BRASILIA - Lionel Messi is like water in the desert, Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said after his team beat Belgium 1-0 to reach the semifinals on Saturday.

Messi failed to score and even squandered a clear scoring chance in stoppage time as the South Americans did the bare minimum to reach the last four for the first time since 1990.

But his mere presence on the field appeared to inhibit Belgium, who were strangely cautious even when forced to chase the game after Gonzalo Higuain's early goal.

"I think Messi played really well, it's not just about scoring goals, it's about having possession of the ball, attracting three opponents and then giving the ball to a teammate in an advantageous position," Sabella said. "Each time he gets the ball, it represents hope for all of us and a threatening situation for our opponents."

Argentina, who will face Netherlands in their semifinal on Wednesday, seemed happy to hand the initiative to Belgium after their early breakthrough. "I'm very happy for the players who played an excellent game, said Sabella. - Reuters