Argentina manager urges team to be "very careful" with USA

The Copa America Centenario semifinals are set and for many, United States vs. Argentina in one of the match-ups is a dream scenario. It's the No. 1 ranked team in the world vs. the confident host country who have won three matches in a row. All eyes in the soccer world will be on NRG Stadium on Tuesday night to watch the two teams battle it out for a spot in the final.

It should come as no surprise that the U.S. will open as massive underdogs against the top-ranked team in the world. But that doesn't mean Argentina are taking them lightly. Their manager, Gerardo Martino, spoke after his side earned their semifinal ticket on Saturday and issued a warning to his side about the threat the Americans possess.

"As I always say, any team that gets to this stage in a tournament, like the U.S., they get there because of their own merit," he told a press conference. "They had a very difficult group, and they even lost the first game, but they recovered.

"It's true that for this game they have three suspended players but nevertheless the fact they have got this far and the fact that they are the home team means that they are a rival we have to be very careful with.

"They're a top rival, and just like Venezuela they can complicate things for us. We have to try not to offer things up to them. We offered Venezuela a little window of opportunity."

-Gerardo Martino; Source: beIN Sports

The U.S. may have gotten off to a slow start in this tournament, but they've steadily gained confidence over the past three matches. Their defending during the run of play has been nothing short of spectacular. It's true that they'll likely be without three of their starters for the semifinal, but there are talented players waiting in the wings for their chance to shine.

Anything can happen in soccer. Who would've expected Mexico to lose 7-0 to Chile in front of a heavily pro-Mexico crowd?

The USMNT have a chance to win any match they play, especially on home soil. Argentina are a fantastic team stacked with world-class players, but any team can be beaten on any day. The U.S. will be hoping that Tuesday is their day to pull off an upset.