Holland thru with 4-3 win in penalties
Tim Krul was an unlikely hero as the Netherlands secured a 4-3 shoot-out win over Costa Rica to book a FIFA World Cup semi-final place, reports Goal.com.
Over 120 goalless minutes in Salvador, Louis van Gaal's team struck the post or crossbar on three occasions and the Manchester United-bound manager unleashed an unexpected secret weapon from the bench during the dying seconds of extra time.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Krul, who has an unremarkable penalty record at Newcastle United, came on for Jasper Cillessen to save Costa Rica's second and last penalties from Celso Borges and Michael Umana. Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt were the Netherlands' flawless foursome.
It ends a remarkable journey for tournament outsiders Costa Rica, who won a group featuring Uruguay, Italy and England before beating Greece on spot kicks. But this proved a step too far as the Dutch, who had lost four of their previous five shootouts in major tournaments, banished their demons from 12 yards to book a semi-final appointment with Argentina.
Costa Rica combined the organisation and attacking verve that has been their hallmark in Brazil, but ambition going forward left them exposed to the Netherlands' incision on the break and indebted to inspirational goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Jorge Luis Pinto's team were in confident mood as the game entered its final stages before Sneijder rattled the post from a free-kick to herald a late onslaught.
But Van Persie proved uncharacteristically wasteful in spurning three goalscoring opportunities, including one close-range sitter, as the Netherlands failed in their bid to avoid an extra half hour.
Sneijder crashed a shot into the bar, while Costa Rica substitute Michael Urena threatened to snatch the headlines that would ultimately be Krul's
Memphis Depay, starting having twice netted from the bench in this tournament, gave Van Persie the game's first clear opening in the 21st minute but Navas closed the angle well and stopped Sneijder's follow up.
Navas saved well in the 29th minute as Van Persie and Depay reversed their earlier roles, while a frantic Dutch clearance as Johnny Acosta looked to turn home Celso Borges' set-piece knockdown underlined a developing end-to-end feel.
Sneijder took a more direct approach from a 38th-minute free-kick, conceded by Junior Diaz, but Navas - quelling fears surrounding a shoulder injury that dogged him earlier in the week - clawed superbly around the post.
Robben's admission that he dived during the Netherlands' win over Mexico in the previous round dominated the pre-match build-up and Umana followed Diaz into the book after he too fouled the forward, who cleverly set up Sneijder to blaze over from the resulting 53rd-minute set play.
It was Joel Campbell and not his illustrious opponent who went to ground easily in the 60th minute as a promising Diaz raid down the left came to nothing, before Giancarlo Gonzalez headed over from another fine Christian Bolanos delivery to increase Dutch anxiety.
There was contact from Gonzalez and another booking as Robben went to ground theatrically in the 81st minute. Sneijder watched his free-kick from the left-hand corner of the area cannon back off the post.
Van Persie was then denied by Navas and he somehow failed to connect with Sneijder's delicious 88th-minute cross.
The Manchester United man was not done there and - after Navas punched his free-kick away in stoppage time - Costa Rica midfielder Yeltsin Tejeda cleared Van Persie's shot off the goal line via the crossbar, Daley Blind's low centre having caused complete chaos.
The start of extra time brought little let-up and Navas produced further acrobatics to keep out Ron Vlaar's header, but a flap at the resulting corner showed the Levante man was not infallible.
Vlaar was unimpressed as Urena sought a penalty at his expense, although Pinto's men were restricted to a largely defensive brief as the additional period progressed.
Urena crafted his team's best chance, drawing a nerveless 117th-minute save from Cillessen at the end of a jinking run and penalties arrived after Sneijder rattled the crossbar from distance with Navas rooted to the spot.
When the heat was on from 12 yards shortly afterwards, Krul was anything but.
LIVE COMMENTARY
That's all we have time for in Salvador, as the Netherlands dispatch of Costa Rica 4-3 on penalties, thanks to the goalkeeping heroics of Tim Krul! Pinto's men pushed the favourites the whole way, but it is Van Gaal who progresses into the semi-final!
