Holland
staged a remarkable recovery to defeat Mexico 2-1 as last-gasp goals from
Wesley Sneijder and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar sent them through to the World Cup
quarter-finals.
Louis
van Gaal’s side looked to be down and out in the searing heat of Fortaleza
after Giovani dos Santos had fired Mexico into a 48th-minute lead and
goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa continued his heroics as the last line of defence.
But
the European nation dragged themselves level in the 88th minute as Sneijder
lashed home a venomous strike from the edge of the box and then went ahead from
the penalty spot in the fourth minute of added time after Arjen Robben was
felled in the box by Mexico captain Rafael Marquez, with substitute Huntelaar
calmly sending Ochoa the wrong way.
Wesley
Sneijder equalises for Holland
Van
Gaal, who will take over as Manchester United boss once Holland's World Cup
campaign comes to an end, demonstrated he is happy to make the big calls in the
key games, as he withdrew skipper Robin van Persie 14 minutes from time at the
Estadio Castelao for match-winner Huntelaar.
Holland
were forced into a very early change in only the ninth minute as Nigel De Jong
limped out of the action to be replaced by Bruno Martins Indi, before Robben’s
incredibly hopeful appeals for a penalty were waved away when his attempted
cross struck Marquez from point-blank range.
Mexico
then ramped up the pressure and Hector Herrera was inches away from breaking
the deadlock after being set up by Oribe Peralta on the edge of the box, with
his slightly scuffed effort rolling just beyond a remarkably calm Jasper
Cillessen’s post.
The
players take on fluids
Cooling
break
Herrera
felt he should have been awarded a spot-kick after being caught in the head by
the raised boot of Ron Vlaar with Stefan de Vrij’s studs also flying in as the
Mexico man looked to head on in the area, but Portuguese referee Pedro Proenca
awarded only a corner.
Cillessen
was called into action again to palm away a long-range strike from Carlos
Salcido, before a rare touch for the returning Van Persie saw him bring down a
ball over the top before firing wildly off target.
After
the first official 'cooling break' to allow both teams to take on some
much-needed fluids, Dos Santos forced Cillessen into a decent save at his near
post as the ball bobbled through to him somewhat fortuitously off the knee of
Andres Guardado following an excellent flick from Peralta.
Marquez
gifted possession to Van Persie in added time at the end of the first half but
recovered to regain the ball with a very questionable challenge on Robben,
which left Hector Moreno needing to be stretchered away after being caught in
the tangle of legs in the box. Diego Reyes replaced Moreno for the second half.
Giovani
dos Santos gave Mexico the lead
The
deadlock was broken in the 48th minute with a moment of sheer class from Dos
Santos. The former Tottenham man chested down a loose ball well outside the
Dutch area and then unleashed a half-volley as the ball sat up, his shot flying
beyond the despairing dive of Cillessen.
The
Dutch goalkeeper was called into action again to gather a curling effort from
Peralta, before his opposite number Ochoa produced yet another breath-taking
save to keep his side in front.
Clumsy
tackle
Ochoa,
the hero of Mexico’s 0-0 draw with Brazil, somehow palmed De Vrij’s volley from
inside the six-yard box away from the centre of the goal and onto the outside
of the post after Robben’s corner from the left was met firmly by the defender.
Van
Gaal’s side were now pushing hard for a leveller, with Sneijder seeing a shot
from the edge of the box deflected narrowly wide, and the Galatasaray man was
then just inches away from connecting with Robben’s cute cross from the left.
Guillermo
Ochoa saves from Stefan de Vrij
Peralta
had the ball in the net for Mexico, but the whistle had already gone for
offside, before Robben went to ground under a challenge from Miguel Layun, only
for Proenca to again remain unmoved.
The
Bayern Munich man stayed on his feet after hurdling a clumsy tackle from
Marquez with 15 minutes to go but could not beat Ochoa as the goalkeeper
blocked his effort from an angle with his feet.
Ochoa
somehow blocked substitute Huntelaar’s close-range volley with time running
out, although the offside flag had already been raised, but he could do nothing
when Sneijder unleashed an unstoppable strike from the edge of the area after
Mexico could not clear from a corner.
And
in the fourth of six minutes of added time, Robben finally caused Proenca to
point to the spot when he threw himself to the floor after his foot was caught
by Marquez, allowing Huntelaar to step up and show nerves of steel to send
Ochoa the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Holland
will now return to Salvador - where they thrashed holders Spain 5-1 in their
tournament opener - to face Costa Rica or Greece in the quarter-finals next
Saturday.
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