5 July 2014
NETHERLANDS 0
COSTA RICA 0
RVP should have scored after the Dutch broke from a rare Costa Rica attack. Kuyt centred from the right flank, Depay took out four defenders with a disguised pass, RVP took a touch, which allowed Navas to fly off his line and block, he should have went high, and Sneijder's tame follow up was easily saved. The ref failed to award the Costa Ricans a clear penalty when Indi was doing his best to swap shirts with Borges in full view of the referee. He can't do that against the Argentineans. Navas made a superb one handed save to parry a Sneijder free kick.
The last ten minutes of normal time were great as the Dutch cranked up the pressure. Sneijder hammered a free kick off the inside of a post with Navas finally beaten but his defence cleared. Minutes later Navas tried to punch clear as the Costa Rican defence struggled with a cross, the ball fell to RVP who made Umana and Tejeda look like fools with a sharp turn but Navas again saved. RVP missed an absolute sitter, shanking hopelessly wide at the near post from a glorious Sneijder cross. Navas punched away a poor RVP free kick, Sneijder gathered the rebound and played in Blind on the overlap, de Vrij and Kuyt missed his centre, RVP fired in a shot at the near post but Tejeda hacked it off the line and against the crossbar.
Navas flew across goal to tip away a concrete Ron header from a Robben corner. Sneijder took the resulting corner from the left, Navas ran into traffic and missed the ball but Kuyt didn't make true contact allowing Acosta to clear.
Ruiz headed down to substitute Urena, with his back to play he turned and ran at concrete Ron, changed direction then held off De Vrij and worked a great angle for a shot but Cillessen denied him with a brilliant save with his feet. A loose ball broke to Sneijder who was standing on the left edge of the penalty area, he took a step before sending a shot careering against the crossbar. With penalties looming in the first minute of second half extra time Van Gaal made what will go down in World Cup history as one of the most inspired substitutions of all time, bringing on Krul for Cillessen.
PENALTY SHOOT OUT
Borges - Bottom right with pace
Van Persie - Bottom right again
Ruiz - Bottom right but this one is saved
Robben - Thumped into the left corner
Gonzalez - Another penalty to the right, a poor height but too good for Krul
Sneijder - Thumped into the left corner
Bolanos - Smashed into the left corner
Kuyt - Bottom left, Navas guessed right but was nowhere near
Umana - Bottom right, brilliantly saved by Krul
This was, eventually, a fantastic game. Navas was unbelievable but it would have been an absolute travesty had Costa Rica gone through because, must like Mexico, they're basically a great goalkeeper and ten jobbers. The fitness levels of the Dutch were tremendous. They should be ok for Argentina and let's hope the send the bastards home. Krul was great during the shoot out, plodding slowly into goal while the Costa Rican's were ready and jaw jacking with the first two takers before he was warned.
Netherlands win 4-3 on penalties.
Attendance : 51,179
Assists : n/a
ARGENTINA 1 (Higuain 8)
BELGIUM 0
Kompany lost possession when bringing the ball out of defence, Di Maria tired to play in Zabaleta as he made an overlapping run past the bone idle Hazard, he completely messed up the ball but it bounced off Vertonghen and fell to Higuain who fired an instant half volley past Courtois. Hazard failed to control a cross on his chest and Perez, on for the injured Di Maria, tackled him and passed to Higuain, he made a superb run through the Belgium defence, flicked the ball past Kompany as he ran to make a tackle but with only Courtois to beat he shot against the crossbar. Fellaini should have headed in the equaliser from a Vertonghen cross. With Belgium throwing men forward Argentina hit them on the break, substitute Gago sent Messi clear but he shot at Courtois. Witsel wasted another (rare) chance when with seconds on the clock volleying hopelessly over the bar.
A dreadful game. The Argentineans were wasting time as soon as they took the lead, like the cheats we know them to be. Belgium didn't turn up, just like the French yesterday it's as if getting to the quarter finals was an achievement. Obviously they're a very young side and the lack of experience was a factor but Wilmots isn't getting anything out of Hazard who certainly doesn't help matters by not tracking back. It would be better to leave him to his own devices and let others cover for him when defending.