120' + 9' Pen SO Miss M. Umaña
SAVED! TIM KRUL SAVES UMANA'S PENALTY! NETHERLANDS ARE THROUGH! He dives to his left yet again to justify his substitution! Costa Rica 3-4 Netherlands!
120' + 8' Pen SO Goal Dirk Kuyt
SCORES! Kuyt steps up and coolly slots the ball into the bottom left corner, Navas couldn't get near that! The pressure is on los Ticos now! Costa Rica 3-4 Netherlands!
120' + 7' Pen SO Goal Christian Bolaños
SCORES! Bolanos takes the place of Campbell in los Ticos' penalty line-up, but doesn't let the occasion get to him. He places a smart finish over the dive of Krul! Costa Rica 3-3 Netherlands!
120' + 6' Pen SO Goal Wesley Sneijder
SCORES! Sneijder sends Navas the wrong way once again, steering the ball into the bottom left corner to keep the Oranje's advantage! Costa Rica 2-3 Netherlands!
120' + 5' Pen SO Goal Giancarlo González
SCORES! Gonzalez scored versus Greece and does the same again tonight! Krul tries to get in the face of the penalty taker once again, but it doesn't appear to put off the defender! Costa Rica 2-2 Netherlands!
120' + 4' Pen SO Goal Arjen Robben
SCORED! Robben sends Navas the wrong way to put the Netherlands into the lead! Cool penalty! Costa Rica 1-2 Netherlands!
120' + 3' Pen SO Miss Bryan Ruiz
SAVED! Ruiz steps up to the plate, with Krul trying to play mindgames with the captain! It clearly works, as he sprawls down to his left and turns the penalty round the post! Costa Rica 1-1 Netherlands!
120' + 2' Pen SO Goal Robin van Persie
SCORES! Van Persie couldn't find the back of the net throughout the 120 minutes, but beats Navas to level the scoring! He places it in the same corner as Borges! Costa Rica 1-1 Netherlands!
120' + 1' Pen SO Goal Celso Borges
SCORES! Borges steps up to take the first penalty and defies any idea of pressure, slotting it beyond the despairing grasp of Krul and into the back of the net! Costa Rica 1-0 Netherlands!
120' + 1' Substitution Jasper Cillessen sits for Tim Krul
120' + 1' One minute of stoppage time remains.
120' Tim Krul is coming on for Oranje, despite Cillessen just making an excellent save to deny Urena and keep the Netherlands in it. Robben sets back a pass to Kuyt, but the former Liverpool man is denied by a block!
119' SNEIJDER HITS THE BAR! The Galatasaray man cuts onto his right foot yet again, arcing a phenomenal effort onto the crossbar with Navas beaten! Costa Rica aren't to be defeated! The rebound falls to Robben, but his powerful effort strikes Van Persie!
117' GREAT SAVE FROM CILLESSEN! From nowhere, Urena takes on De Vrij, leaving his marker behind with a surprising turn of pace! He musters a powerful effort, but the Ajax goalkeeper is able to turn it away excellently! Netherlands break up the other end, but a Robben long-range effort is well blocked!
115' GREAT BLOCK FROM DE VRIJ! The defender puts in a vital interception to deny Urena, before the rebound falls to Bolanos. The midfielder twists and turns onto his left foot, before Vlaar blocks his eventual shot! A corner to Costa Rica!
114' Sneijder clips an intelligent through ball over to Lens, but the Dynamo Kyiv man is denied by the offside flag. Not that Navas is to know, as the Levante goalkeeper races out to deny Oranje yet again.
113' Navas wastes some time, receiving some treatment for his clash with Huntelaar. Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Tim Krul is being given an intensive warm-up - could he come on as a substitute merely for penalties? Bolanos sidesteps his way into the Dutch penalty box stylishly, but his eventual shot is blocked!
111' Yellow Card Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
111' Kuyt floats a ball into the back post which is extremely inviting for Navas to claim and the Costa Rica goalkeeper obliges. Huntelaar clashes with the shot-stopper as he tries to win the header, earning the substitute a yellow card.
110' Urena is found by a misplaced Dutch pass, but the substitute's attempted ball back into the feet of Ruiz is terrible. He's offered enthusiasm and very little else.
