Netherlands V Mexico World Cup 2014

Netherlands V Mexico Fifa World Cup 2014

After match synopsis in red!!

Top bets on today’s game: Netherlands V Mexico

Netherlands to play in the heat for the first time might be a factor. Mexico a good attacking team, not great at the back, but they will give it all til the end. Can see this game going all the way, right up to penos.

Game to be decided by peno’s 9/2
Rafael Marquez a/t scorer 10/1
A Robben a/t scorer 9/5
R van Persie a/t scorer 7/5
2-2 draw at 13/1

Damn wipe out, couldn’t get a winner here. Robben was unlucky not to get on the score sheet I guess, but really the bets didn’t even get within an asses roar of happening.

Full betting previews, read here>

Beers: Round of 16 Beer World Cup:

http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-last-16/

Who is set to win the battle of the beers? Unfortunately a Dutch beer just missed out in a tight Group B, making VB Bitter from Australia the winner, and Corona of Mexico came second in their beer group, so it is VB Bitter V Corona. Who will quench the thirst, set the mood, get me in the right spirit? Click on picture for a preview of the beers.

Get the beer result after, much after!

VB Bitter V Corona: 3-0 to VB Bitter. Not really a whole lot to say. A strong “bitter” is not going to lose to a light beer, not in my World Cup anyway. Corona is a light beer that has a great refreshing taste, with flavours that are not overwhelming making the beer go down smooth and easily, but I want to actually taste something in my beer and VB does that for me, especially with its famous sour aftertaste.

PreGame:

Netherlands: Let us look at some interesting stats before this game today. Arjen Robben has scored eight goals in his last nine appearances for the Dutch, while Robin van Persie, who is back today after serving out his yellow card suspension, has scored 21 goals in his last 25 international appearances. That kind of strike rate will make the Mexican defence worry. They will have to maintain a 100% concentration to keep the two Dutch masters off the score sheet today.

I expect a very exciting end to end tie today, much different to the Netherlands last game against Chile, in what was a very bruising and dour match. I can’t see Mexico as a team that will hold back, and the Dutch are supreme going forward. Should be a cracking game.

But a not of warning to the Dutch, Mexico seem to be improving with every game and wont be as easy a pushover as you might imagine. They have only conceded one goal so far and there forward play is great at easing pressure off their defence. The Dutch should definitely not underestimate the threat that Mexico can pose.

Mexico can expect to attract more of their fanatical and loud travelling support for today’s game. The Mexican support really is like a 12th man on the pitch, and in the last game it felt that, at times, Mexico were playing this game at home such was the level of support for them from the stands. We will have a great atmosphere in today’s game that’s a definite.

Against Croatia, Mexico put on magnificent show with a 3-1 thrashing of the European team. Mexico took the lead when Rafael Marquez jumped up to score from a corner another one of his headed goals. Marquez put his team in front, and was once again brilliant in defence, marshaling his back line well. He also received a yellow card for a very cynical foul that broke up a very promising Croatian attack, taking one for the team. Overall another towering performance from the Mexican captain. Remember this Mexican team have only let in one goal so far at this years World Cup!

Mexico were in the mood for goals, and they came. Guardado chipped in with a lovely strike to put Mexico two up. Super sub, Javier Hernández came on, and sure enough he got his usual trademark goal, nodding in from a far post header after he lost his marker. 3-0 thanks to the “little pea”, and this was beginning to look like a rout of Croatia.

I didn’t think the Mexican goalkeeper Ochoa was so hot against the Croatians, he was a bit flappy, not really as imposing as he was against Brazil. Hopefully that wasn’t his only good game in this World Cup, as his team will need him to be strong, as the Dutch will definitely be testing him. A tough game to call, as Mexico are just as good as the Netherlands when going forward, and with Marquez playing so well in defence, Mexico do have a chance.

Hopefully the Mexican coach Miguel Herrera wont have a heart attack, he is MAD, but a joy to watch on the touchline. Brilliant fun.

The Dutch definitely used their get out of jail card for this game. For the whole of the first half and a bit of the second, Mexico totally dominated them. Mexico must be wondering how they didn’t get through that game. The Netherlands scored two goals in about two minutes late on to qualify for the last eight. Truth be told the Dutch deserved it as Mexico did nothing after they scored and sat back to wait until the final whistle. Well done to the Netherlands and their never give up attitude.

Did Arjen Robben dive in the penalty box? I really dont think it matters that much to be honest. Yes it looked like a dive but Robben was fouled all throughout the game, and deserved about three penalties before this incident. Also a momentary lapse by the super captain Rafael Marquez saw him diving in with a reckless tackle within the penalty box. A silly thing to do especially with Robben ready to fall like a fairy.

De Jong, going off after 9 minutes was the start of the problems for the Dutch. His steel was missing at the centre of the Netherlands defence as they struggled to keep out Mexico. It was attack after attack, all Mexico, Layun on one side, Guardado on the other, Peralta and Dos Santos up front dangerous, even Marquez was venturing forward to take on the Dutch. Herrera had a shot that went just inches wide. Salcido with a shot from distance made Cillessen work to pull off a good save. It was Mexico that were totally dominating. Take that total football.

It looked like the Dutch could not cope with the heat. In one awful passage of play the Dutch got a throw deep in Mexican territory and proceeded to play the ball right back towards their own goalkeeper, shocking from a team that likes to pride itself on its attacking prowess. They were struggling badly in the midday sun.

The goal that was coming, came early second half from Giovanni Dos Santos. In the first half he went close on a couple of occasions unlucky not to score. But he put that right when he piled in a stunning shot from about 25 yards out to give Cillessen no chance to save in the Dutch goals, bottom corner. Great goal, and what his team deserved.

The Mexican goal stirred the Dutch into action and the Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa kept them at bay, pulling off a point blank save to deny an equaliser. Memphis Depay came on and made more of an attacking threat towards the Mexicans, as the Dutch began to come more into the game. Mexico pretty much stopped playing after their goal. Funnily enough it started to look like the Mexicans were beginning to suffer with the heat and not the European team.

Arjen Robben started his runs again and was fouled a few times which was passed off by the referee, got a few shots on target, and generally was a nuisance in the box especially for Márquez who had clattered him all game. One one occasion Robben was double tackled by Márquez and Moreno. With tackles and feet flying in it was not one penalty but two! I am not a big fan of Robben but I can totally understand why he dived in the end to get a penalty, as he was getting kicked all game without much protection from the ref, so why not? I just wish he would not make it so obvious and dramatic.

But boy did they leave it late, the 88th minute in fact. Sneijder who did more in the last ten minutes than the whole tournament up to that point started to play some good football and from a loose ball fired an unstoppable low straight shot, that even the great Ochoa could not save, into the corner of the net. Brilliant technique and a great goal.

Then there was that penalty that Robben had earned for his team. Marquez sticking out his leg in a half hearted attempt at a tackle and Robben obliging by falling over his outstretched leg. “Thank you for that moment of madness Rafael”. So it was left to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, the late Dutch sub, to keep his nerves steady, score and put Netherlands through to the last eight. You play to the end, and never give up, and that’s why the Netherlands are looking forward to playing Costa Rica while the Mexicans go home ruing the decision not to take the Dutch by the jugular. Best team won, don’t like hard luck stories.