Argentina defeat Netherlands 0-0 (4-2 on penalties) to advance to World Cup final

A dull, negative game with very few chances ends in penalties, and this time the Dutch luck runs out as Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder see their spot kicks saved by a rampant Sergio Romero. Argentina will meet Germany in the final. Memories of 1986 and 1990, yes, but neutrals will be hoping for a game producing the excitement of the former, and not the numbing nastiness of the latter.

The Penalties

No last minute subs from Dutch manager Louis van Gaal this time—Sergio Romero was immense in goal, stopping shots from Vlaar and Sneijder. Though Dirk Kuyt bravely took a great penalty, it wasn’t enough to stop Maxi Rodriguez from putting Argentina through to the World Cup final.

The Man of the Match - Ron Vlaar

The Aston Villa defender had an incredible—if ultimately fruitless—evening against Argentina, coming more and more into the game in the dying stages to make some incredible tackels. Nine recoveries, four out of five tackles made (tied with Javier Mascherano), third overall in interceptions, second to Ezequiel Garay in clearances with eleven, Vlaar had an incredible night in an otherwise dour match.

The Controversy

First it was Álvaro Pereira, who was clearly unconscious after incidental contact with Raheem Sterling’s knee in Uruguay’s group stage match against England. Rather than get subbed off by concerned doctors, Pereira opted to stay on as the medical staff looked on.

It was deja vu in this match as Javier Mascherano went for a fifty fifty headed challenge against Georgino Wijnaldum. Gruesomely, Mascherano seemed okay in the first few seconds after the collision before stumbling to the ground in a heap. After the Argentine medical staff rushed to the pitch and took Masch off, he promptly came back on.

This isn’t players “owning their own bodies.” This is about doctors taking the time to assess a player properly and not putting them at risk of catastrophic injury.

What did Argentina do to win?

Not all that much, mostly camp out in their own half and work as much as they could in the early stages down the Dutch left side.

The game in the first half was tight but well organized. Argentina got an edge in moving down their right past Daley Blind and Martins Indi, with Lavezzi and Messi rushing past and able to send in a cross or two without exactly threatening the Dutch goal. Meanwhile Netherlands had trouble organizing going forward and a few probing long passes went past Arjen Robben to Robin van Persie, who wasn’t able to do much with it.

The Dutch had one successful pass into the Argentina penalty area, with coach Alejandro Sabella clearly keeping most his players back to neutralize any Dutch counter. There were very few chances on either end as a result.

The second half saw more of the same despite Daryl Janmaat coming on for Bruno Martins Indi, and fifteen minutes later after a very unproductive second half for Netherlands, Van Gaal gambled once again in putting on Jordy Clasie for Nigel De Jong. The Netherlands got more of a hold on the game for some stretches, but Ron Vlaar was also called upon to make some incredible tackles in the other end.

Despite a near chance for Arjen Robben to win the game at the end (and an excellent Mascherano tackle stopping him), the game went to extra time. There were again few chances, but a practical free header for sub Rodrigo Palacio was dealt with easily by Jasper Cillessen, the game went to penalties. Sergio Romero took care of the rest.

The Takeaway

The Dutch dream ends on the cusp of a final they sought if only to finally win an elusive World Cup. On penalties. Their record in international penalty shootouts now stands at 2-5.

Argentina meanwhile meet Germany in a World Cup final. They last met in the big show in 1990 in one of the most brutal World Cup finals on record. They will undoubtedly rely on a defense which has seen them concede zero goals in their last three knockout matches. Whether Germany’s powerhouse midfield can surpass it remains to be seen.

The 1,000 Words

Stray Thoughts

The Dutch crossing was awful all night. Started with Dirk Kuyt and then continued with Wesley Sneijder. Mind-numbing stuff.

Robin van Persie hasn’t played well all tournament with the exception of Netherlands’ first 5-1 drubbing of Spain in the first group stage match. He also seemed to forget the offside rule, getting whistled on several occasions.

Another quiet night for Lionel Messi, who initially was marked closely by De Jong. He struggled to make an influence as the game closed out.

Oh please oh please let it be a good final.