108' Another set piece is hacked clear by los Ticos, before Robben nearly managed to squeeze beyond Gonzalez deep in the Costa Rica penalty area. The central defender clears behind for a corner, which is flicked high and wide at the near post by Huntelaar.
107' Yellow Card J. Acosta
107' Robben looks to beat Diaz and Acosta for pace down the right hand side, with the flying Dutchman almost getting the better of his markers. As he looked to leave the defenders behind, Acosta collided with the winger, but thankfully they're both fine to continue. The Netherlands earn yet another free-kick.
106' Substitution Bruno Martins IndiKlaas-Jan Huntelaar
106' We are back underway in the second half of extra time! Van Gaal has opted to make his second change, deploying Huntelaar in attack to bolster his misfiring Oranje options. Martins Indi is the man he replaces, meaning that the Dutch are going for broke.
105' + 2' HALF TIME IN EXTRA TIME! Kuyt whips in a cross from deep on the right flank, but Navas comes out early to punch clear. The referee then blows his whistle, this game certainly is going the full distance.
105' + 1' Ruiz tries to lift another lofted pass into the path of Urena, but this time the angle is wrong instead of the pace put onto the ball. Players are starting to tire and make a few uncharacteristic errors, so this contest is far from a foregone conclusion yet.
105' There are two minutes of added time.
104' Robben takes the free-kick which he won himself, but fires it straight into the wall. Sneijder probably should have been kept on set piece duty, given his previous close shaves, but the Bayern man insisted. We're into the dying embers of the first half of extra time. Ruiz tries to feed a through ball into the path of Urena, but it's slightly too heavy!
102' Good run from Robben again! The flying Dutchman sprints down the right-hand side before cutting onto his left foot, but Diaz blocks his eventual effort. The referee penalises the wing-back for using his shoulder to prevent the shot from reaching the target, but rightfully doesn't reach for his cards.
101' Ruiz goes down due to an off the ball clash with Martins Indi, who unnecessarily stepped across the Costa Rica captain. He's on a yellow card, so he might just have to watch his step, but the referee didn't see that one.
100' Netherlands aren't to be rushed, with Costa Rica perhaps looking towards a penalty shootout at this point. Urena hasn't offered much up top for los Ticos, perhaps justifying Campbell's disappointment at being substituted. A cagey start to extra time.
98' Martins Indi looks a little bit flustered under pressure, as the Feyenoord central defender hacks a clearance after for a throw-in rather than allowing Cillessen to come and claim. Vlaar and Urena then clash in the penalty area, somewhat innocuously, but the referee isn't interested in awarding a spot-kick!
97' Substitution Y. Tejeda sits for José Miguel Cubero Loria
96' Navas is down injured for Costa Rica and he's exactly the man which Pinto didn't want to see needing treatment. After clashing with Kuyt, the goalkeeper appeared to fall heavily on his knee, but should be okay to continue. Cubero readies himself on the sidelines.
94' NAVAS MAKES ANOTHER STOP! Netherlands earn themselves another corner, which picks out Vlaar in plenty of space. The central defender gets a glancing header on the delivery, which the Levante goalkeeper stoops down to beat away for another set piece. Sneijder whips in another, which Navas flaps at, but Costa Rica survive.
93' Robben is caught offside yet again, as the Bayern man looked to exploit Costa Rica's high line and bear down on Navas. Los Ticos are continuing to sit plenty of men behind the ball, but aren't afraid to commit white shirts forward on the break.
91' We are back underway in the first half of extra time, with Oranje looking to find the opening goal against a hard-working and organised Costa Rica outfit. A few of the underdogs' backline are on yellow cards, but this is still anyone's game.
FULL TIME
90' + 5' Chances galore near the end, but Costa Rica will have to go to extra time yet again, less than a week after going the full distance versus Greece. The Netherlands will be slightly fresher, but los Ticos have the reflexes of Navas on their side.
90' + 4' FULL TIME! The two sides can't separate themselves in the opening 90 minutes, meaning that we head to extra time in Salvador! Robin van Persie missed a hatful of chances near the end, but somehow due to a combination of Navas and the woodwork, it's still goalless!
