By Patrick R. Anderson
The Flying Dutchmen left it late.
But they demonstrated their pedigree with a gutsy performance at the Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza, with a capacity 58,817 crowd cheering wildly in the baking sunlight, by defeating Mexico 2-1 in a heartbreaker for CONCACAF.
With Mexico showing a greater zest in midfield with their 5-3-2 formation, Netherlands were seemingly in wonderland for most of the first half. Only Arjen Robben seemed to trouble the Mexicans with his darting runs, although the Mexicans countered tactically by keeping Robben close to the touchlines and double teaming him when he got there.
Guardado, Salcido, Herrera and Peralta made life difficult for the Dutch, controlling the midfield and distributing the passes with disdain in the Sunday afternoon heat which sweltered around the shoulders of the Dutchmen.
At the half it was 0-0.
Three minutes into the second half, Mexico broke through with a deserved goal, which was made on the sheer brilliance of Giovanni Dos Santos. From 25 yards away on the left channel, Dos Santos received a pass under pressure from two defenders manning the defensive zones. But Dos Santos surprised the Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, by driving a left footed shot to his leftside, leaving him without a prayer.
Mexico 1, Netherlands 0.
Mexico turned up the heat on the Dutch with some exciting gallery play and touch football, and although slowing down considerably as the match wore on, and the Dutch starting to run even more, the Mexicans’ concentration waned at the wrong time. From a corner kick, a loose ball found Wesley Sneijder, 23 yards on the left side, and he drove a ferocious right footed shot past the brilliant Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who didn’t even move as the ball zipped past him to his right.
Mexico 1, Netherlands 1.
Sneijder’s goal came in the 88th minute. The Dutch by this time were not done and went for the winner. Coach Louis Van Gaal took out a tired and listless Robin Van Persie in the 76th minute and replaced him with Klaas Jan Huntelaar. And it was Huntelaar who would be the hero, despite the Dutch getting a wake up call with a tough and pesky Mexican team.
Robben entered the penalty box and ended up on the right byline, where skipper Rafael Marquez’s right boot tripped Robben and the decision by Portuguese referee Pedro Proenca was clear.
A penalty.
And Huntelaar stepped up in the 90th + 3mins added on to send Ochoa the wrong way for the winning goal. And the Netherlands were through to the last eight on July 5. They had pulled off a great escape similar to Brasil’s on Saturday versus Chile. The Netherlands won 2-1.
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The Netherlands reach quarter-finals with dramatic come from behind 2-1 win over Mexico
