WC 2014 Matchday 23: Argentina beat Dutch to reach first final since 1990

Live Match Centre | World Cup Stats | Best World Cup quotes ARGENTINA ARE INTO THE WORLD CUP FINALS AFTER BEATING NETHERLANDS 4-2 on PENALTIES Two players declined to take first penalty: Netherlands coach Van Gaal Stats: Argentina make it four out of four in WC semis Stat: The 2014 World Cup final will make Germany v Argentina the joint-most often played fixture along with Brazil v Sweden. Penalty shootout FOURTH penalty Netherlands: Kuyt steps up and eases it to his right. Romero goes the other way. SCORES! Cillessen has to save the next one now. Argentina: Maxi Rodrigueeeeezzzzz goes to the keeper’s right – it’s not perfectly placed but the power! My word the power! It hits Cillessen’s hands, crashes into the woodwork and goes in!! SCORES! Argentina have won 4-2. THIRD penalty Netherlands: Sneijder goes high and to Romero’s right and it’s saved with an almighty leap from Romero!! SAVED Argentina: Cillessen dives to his right, it’s the correct guess but Aguero’s penalty is fast and stinging! SCORES! Argentina need to score one more and it will be over. SECOND penalty Netherlands: Robben with a very short run and smacks it to his right and the keeper’s left – Romero goes the wrong way and that’s in. SCORES! Argentina: Garay smacks it through the middle… boom! SCORES! FIRST penalty Netherlands: Vlaar steps up and goes to Romero’s left… SAVED!! Argentina: Messi… calm, composed, to the keeper’s right – medium height, net ripples. SCORES Rodrigo Palacioooooooo… no. 115 minutes Ball bobs in front of Palacio and is perfect to head over Cillessen but the smart goalie rushes forward and grabs the ball out of the air as soon as Palacio attempts his header. Sabella hates it, makes a quick about-turn and returns to his chair. https://twitter.com/pete_sinclair/status/486996290681970688 Half-time in extra-time — we wait all match to write that – half-time in extra-time Robben unleashes a speculative effort that bounces just ahead of Romero but he deals with it. In the dying seconds, Palacios turns brilliantly and sends in a peach of a cross that just beats Aguero who’s a tad late to run for it. There was also a moment when Robben DID NOT dive though he was clearly impeded. He’s unhappy with not getting a clear foul when he doesn’t try and deceive – this may mean… we all know what. https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/486997381683376128 Van Persie off, not surprising. In fact, this could be good - 95 minutes That was probably Van Persie’s worst performance of the World Cup so far. He did nothing. Not a single shot, just nine passes completed and one take-on. On comes Huntelaar. We’re into extra-time https://twitter.com/MisterChiping/status/486993043552075776 Robben… what a chance! 90 minutes Impeccable flick from Sneijder to put Robben through a swarm of defenders. He’s in the box and has pulled the trigger only to see Mascherano make the most stunning tackles and get his stud on the ball which is heading into the net… excellent tracking back, excellent timing – perfection in the tackle. Classic deadlock - 85 minutes Rojo launches one from 35 yards out but it’s straight to Cillessen who is then challenged by Argentina’s latest substitute Sergio Aguero (on for Higuain). Netherlands have a corner then but Clasie’s shot from outside the box after a loose clearance is wide. Seconds later Kuyt and Vlaar cut out any danger a speculative ball into the Netherlands box would have caused. Messi hits the ball out of play, Netherlands try and score a spectacular goal - 74 minutes Freekick on the right wing for Argentina and Messi has actually hit it straight out of play over the heads of everyone at the far post. A long ball from the deep is then taken down with the most magical of touches from Robben who lays up Janmaat on the right for a cross. The cross is behind RVP but he tries to adjust and hit it behind him first time. It’s too high and the contact is scruffy. If that was in, it would have been spectacular. https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/486988351166480385 Clasie comes on for De Jong - 67 minutes No chances, no half-chances but the pace of the match has certainly gone up. 23-year-old defensive midfielder Clasie makes his World Cup debut – de Jong, who managed to miraculously get in the starting XI today, is off. https://twitter.com/Sethb45/status/486986267641782272 Janmaat saves the day - 57 minutes Quick counter from Argentina and Lavezzi’s cross is right in the path of Higuain who thinks he’ll get a free header to score – he almost does and