90' + 2' IT HITS THE BAR! A tremendous goalmouth scramble and somehow Costa Rica are still in it! Blind's ball across the six-yard box misses everyone, before Van Persie strikes it at the back post! He cannons a ferocious effort at goal, but it hits Tejada before clattering onto the crossbar!
90' + 1' Diaz sticks a leg out on the edge of his penalty area, which Robben is happy to fall over, which might have earned him another yellow card in a different situation. He's already in the referee's book, but escapes a second visit narrowly! Netherlands have a fantastic chance from a 20-yard free-kick.
90' Costa Rica try to break forward in numbers, but Bolanos is robbed of the ball on the edge of the Dutch box. It's end-to-end stuff, but there's a lack of quality for both teams. There are four minutes of stoppage time.
88' WHAT A SITTER FOR VAN PERSIE! Sneijder cuts back onto his right foot, before curling a perfect delivery onto the instep of his teammate! Van Persie merely has to turn the ball beyond the slightly helpless Navas from eight yards, but fluffs his lines totally and fails to make contact! Costa Rica breathe a sigh of relief!
87' Only a few minutes of the game remain, with neither side prepared to concede any ground or make any mistakes. Lens tries to outpace Gonzalez down the left hand side, but the MLS defender slides in excellently to dispossess the substitute.
85' Van Persie is nearly picked out by a lofted through ball, with the experienced striker's first touch setting him up beautifully - however his second is far less technically impressive. The recovering defenders manage to swamp the forward and clear. Costa Rica's defending is getting a bit desperate but they're still in this contest!
84' Gonzalez is now on hand to head away another good Dutch cross, before Navas flaps at the rebounding ball! It falls to Van Persie, who cannons a strike straight at the Costa Rica goalkeeper, before Pinto's men hack clear desperately once again!
82' IT HITS THE POST! Robben goes on another run at the edge of the penalty box, before the Bayern man is tripped by Gonzalez. The Netherlands have a free-kick on the very periphery of the Costa Rica penalty box, which Sneijder is set to take. His curling effort beats Navas, but not the upright! The woodwork rattles!
81' Yellow Card: Giancarlo González
80' Robben earns himself a yard of space before delivering an incisive cross in towards the near post, finding Lens unmarked. The Dynamo Kyiv man diverts a header at goal, but Navas is again able to make a good stop. The linesman's flag was raised for offside against the substitute, but the goalkeeper wasn't to know that.
79' Substitution: Cristian Gamboa OUT, D. Myrie IN
78' Despite trying to continue, Gamboa will now be substituted, with Myrie the man to replace him in what will be his competitive debut. Well, as pressure goes, the Herediano man has plenty to shoulder this evening.
76' Substitution: Memphis Depay OUT, Jeremain Lens IN
76' Depay now takes his leave, looking totally exhausted as he exits the field of play. Lens is to be deployed in his place, in what is a like-for-like change that should freshen up the Dutch forward line. They certainly need a bit of inspiration to break down Pinto's lines.
75' Sneijder curls in an excellent free-kick delivery, which Vlaar manages to meet well. The Aston Villa defender gets a bit too much contact on the ball, diverting it a couple of yards over Navas' crossbar. That's the closest Oranje have come for a while.
74' Depay tries to take on Gamboa down the left hand side, but the Rosenborg man slides in excellently to dispossess the young winger. The same man is then penalised for a high foot on Blind, earning the Netherlands a free-kick in a dangerous area.
72' Gamboa appears to be readying himself to come back onto the field of play. Bolanos ghosts down the left hand side, before Vlaar holds up his man well. The Costa Rica man tries to poke a cross through to the advancing Urena, but again the Dutch defender stands in his way. Top defending.
70' Gamboa and Blind both challenge for an aerial ball, but the Rosenborg man lands awkwardly as he comes back down to the turf. He appears to have jarred something in his right leg and the stretcher is immediately onto the field, but the physios continue to work on him on the sideline.
68' Brilliant run from Robben, as the Dutchman bursts down the right hand side before cutting infield. He plays a bounce pass with Van Persie, but Tejada slides in well to deny the Bayern man a half chance from narrowly inside the box.
