Argentina never lost in the World Cup semifinals

The confrontation between Argentina and Croatia, at 4 pm this Tuesday (13), is the fifth opportunity for the Alviceleste team to play in the semifinals of the World Cup. On the last four occasions —1930, 1986, 1990 and 2014— the brothers made it to the final.

In 1930, in the first edition of Cups, they thrashed the United States by 6 to 1. In the final, they ended up defeated by their Uruguayan neighbors, who won the first title in the history of the tournament with a victory by 4 to 2.

The Argentines only returned to the semifinals fifty-six years later, in the 1986 World Cup. When they were champions for the first time, in 1978, the tournament did not have semifinals, but two group stages. In the second phase, the top teams in groups A and B —Argentina and Holland— competed in the final.

Thus, the second opportunity was 1986. On the occasion, they defeated Belgium by 2 to 0, with two goals from Maradona. The Celeste team advanced to face Matthaus’s Germany and win their second championship with a 3-2 victory in the final.

In the following edition, in 1990, Argentina faced Italy in the semis, after overthrowing Brazil in the round of 16 and Yugoslavia in the quarterfinals. The duel ended in a draw and went to penalties – in the dispute, Argentines beat Italians by 4 to 3. Classified, they met the Germans in the final, but this time they lost the title, sealed by a penalty goal by Andreas Brehme a few minutes from the end .

Argentina’s fourth semifinal was played in Brazil, at the 2014 World Cup. At Arena Corinthians, the brothers played an even match against van Gaal’s Netherlands —defeated in the quarterfinals in the current edition by the Argentines themselves. The game ended 0-0, and the vacancy was decided on penalties. In the dispute, goalkeeper Romero shone, who defended two charges, from Sneijder and Vlaar.

The final was the third between Argentines and Germans. With a goal by Mario Gotze in the second half of extra time, after a lukewarm 0-0 in normal time, Germany became four-time world champion at Maracanã.

Now, Scaloneta —named after the current coach, Lionel Scaloni— is trying to maintain its unbeaten record in the semifinals against Croatia, who overthrew Brazil on penalties in the quarterfinals.