even gets contact only for Janmaat to make a crucial challenge to put him off at the last moment. Freekick from Sneijder - mighty disappointing, 50 minutes Robben gets pulled by Demichelis about 25 yards from goal in the left channel. He gets yellow for that and Sneijder’s freekick is very high – expected more with the sort of delivery he’s already provided in this match. Janmaat on for Martins Indi - 45 minutes Martins Indi, who was on a yellow card, has been taken off for Janmaat — this probably means Blind moves center, Kuyt out wide left and Janmaat wide right. https://twitter.com/TrueRedDevils/status/486973645768519680 https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/486975727125135360 Stat: Robben made at least 8 fewer touches (6) in the first half of the match than any other player on the pitch and attempted just one pass. Invisible Man. Mascherano dazed, Cillessen provides the trickery - 40 minutes Cillessen calmly turns Higuain with some crafty footwork and Mascherano ends the worse of the two in his head-to-head clash with Wijnaldum. The medical team came rushing to him after he looked utterly dazed — he’s back on the pitch though and Sabella can wipe his brow. https://twitter.com/br_uk/status/486970042236825601 Sneijder sends in three crosses as Dutch begin to threaten - 32 minutes The corner is too close to the keeper who punches it away but Sneijder then sends two cracking crosses with impeccable technique – one cleared away and the other finds its way to Van Persie who is offside. https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/486970495364259840 Two corners from Messi - nothing off them, 22 minutes The first one is low and confuses the Dutch defence a bit before it’s cleared – the second one easily dealt with. Cillessen has had quite a few touches so far, coming out calmly to collect a few balls and quickly releasing them for counters. Arjen Robben has been invisible so far. https://twitter.com/OptaFranz/status/486968230700154880 Messi freekick - straight to Cillessen - 15 minutes Perez on another one of those runs before taking a tumble after Ron Vlaar’s soft challenge. Perfect Messi territory and it’s hit through the crowd but straight to Cillessen who was waiting for that one. For half a second, it seemed the net would ripple. https://twitter.com/KeirSimmons/status/486967844911865856 Perez, Higuain look in the mood - 10 minutes Perez and Higuain with a couple of brilliant surging runs forward but the Dutch seem quite unperturbed with their deep line backing off both players. They have to be wary of committing too many men to such runs though because Messi has slowly started finding space through the centre. https://twitter.com/virtualstatman/status/486968364179660801 It’s all about tactical discipline - 5 minutes When Netherlands have the ball you can actually see their 5-3-2 formation in perfect shape — and the zonal marking around Messi has been very disciplined too. Enzo Perez is actually looking very sharp so far and produces a few tricks and flicks before being crowded out twice. Stat: The Netherlands have only once failed to score in 2 consecutive World Cup games (2006, vs Argentina & Portugal). And we’ve kicked off! Roja is back for Argentina at left-back and Enzo Perez gets the nod ahead of Sergio Aguero in replacing the injured Angel Di Maria. The shape of the team remains the same but it remains to be seen how much width Perez can provide compared to the fleet-footed Di Maria. As for Netherlands, they’ve managed to get Nigel de Jong into the squad. His primary role will be that of destroyer and his presence will allow the likes of Sneijder to attack more freely. They line up in the same 5-3-2 with Kuyt prowling all over the pitch. Argentina’s 11 starters have 76 games of World Cup experience. Netherland’s 11 have 96. https://twitter.com/WhoScored/status/486956268708700160 Argentina XI: Romero; Zabaleta, Demichelis, Garay, Rojo; Enzo Pérez, Biglia, Mascherano; Lavezzi, Messi, Higuaín. Netherlands XI: Cillessen; Kuyt, Martins Indi, Vlaar, De Vrij, Blind; De Jong, Wijnaldum, Sneijder; Van Persie, Robben. https://twitter.com/FirstpostSports/status/486940519084220419 https://twitter.com/MesutOzil1088/status/486880169190514689 https://twitter.com/J_Klinsmann/status/486888485480312832 And here’s Argentina beating Netherlands in the 1978 final

( click here to watch the video if you are accessing this page on your phone) Here’s Netherlands beating Argentina 4-0 in the 1974 World Cup

( click here to watch the video if you are accessing this page on your phone) Anybody remember the sensational Bergkamp goal?