66' Substitution: Joel Campbell OUT, M. Ureña IN
66' Pinto chooses to shuffle his pack first, taking off Campbell for Urena. The Arsenal man doesn't look too pleased, having held up the ball fairly well, but might be a little jaded after playing a gruelling 120 minutes against Greece.
65' GONZALEZ HEADS OVER! Bolanos floats in a back post delivery, with Vlaar tracking Gonzalez all of the way to the byline. The Colombus Crew man manages to make contact with the ball, but can only send it spiralling behind for a goal-kick.
64' Yellow Card: Bruno Martins Indi
64' Sneijder is continuing to be the main hub for Dutch creativity, picking out diagonal passes and looking to drive at the Costa Rican defence and commit defenders to the ball. The Netherlands are undoubtedly comfortable, but their opposition have been happy to surrender possession.
62' Costa Rica win yet another free-kick at range, which means that they can load the box with white shirts once again. Bolanos takes up the responsibility once again, but fires high and wide with Cillessen a grateful spectator.
60' Half an hour remains, with this contest remaining something of a chess game. Diaz breaks down the left hand side before pulling back a pass to the edge of the penalty area, but Campbell goes to ground before making contact with the ball. Martins Indi definitely leaned in, he could be rather fortunate to not have conceded a spot-kick there.
58' Half chance for Kuyt! Sneijder sprays a brilliant pass out to the right hand side with a diagonal ball, which Robben plucks out of the air brilliantly. He drives at Diaz, but the wing-back can't stop the cross, meaning that Kuyt is presented with possession at the near post - but the Dutch utility man is under too much pressure to hit the target.
56' The Dutch float a set piece delivery into the back post area for De Vrij to attack, but Diaz rises well to block the defender's attempted header. Still no luck for the Netherlands, who are being frustrated by a hard-working and organised defensive line.
55' A few scrappy fouls break up the flow of the second half, which Oranje have started with the intention of controlling possession once again. Robben has been the only real Dutch bright spark and feeds Van Persie in behind the lines. Gonzalez covers across well to slide in and turn the ball behind for a corner.
53' Robben wins a free-kick for his side deep on the right flank, courtesy of a poor challenge from Umana. The Dutchman dusts himself down before squaring a pass to the edge of the penalty area, but Sneijder can only curl the incoming ball high and wide of the top right corner.
52' Yellow Card: M. Umaña
51' The Netherlands start the half on top once again, with Costa Rica more than happy to absorb the pressure. It's been a slow beginning to the second period, all told. Van Persie tries to clip a long pass into the path of the onrushing Robben, but it bounces through to Navas.
49' Acosta stands up well to Depay, preventing the PSV man from cutting inside and trying his luck from 20 yards. The Costa Rica defender has come into the side in place of Duarte tonight, but he's really impressed despite being a deputy.
47' Just to act as a reminder, Argentina are the nation awaiting the winner of this contest! The Netherlands have looked fairly comfortable throughout, but are lacking the cutting edge required to break down this resilient Costa Rica outfit. The two sides are unchanged.
46' We are back underway in the second half in Salvador! The neutrals will be hoping for some more goalmouth action, but this has undeniably been an interesting tactical match-up to observe thus far.
FIRST HALF
Sneijder and Van Persie have had the best of the chances for Oranje, while Costa Rica are yet to force Cillessen into a save. Borges is providing to be an aerial threat, while Ruiz and Campbell have shown in flashes what they are capable of. An enthralling second half awaits, so be sure to rejoin us in ten minutes!
HALF TIME! The Netherlands and Costa Rica go in goalless at the break, partly thanks to the goalkeeping heroics of Keylor Navas. Half of the game still remains, but the longer this wears on, the happier both sides might be with a penalty shootout.
45' There is only one minute of stoppage time.
44' A few minutes until the end of the half and still Van Gaal's men can't find a way through this disciplined Costa Rica set-up. The longer this game goes on, the more you have to favour the incisive and vibrant counter-attacking from los Ticos.
42' Robben manages to pivot and poke a clever through ball into the path of Van Persie, but Navas gets off his line and smothers the pass before the Man United forward can get anywhere near it. Good goalkeeping once again.
