Moving Day at the World Cup: 4 teams will advance to second round Tuesday

Moving Day: 4 teams will advance Tuesday

JOHANNESBURG — Moving Day arrives Tuesday at the World Cup, and it could be a Latin American fiesta.

Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay need only draws in their final opening-round matches to advance. The Mexicans and Uruguayans meet in Rustenberg (10 a.m.), so a tie will get both teams through from Group A. Argentina, which is on top of Group B, faces Greece at Polokwane ( 2:30 p.m.) and, even if they lose, the Argentines could reach the next round.

Looking on and hoping for help are France and South Africa (10 a.m. at Bloemfontein) in Group A. South Korea is in better shape in Group B and with a victory over Nigeria (2:30 p.m. at Durban), it has a strong chance to stay alive.

Most intriguing, perhaps, is the Mexico-Uruguay game. Neither team is enamored of the prospect of playing powerful Argentina in the knockout round, making a draw almost as bad as a loss.

“Mexico will be a difficult rival just as all the teams in the World Cup,” defender Diego Godin said. “They play good football, but we have the weapons to destroy their game and we know how to cause them damage.”

Indeed, striker Diego Forlan had two goals in a 3-0 romp past South Africa, and forward Luis Suarez is just as dangerous. And the Uruguayans, who needed a playoff with Costa Rica to get into the tournament, have not been scored on.

“We have not conceded a goal so far and that is very important,” Godin said. “If we do the same against Mexico, then we will have progressed to the next round and anything can happen from then on.”

Mexico will be without striker Carlos Vela (right leg injury), but Pablo Barrera is an able replacement up front and did well against France.

“I’m happy because it’s my first World Cup,” Barrera said. “It was my debut and we won. It’s the best thing that can happen to you.”

Even better would be avoiding the Albiceleste in the round of 16. Lionel Messi, the 2009 world player of the year, has been sensational — and he hasn’t even scored yet. Gonzalo Higuain had a hat trick in a 4-1 win over South Korea, and the Argentines have been the most dynamic team through two sets of matches.

But coach Diego Maradona said he intends to leave captain Javier Mascherano and strikers Carlos Tevez and Higuain out of the starting lineup against Greece — even though Argentina has not yet qualified for the final 16.

“We can all be happy,” Maradona said. “Two games, two wins — and the way we achieved them.”

Might Greece take advantage of Argentina’s revamped lineup? The Greeks almost certainly need a win to advance, although a draw and a Nigeria victory over South Korea would do the trick, too.

Greece earned its first World Cup win and scored its first Cup goals in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria last week.

“For sure, the team can do better and can show more on the pitch,” Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos said. “We will be freer to play, because the game against Nigeria was like a final … We are very relaxed after the win, and in my opinion this will help us a lot.”

Nigeria needs the most help: a lopsided victory and a big loss for Greece. The South Koreans are in their seventh consecutive World Cup and are on the verge of advancing; the only other time they got out of the opening round was when they co-hosted the tournament in 2002 and reached the semifinals.

South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira does not expect the turmoil in the French team to affect Les Bleus’ performance against his squad. South Africa needs a convincing victory over France, and a winner between Mexico and Uruguay, for a chance to avoid becoming the first host to fail to make the knockout stage.

Parreira, who coached Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title, thinks Raymond Domenech’s players will leave their well-publicized problems behind; France needs the same scenario as Bafana Bafana in order to advance.

“Once that game starts, France will do everything in its power to win this last group stage match,” Parreira said. “It (France’s problems) should not be considered by us as a positive aspect.”