Argentina and the U.S.A. have both already been eliminated from the Rugby World Cup, but there will be more than pride at stake when the two teams meet in Kumagaya on Wednesday.
Los Pumas are third in Pool C behind already-qualified England and France after losing to both teams and beating Tonga, while the Eagles are bottom of the group after losing both of their games so far.
A win for Argentina will mathematically ensure a third-place finish, which will guarantee automatic qualification for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Third spot in the pool is still mathematically within the U.S.'s reach, but Gary Gold's men must win their remaining two games.
Considering the Eagles have never won more than one game in the same tournament—they recorded solitary wins in 1987, 2003 and 2011—and that they have never defeated Argentina in eight meetings, that is easier said than done.
The U.S. lost 45-7 against England in their opening game when they had John Quill sent off after 70 minutes for a shoulder-charge tackle against England's fly-half Owen Farrell, before falling 33-9 against France last week.
The Eagles have never finished third in a World Cup pool before and fly-half A.J. MacGinty insisted the players still believe they can win their remaining two games in Japan.
"A single win is massive and it can come in this game," he said in a press conference on Tuesday.
"It's huge for us as a team and the stamp we want to put on American rugby's legacy but also the growth of the game in America [...] A third-place finish is something that's never been done. For us, as a group, that's a massive motivational thing."
Argentina's slim hopes of reaching the quarterfinals for a fourth consecutive World Cup, meanwhile, were extinguished by a 39-10 defeat to England in Tokyo on Saturday.
Lock Tomas Lavanini was red-carded with just 19 minutes played and his team 5-3 down, leaving the South Americans with an enormous mountain to climb.
Coupled with a narrow 23-21 defeat against France in the opening game, the loss to England spelled the end of Argentina's hopes of qualifying for the next round.
Los Pumas' only win of the tournament so far came in their second game group as they won 28-12 against Tonga, who the U.S. will face in the final game of Pool C on Sunday.
When and where is the game?
Argentina takes on the U.S. at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium in Kumagaya on Wednesday, October 9.
Kick-off is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. local time (12:45 a.m. ET).
The arena has already hosted two World Cup games, with Samoa beating Russia 34-9 on September 24 and Georgia defeating Uruguay 33-7 five days later.
TV coverage
The game will be live both on NBCSN and on NBC Sports Gold.
NBCSN will broadcast a total of 26 games live throughout the tournament, while all 48 Rugby World Cup games will be broadcast exclusively in the U.S. by NBC Sports Gold. Fans can purchase a single match pass for $29.99, or a Rugby World Cup pass for $199.99.
An all-access premium package, which includes all 48 matches live and on-demand as well as season-long access to Rugby Pass for the 2019-20 season, comes in at $229.99.
Live stream
Fans can follow the action in several ways. Live streams will be available via NBCSportsGold.com and NBC will broadcast the matches on desktop, mobile tablet and connected devices.
Live streams will also be available via Apple and Android devices, as well as Amazon Fire TV and Roku.
Series record
Argentina and the U.S. have met eight times, with Los Pumas winning on each occasion.
Wednesday's game will mark the first time the two teams have crossed paths at the Rugby World Cup.
Odds
According to Oddschecker, Argentina is an 11/100 favorite, while the U.S. is a 15/2 underdog and the draw is at 55/1.
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