41' The Netherlands are struggling to break down the thick Costa Rican lines, as the neutral supporters start to get on Oranje's back for slow football. Pinto has his unit extremely organised, with los Ticos able to force possession all the way back into the Dutch half.
39' GOOD STOP BY NAVAS! Sneijder manages to get his free-kick attempt up and over the wall excellently, with Navas extending himself towards his top right hand corner well to palm the ball behind for a corner! The Costa Rica goalkeeper is yet to let his country down.
38' The Netherlands now have the chance to convert from a free-kick from 25 yards out, with Diaz booked for what appears to have been deemed a cynical foul by the referee. Plenty of time is taken over the spray and the wall.
37' Yellow Card: Junior Díaz
36' Instead of falling into the trap of engaging in end-to-end football, the Netherlands slow things down once again with some tentative possession. Sneijder tries to put Robben in behind Diaz once again, but the left wing-back gets a firm header on the pass to clear.
34' The Netherlands certainly aren't in control of this game anymore, with Costa Rica growing in confidence. Another Bolanos free-kick picks out Borges at the back post, who squares a header back into the danger zone, but an ambitious overhead kick effort isn't caught cleanly. Martins Indi clears.
33' Bolanos floats in yet another long-range free-kick delivery, but Cillessen is quick off his line to claim the ball with ease. The Ajax goalkeeper distributes upfield quickly, but Robben is penalised for a shove on his marker as he looked to control inside the Costa Rica penalty area.
31' Less than a quarter of an hour until the interval, with both teams certainly in the mix to make their way into the semi-finals. Costa Rica are preying on the Dutch scraps somewhat, but have been able to either break quickly or fire long balls forward which have stuck to Bolanos and Campbell.
29' SMART SAVE FROM NAVAS! Depay breaks down the left hand side, driving into the box and bearing down on goal. The youngster tries to fire home a near post finish, but the Levante goalkeeper sticks out a strong ankle to deny the PSV forward.
28' HALF CHANCE FOR BORGES! The defensive midfielder rises highest to try and steer a Bolanos' free-kick delivery towards goal, but he can't get enough contact on the ball to place it inside the far post! Martins Indi and the Costa Rica man had their hands all over each other, the referee will have to keep tabs on that.
27' Netherlands continue to see the lion's share of possession, but Pinto's side are displaying that they're rather more hardy than most people give them credit for. We're nearly at the half hour mark and while we haven't seen goals, we've certainly witnessed an interesting tactical battle.
25' Van Persie has a big chance, but is found offside! Kuyt centres another teasing cross, which the Manchester United forward looks to stab home from close-range, but made his run a fraction too early. The linesman's flag spared his blushes somewhat, as that was a glaring miss.
24' Cillessen remains untested in the Netherlands net, but some of Costa Rica's approach play has been promising. Kuyt and Depay are stretching los Ticos' back line and creating a few inlets, but generally Pinto's men are stifling Robben and Van Persie effectively.
22' VAN PERSIE AND SNEIJDER GO CLOSE! Depay spreads the play to Robben, who invites Kuyt to get down the right flank. The former Liverpool man delivers a clever cross to Sneijder, who feeds Van Persie, but Navas is on hand to beat away the strike! Sneijder picks up the rebound, but his eventual effort is fired straight at the goalkeeper too!
20' Ruiz and Campbell combine well again, before the latter stabs a pass in behind Blind for Gamboa to chase. The Norway-based full-back delivers another poor cross, but he's getting in some very positive areas. Warning signs for the Netherlands, they need to keep an eye on the Rosenborg man.
18' Costa Rica seize their opportunity to hold onto the ball and have a bit of a breather after early Dutch pressure. Ruiz and Bolanos are always keen to have possession, while Campbell is constantly willing to drop deeper and participate in play. Promising stuff from los Ticos.
16' De Vrij gives the ball away needlessly 25 yards out from goal, allowing for Borges to burst onto the loose pass and drive onwards. Wijnaldum manages to get across his man well, defusing the situation. Cagey start to proceedings.
