Argentina reached its first semifinal in decades after defeating Belgium 1-0 in Saturday's quarterfinals meeting. Here are some observations.

1. Argentina still weak in attack, solid in defense
Those still holding out for a dominant offensive display from Alejandro Sabella's Argentina are going to have to give up -- it will not happen. Argentina's attack, despite producing 10 shots and seven on target, was anemic and underwhelming. The early goal from Gonzalo Higuain was flukey to be sure and caught the entire Belgian defense off guard, but the team rarely produced any chances thereafter.

The best chance that was produced by the team after the goal came in the dying seconds when Lionel Messi got a breakaway that was stopped by Thibaut Courtois, who rushed out of his goal to prevent a 2-0 deficit.

That said, 1-0 is good enough as long as you do not concede and that is what Argentina did. The team gave up 49 percent of the possession to Belgium but did not really suffer that much. The opposition only had four shots on target and rarely threatened Sergio Romero's goal. Defense was always seen as a weak point for this team, but it seems that Argentina worked hard to make sure it was not the case in this matchup.

2. Messi still the man
The Barcelona superstar had a "sub-par" performance on his standards but still managed to play well for his side. He had a total of 52 touches and terrific passing precision throughout the match. His tenacity with the ball was the main reason for the opening goal as he refused to give up despite being harassed by numerous defenders. At another point in the first half he ran up the pitch and warded off three defenders. He was eventually forced to the outside but only by a gang of Belgian defenders. Credit must be given to the European side for stifling Messi throughout, but at this point it seems that Argentina only needs one moment of magic to win games; a fifth straight one-goal victory makes it clear that despite possessing no real identity, Argentina knows how to grind out victories.

3. Eden Hazard caps a poor World Cup
Maybe in four years the Chelsea superstar will be a Golden Ball contender, but on this occasion Eden Hazard was far from a game-changer for his country. Aside from his big assist against Russia, Hazard was mainly invisible and looked like a man struggling with the pressure. Passing was often off the mark and his touches were not particularly dangerous. He did not get a single shot off against Argentina and left the World Cup without a goal.

4. Belgium play scared
On Friday, France did not seem aware that they needed to win to keep their tournament alive. The same seemed to be the case for Belgium which was content to pass the ball around and wait for opportunities. That cautious approach should work with a 1-0 lead, but a team trailing for 83 minutes needs a sense of urgency and should look to pounce on an opponent known for its poor defense. Instead Belgium looked like the team that was afraid of a counter-attack from Argentina and never really took the risks necessary to truly expose the team. This Belgium team is better than the Nigerian side that scored twice against Argentina and far superior to the Iranian side that almost took down Argentina. They should have been better but are clearly not at the level to win the tournament now. Maybe in four years that will change.