Attendance : 68,551
Assists : n/a
4 July 2014
BRAZIL 2 (Silva 7, Luiz 69 fk)
COLOMBIA 1 (Rodriguez 80 Pen)
Dreadful marking by Sanchez gifted Brazil an early lead. He failed to track Thiago Silva as Neymar swung a corner over to the back post, Silva ran by him and bundled the ball in with his right knee. Marcelo smashed into Cuadrado as they challenged for a cross. The ref of course did nothing so Cuadrado got to his feet and took a shot, Thiago Silva deflected the ball out for a corner. Marcelo intercepted a poor clearance by Zapata and centred to Hulk with a superb first time pass, he flicked the ball past Zapata and fired low and hard at goal but Ospina saved. Zuniga should have been at the very least have been booked for kicking Hulk's left knee. The ref decided to give him a talking to. Pathetic.
One side and mainly Fernandinho, were hacking Rodriguez and the Colombians did the same to Neymar. Cuadrado's blatant body check yielded only a free kick. It went nowhere but Thiago Silva obstructed Ospina as he tried to kick it out then put the ball into an empty net, THAT is when the ref showed a card. A card which rules Thiago Silva out of the semi final. Even more ironic was the fact that Rodriguez was booked for a sliding tackle on Hulk (he missed). From 35 yards out Luiz sent an awesome shot into the top right corner. Bacca, who had replaced Gutierrez on 70 minutes, was chopped down by Julio Cesar as he ran onto a Rodriguez through pass. A giant grasshopper couldn't prevent Rodriguez from converting the penalty.
This match was ruined by Spanish (it's always the Spanish) referee Velasco who let Fernandinho kick Rodriguez black and blue, which was of course a Scolari ploy. The Colombians took retribution and it cost Brazil dear when two minutes from time Zuniga jumped and planted a knee into Neymar, fracturing a vertebra in his spine and sending him out of a tournament. Live by the sword, die by the sword. Well done Scolari.
Attendance : 60,342
Assists : Neymar (ck), Hulk (won fk), Bacca (won pen)
FRANCE 0
GERMANY 1 (Hummels 12)
France were probably expecting the Germany that played against Algeria to turn up but Lowe listened to the criticism and moved Lahm to right back, dropped Mertesacker and brought in Hummels and put Khedira in central midfield conversely the main problem for France was the real Benzema returned. With the pressure on and playing against better quality opposition he played like the wet, big game bottler everyone knows him to be. He had the first chance. Valbuena turned away from Khedira before dropping a cross onto his right foot but his powder puff finish wouldn't have troubled Neuer even if it had been on target. Hummels pushed away Varane to head in a Kroos free kick. The Germans should have had a penalty when Debuchy had a chunk of Klose's shirt, his theatrical dive probably didn't help. Benzema wasted another opening when pathetically kicking Neuer's rebound against Hummels.
France were even poorer in the second half, failing to put the German goal under any pressure meanwhile the Germans did not seem at all worried about the prospects of a France comeback and barely made an effort to attack. Benzema continued to suck hard, greedily getting in the way of a cross intended for the better placed Valbuena before predictably shooting at Hummels. Substitute Schurrle should have put the game to bed after Neuer started a counter attack with a throw to Muller, Muller slipped when attempting to connect with Ozil's centre and Schurrle finished like Benzema. Speaking of whom, with seconds on the clock he played a one-two with Giroud before pathetically shooting straight at Neuer. What a bottler.
It's hard to gauge Germany on this performance as they weren't really tested but going ahead they look a lot more solid with Lahm at full back and Schweinsteiger and Khedira in front of the defence. Benzema is and always will be a bottler. Hopefully someone emerges (better than Giroud obviously) because they can't have Benzema leading the line at Euro 2016.
Attendance : 74,240
Assist : Kroos (fk)