14' Patience continues to be the name of the game for the Netherlands, who are more than happy to circulate the ball around their back three and probe for gaps to exploit. Depay and Van Persie looks to break, but the former is robbed of the ball by a clever tackle from Acosta.
12' Gamboa drives down the right-hand side excellently, before squaring a cross to the penalty spot which Vlaar reacts to and belts clear. Costa Rica's wing-backs will be vital tonight, they provide all of the width and can be excellent outlets if the Netherlands afford them space.
11' The first ten minutes have passed without much in the way of incident, as Navas and Cillessen have only received the ball to feet. Van Gaal will be pleased with Oranje's composed start to proceedings, but Costa Rica have shown on two occasions that they can break with real pace.
9' Martins Indi spreads the play and looks to find Robben in behind Diaz, which he does. The Bayern man drives infield, but loses control of the ball slightly and Acosta is able to clear. Plenty of the ball in promising areas for the Netherlands, while Costa Rica are struggling to retain possession altogether.
8' Oranje are starting to get into their groove now, moving possession around sharply and playing their midfield triangles to get the opposition chasing. Robben drives beyond Diaz down the right flank, but Gonzalez comes across well to clear behind for a corner. The resulting set piece comes to nothing.
6' Robben is tackled and Costa Rica look to break, with Ruiz feeding Campbell. The Arsenal forward jinks around the recovering Bayern winger, before trying to feed a crossfield pass to Diaz, but Bolanos fails to control the wayward delivery and the Netherlands regain the ball.
5' The neutrals in the stadium aren't too happy with the slow start to this game, as Costa Rica are happy to keep plenty of players behind the ball and prey on Oranje's errors. Plenty of possession for Van Gaal's men, they're in no rush to get forward whatsoever.
4' Bolanos is felled by a scrappy challenge from De Vrij, as Oranje look to stifle any counters. The midfielder tries to float an early free-kick delivery in to Campbell at the back post, but it's slightly overhit and bobbles out for a goal-kick.
3' The only half chance thus far has come in the form of a half-clearance from Acosta nearly finding its way to the feet of Robben, but last round's hero Umana managed to hoof the danger clear. Netherlands are seeing more of the ball early on, but this is expected given that Costa Rica are a more counter-attacking side.
2' Argentina await the winners of this one, but there is plenty of time on the clock for either side to state their case. Netherlands look to be starting with their wing-backs rather more reserved, but their shape is likely to alter throughout, given the flexibility of the personnel on show.
1' We are underway in the last of this World Cup's quarter finals! The Netherlands are donning their famous orange, while Costa Rica are in all white.
Netherlands starting line-up (3-4-3): Cillessen; De Vrij, Vlaar, Martins Indi; Kuyt, Wijnaldum, Sneijder, Blind; Robben, Van Persie, Depay.
Netherlands substitutes: De Jong, Janmaat, De Guzman, Verhaegh, Veltman, Kongolo, Clasie, Lens, Fer, Huntelaar, Vorm, Krul.
Costa Rica starting line-up (5-3-1-1): Navas; Gamboa, Acosta, Gonzalez, Umana, Diaz; Bolanos, Tejada, Borges; Ruiz; Campbell.
Costa Rica substitutes: Myrie, Barrantes, Francis, Granados, Brenes, Pemberton, Calvo, Urena, Cubero, Cambronero.
TEAM NEWS
Oscar Duarte is missing through suspension, following his red card versus Greece, meaning that Jhonny Acosta slots in at centre-back. Otherwise, there are no surprises for Costa Rica who stick with their three at the back with marauding wing-backs in the form of Junior Diaz and Cristian Gamboa. Joel Campbell leads the line, with Cristian Bolanos and Bryan Ruiz in support.
TEAM NEWS
Nigel de Jong and Leroy Fer miss out through injury for Van Gaal's men, meaning that the Dutch will be fielding what appears to be a 3-4-3 formation which has the flexibility to become a 5-3-2. Daley Blind and Dirk Kuyt are the preferred wing-backs, while Georginio Wijnaldum is the man to partner Wesley Sneijder in midfield. Memphis Depay, super sub through the World Cup, is deployed in attack alongside the likes of Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie.
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)
Commentary by Goal dot com
Comments