Netherlands 2 [Sneijder 88*, (Klaas Jan Huntelaar 90 +4 (injury time) ] : Mexico ( do Santos 48* ) Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza
The late surge from the seasoned campaigners kept the Netherland dreams alive. Tulips can still bloom. Dutch can now have another crack at the much coveted trophy which has eluded them.
After Brazil and Columbia they entered the quarter finals as the third team at the cost of Mexico which was the better team on the day till 87 th minute of the match. Football needs to be played with head and as well as heart. Mexicans made tactical error and got the match pirated away. The steady Mexicans were only minutes away from an improbable win against the team of the tournament Netherlands leading by their early second half half goal. But true to the trend of the current world cup incidents happened in the dying minutes.
Netherlands scored twice the second through a penalty to peep Mexicans were pepped to the post. Netherlands once more moved deep qualifying for the quarter finals. Dutch delight and heart breaking for the Mexicans.
In South Africa 2010 Netherlands lost the final through such a heart breaking goal from Spain. Perhaps nature balanced it. Mexico in the later stage of the match for reasons best known to them fall into defence a bit too early allowing dangerous Dutch strikers to raid their territory with series of attack and rob the game away like day like piracy. Wonder why the Goal Scorer do Santos was replaced immediately after he scored.
It is strange but true Netherland though playing one of the finest styles of free flowing total football over the last three decades have not won a FIFA World Cup in its 84-year existence as a tournament.
They were losing finalists on three times including 2010 .On the other hand the Mexicans have made it to the Round of 16 at the last 5 World Cups but could not go beyond. Experts termed the match between Netherland and Mexico as a battle between Unstoppable Dutch Tornado against immovable Mexican Wall. Netherland is the free scoring team of the tournament so far and Mexican Goal Keeper Guillermo Ochoa proved almost impregnable making series of spectacular saves. Even legend Pele acknowledged the save he made off a Neymar header as equally brilliant to that of English great Goal Keeper Gordon Banks off his own header in 1966.
The World Cup's highest-scoring team met arguably the tournament's best goalkeeper. If one man stood in between the progress of the free-scoring Netherlands progress to the quarter-finals in Brazil it was the Mexican Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. Before the match he conceded just one goal, a late consolation strike by Croatia's Ivan Perisic in Mexico's 3-1 win.
The 28-year-old Ochoa kept out Samuel Eto'o as Mexico beat Cameroon 1-0 and then had one of the best performances of the tournament denying Neymar twice with spectacular saves and Thiago Silva late in the 0-0 draw with Brazil. When the Brazil match ended, Mexico's players lined up to hug their man-of-the-
match keeper.
Mexico won the gold medal in the last Olympic beating Brazil.
Holland was doubted by many pundits as they thought Spain would top the group, and Chile would creep into second place given the fact that the World Cup is held in South America.
Holland proved their critics wrong and dominated group play as they clinched the top spot.
The Dutch got their reward for winning the group as they avoided the home team, Brazil in a hostile Belo Horizonte environment. Dutch led by Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben and Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie. They two scored two goals each as the Dutch sent out a warning shot in their 5-1 thumping of Spain.
In the next game against Australia, they scored a goal each and got a winner from super sub Memphis Depay as they defeated Australia 3-2. In their final game against Chile, Holland got another masterful performance out of Arjen Robben as he crossed the ball in box for Holland’s second goal as Memphis Depay was there to turn it in. The absence of Robin Van Persie was felt in the first half as the Dutch struggled to get things going.
The Manchester United striker received a yellow card in the two opening games against Spain and Australia. Van Persie returned and kept up the pace with Neymar, Thomas Muller, and Lionel Messi and Rodriguez for the Golden Boot.
Seven times the team met in the past with Dutch winning three times and losing twice. Team started carefully keeping the defence very tight. The moving Dutch strikers were hardly given space at the heart of Mexican defence to operate in the first ten minutes. Layun made couple of long range attempts to Dutch Goal triggering Mexican waves among their followers. Mexico looked more positive with Peralta, Herrera and Layun operating and engineering few quick moves. Hollad could hardly create any opening in the first twenty minutes. But that is way Dutch team play relying on quick counter attacks exploiting the space created from attacks of opposing team. Bottle greens had clear upper hand over green during the first 30 minutes.
Neither side could create any clear opportunities during this period. Netherlands looked a bit uneasy to adjust with heat of Fortuleza. Teams were clearly preserving the energy with the thoughts of match being extended into extra half an hour in the event the dead lock continues. The match peaked some momentum in the last 5 minutes of the first half with teams showing some urgency.
Robin & Robben almost punished Mexican defence for lack of concentration in the dying minutes of the first half Otherwise the firsr half was almost without mentionable event. Overall Mexico looked more threatening in the half. Teams sat deep. Mexicans being aware of what damage the quality Robin Robben can do left very little space. They built up their own attacks slowly keeping Dutch team engaged and fell back quickly. Only once the defence faltered and almost got punished. Hector Moreno got injured just about half time and was replaced by Diego Reyes.
Mexico surged into lead early into the second half with a brilliant goal from Giovanni do Santos.
In the 48 Th minutes. Getting possession of a loose ball in the Dutch midfield Santos fired a strong strike beating the Dutch keeper all ends up 1-0. The man with Brazilian back ground delivered.
Netherlands with this rude awakening got awake from slumber and almost equalized from a corner in the 56 th minute which somehow rebounded off Ochoa. The second attempt struck the side post. The goal scorer Santos was taken off in the 61 st minutes and was replaced with Javier Aquino. Mexican fans were shouting for their hero Ocho waa, Ocho waa to zee up the team. Ochoa again came to the rescue of his side blocking a dangerously advancing Robben before he could deliver the final touch. An off color van Persie was replaced with Paul Verhaegh. Salcido almost got a second goal for Mexico in the 77 Th minute when he struck wide as he was set free. Dutch kept telling pressure on Mexican defence with series till it finally cracked bringing the Dutch equalizer through Sneijder with only two minutes left 1-1.
The experienced Netherlands kept on the relentless pressure and earned a penalty in the injury time.
Huntelaar converted with Precision 2-1. Netherland buried the dreams of Mexicans who were so close but got knocked out.
Mexico: Ochoa, Aguilar, Rodriguez, Marquez, Moreno (Reyes 46), Layun, Salcido, Herrera, Guardado, Giovani (Aquino 61), Peralta (Hernandez 75).
Holland: Cillessen, Vlaar, De Vrij, Verhaegh (Depay 56), Kuyt, Wijnaldum, De Jong (Martins Indi 9), Blind, Sneijder, Robben, Van Persie (Klaas Jan Huntelaar).
**Dutch beat Mexican by 2-1 goals
BDST: 0723 HRS, June 30, 2014