( click here to watch the video if you are accessing this page on your phone) https://twitter.com/vangoghmuseum/status/486878322841108480 Did you know: Netherlands have had substitutes contribute to more goals (4 goals, 2 assists) than any other team at the 2014 World Cup. https://twitter.com/VVSLaxman281/status/486931454283112449 Stat: Argentina have lost just one of their last 16 World Cup games (W12 D3, not including penalty shoot-outs). https://twitter.com/cbfowler/status/486926579243573249 How the world tweeted about Brazil vs Germany Can Argentina restore some South American pride? A European heavyweight is already into the final — and if the Dutch win today then it will be another all-Europe final. With Brazil already in mourning, the Netherlands can increase South America’s misery unless Messi unleashes another spectacular show to bring some smiles to the continent. [caption id=“attachment_1611155” align=“alignleft” width=“620”]  Brazilian newspapers on Wednesday morning. AFP[/caption]   [caption id=“attachment_1611157” align=“alignleft” width=“620”]  Brazilian newspapers slammed the nation’s exit at the hands of Germany. AFP[/caption] There is game today! Just a reminder that Argentina and Netherlands are in action today – something that seems to have got buried in the aftermath of Brazil getting knocked out of the World Cup after a ruthless Germany humiliated them 7-1 in Belo Horizonte. [caption id=“attachment_1611057” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Van Persie and Lionel Messi. AFP[/caption] But Lionel Messi and Arjen Robben are in action today — but it’s not just about them is it? Argentina and Netherlands is in fact a much more complicated battle between two teams — click here for a tactical template of how they match up to each other. As for one-on-one battles, there’s Robben vs Rojo, Sneijder vs Mascherano, Messi vs Blind and Robin van Persie vs Demichelis. All mouth-watering, all quite competitive – and all perfectly explained here .  BRAZIL DEFEAT AFTERMATH Legacy lost: Some might argue that this was just one poor game. It cannot and should not have an impact on the legacy of Brazilian football which was built over the years by generation after generation of brilliant footballers. Five World Cups – Brazil still stands alone. In reality, Brazil stood alone; not because of the number of trophies they have won but because of the way they won those trophies. There was a charm in their play; a freedom; a vision… not just of winning but of joy. In this World Cup, they chipped away at that vision until the bare bones of an unforgiving reality remained. Brazil’s footballing legacy is lost now - click here to read the full feature. Too much Neymar drama before the match: Brazil treated the match like a testimonial and it got them a testimonial scoreline. If only Brazil had realised that the real tribute to Neymar would have been to win the World Cup or at least play to the best of their abilities. To do that however, they needed to be in the zone. The Brazilian camp constantly gave out distress signals of their inability to swim without Neymar — of their wounds and their weaknesses. It seemed like Brazil was solely concentrating on how to win for a teammate, not for their countrymen — for a star who is far from being in the prime of his career (and has not achieved anything great yet) rather than for people who have seen their bus fares hiked and houses claimed to stage a World Cup from which they have now been ruthlessly kicked out. Click here to read the complete feature.