the quarterfinal it was him who took the pass off Messi and tried to score but it took a deflection and became an assist for Gonzalez Higuain who transformed it into a goal.

Arjen Robben
Courtesy Wikipedia

Though their captain, Robin Van Persie hasn't performed much during the world cup, his nation has high hopes from him. He has an eye for nice assists and quick layoffs, but is expected to watch this match from the benches because of an injury. The fierce striker, Arjen Robben must not be forgotten. He is known for easily tripping in the opponent's D and has often drawn out penalties, making him difficult to defend. Sneijder likes to take lethal shots at the goal and the capability of Sergio Romero is seriously doubted by the critics. The dutch face a strong problem in the shape of the offside fouls they concede. In their last match they conceded a record number of offsides and hence missed many attack chances.

Alejandro Sabella
Courtesy Daily Mail

Argentina beat through the strong defense of Belgium in the quarterfinals, the tough Vincent Kompany couldn't hold back the Argentinians for long. Let's see if Messi exhibits his play-making magic today or not. Rumors are already speculating about a possible replacement for Angel di Maria. Fernando Gago, Javier Mascherano and their heartthrob, Ezequiel “El Pocho” Lavezzi are expected to shoulder the duties of di Maria. The dutch manager, Louis van Gaal will have a lot to think about today. Oh, and we hope the Argentinian boss Alejandro Sabella doesn't trip today. 

Cuneyt Cakir, the Turkish referee needs to be added to the list of threats too! He has issued 9 cards in 2 games! Talk about being strict. What do you think?

Pablo Giralt, the Argentinian commentator wept during the last match, he was feeling too proud. Let's hope he feels proud today too. Brace for some "Hup Holland Hup" roars!