Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella yesterday rejected suggestions that his team are overly dependent on four-time world player of the year Lionel Messi.

Sabella stressed the help Messi gets from teammates.

"Any team that has a player like Messi will greatly depend on him," said Sabella, whose side face Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals in Brasilia in a match that kicks-off at midnight tonight Beijing time,

"What he's doing is the work of the entire team. He's the best player in the world, but he's part of a team."

Messi helped to settle Argentina's last-16 tie against Switzerland with an extra-time assist for Angel Di Maria, but Sabella was eager to flag up the work of substitute Rodrigo Palacio in the build-up.

"The goal the other day was a ball won by Palacios — a forward playing as a midfielder," Sabella added.

"He gave it to Messi and Messi received it in a good position, which allowed him to pass the ball to Di Maria."

With four goals and two assists to his name, Messi has been directly responsible for six of the seven goals that Argentina have scored in Brazil.

"Four years ago he was criticized. Now they say we depend on Messi too much," said Sabella. "It's not easy."

If Argentina look to Messi, Belgium can call upon Eden Hazard, but the 23-year-old is yet to catch fire in Brazil.

Although he came up with crucial and timely assists in the group-phase wins over Algeria and Russia, the Chelsea winger is yet to score.

However, coach Marc Wilmots is adamant that Belgium do not have dependency issues of their own. "When the opponent lets him, he's dangerous, but it's the same thing with (Dries) Mertens and (Kevin) De Bruyne," he said.

Captain Vincent Kompany should be fit to start.

The other quarterfinal between The Netherlands and Costa Rica kicks off at 4am tomorrow Beijing time at Salvador's Arena Fonte Nova, and it has emerged the Central Americans' coach Jorge Luis Pinto learned his trade from the Dutchman who invented "total football."

Watching training

Pinto, a well-traveled Colombian, studied at the University of Cologne early in the 1980s when Dutch coach Rinus Michels was coaching the city's Bundesliga club.

"I spent my time watching him training and talking to him," Pinto said.

It is not only Pinto who knows the Dutch game, as striker Bryan Ruiz plays at PSV Eindhoven. He is teamed in the national team with fast-paced Joel Campbell.

Costa Rica will be attempting to shut down the Dutch striking partnership of Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie.

The Dutch injury list is creating problems for coach Louis van Gaal. Nigel de Jong has a torn groin muscle while Leroy Fer is in doubt with a hamstring injury.

But midfielder Wesley Sneijder is running into form at the right time, breaking his Brazil duck against Mexico with an 88th minute drive.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)