‘Not here by chance’
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who will mark his 100th game in charge of the South American giants in Friday’s clash, insists his side will not take their opponents lightly, pointing to their unbeaten record in the group stage.
“This is a team that hasn’t lost,” said Scaloni.
“They’re not here by accident. We have to respect them and that’s what we’re going to do.”
A win for Argentina will see them into a last 16 match against either Australia or Egypt, who meet in Dallas on Friday.
Australia coach Tony Popovic has challenged the Socceroos to make history by winning their first knockout game at the World Cup.
“It will be a special game and we want to showcase Australian football on the world stage,” Popovic said on Thursday, adding that “if we perform well, we have a chance to make history”.
Egypt enter the game with fitness concerns swirling around former Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah nursing a hamstring problem.
Coach Hossam Hassan said Salah would not be risked if “I am 100 per cent sure he is fit and wants to leave”.
In Friday’s other game, Ghana, like Egypt, hope to turn around what has been a disappointing start to the knockout rounds for African teams when they face Colombia in Kansas City.
So far, five of the nine African teams in the last 32 have been eliminated, with South Africa, Ivory Coast, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Algeria all heading for the exit. Only Morocco has made it to the last 16.
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz said he hopes to reverse that trend against a dangerous Colombian side.
“We have to improve it,” Queiroz said of the African exodus. “So it’s on our shoulders to make sure we add another African team in the next round. That’s our job.”
Algeria were eliminated in a 2-0 defeat to Switzerland on Thursday, while Portugal and Spain advanced to the last 16.
Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in a drama-filled game in Toronto, while Spain beat Austria 3-0 to extend their unbeaten run to 35 matches.
