Two nations chasing World Cup glory will do battle today in a match between Belgium and Algeria. The 2014 World Cup group-stage match scheduled for 12 p.m. ET will be held at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte and can be live streamed here free. A free Spanish language stream of the match can be found here. Free radio coverage can be found here. Additional TV coverage can be found on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
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Algeria enters today's match with the daunting task of having to stop one of the world's most talented rosters. Young starlets that feature in the Premier League have littered Belgium's roster, forcing assistant coach Nourredine Kourichi to focus his tactics on a myriad of players, not just one.
"If we focus on Eden Hazard, we could have some nasty surprises. We know his qualities, but also his weak points. We can't focus especially on him. There are others, like Lukaku," Kourichi said (via FIFA). "We don't have a special plan against Hazard. We can mark and stop an opposing player with our own strategy."
When asked about the inexperience and quality of his team, he added: "You can't replace experience, but when you have the will, the recklessness and the talent, anything is possible. On Tuesday both teams have a chance. It's not a small team against a big team."
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Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: It takes transcendent talent to win a World Cup, and Belgium has more than its fair share. Look no further than Eden Hazard for proof. The 23-year-old made 35 league appearances for Chelsea last season, posting 14 goals and seven assists. His ability to push forward and run at the defense allowed him to average 3.8 dribbles per match.
Belgium's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Vertonghen, Buyten, Kompany, Alderweireld; Fellaini, Witsel; Hazard, Bruyne, Mertens; Lukaku
Algeria's Projected Lineup (4-3-2-1): Zemmamouche; Ghoulam, Bougherra, Cadamuro, Mandi; Taider, Bentaleb, Lacen; Feghouli, Soudani; Slimani
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored)
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