FIFA World Cup Highlights: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's Injury-Time Penalty Sends Netherlands Into Quarters
Netherlands beat Mexico 2-1 thanks to a penalty in injury-time to progress to the last eight of the FIFA World Cup 2014.
Netherlands beat Mexico in their last 16 clash. Catch the highlights here ( Matchcentre | Fixtures):
23:27 (IST): It's all over! The final whistle is blown and Netherlands seal their place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
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23:23 (IST): GOAL! Huntelaar converts the penalty in injury time and it's 2-1 to Netherlands. That surely sends them into the last eight of the FIFA World Cup.
23:18 (IST): GOAL! The ball rebounds and arrives at the feet of Wesley Sneijder in the 87th minute just outside the box. He doesn't think twice and fires a projectile into the bottom left corner. His attempt was beyond the reach of Guillermo Ochoa.
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23:06 (IST): Van Persie comes off in the 76th minute. Huntelaar comes on as the players go off for a cooling break.
23:03 (IST):Â Netherlands' 75th minute corner goes to waste as the ball is headed over the bar.
22:54 (IST): Netherlands have won 9 out of their last 10 World Cup games. Their last defeat was against Spain in the final of the 2010 edition.
22:48 (IST): Robben finds Sneijder in Mexico's box but a weak shot is deflected away for a corner in the 60th minute.
22:38 (IST): GOAL! Santos breaks the deadlock in the 48th minute as he fires in a hard volley. The keeper dives but is unable to stop the ball. Mexico 1 Netherlands 0.
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22:35 (IST): The second half kicks off and it will be interesting to see which team calls the shots.
22:32 (IST): Chances have been few and far between in hot and humid conditions although there have been two good penalty appeals. Hector Herrera looked to have been taken clean out by a combination of Ron Vlaar and Stefan de Vrij while at the other end Arjen Robben was left annoyed with referee Pedro Proenca when he was felled in the box by Rafael Marquez and Hector Moreno. Despite the claims, Los Ticos have been the more dominant side and could have taken the lead when Giovani dos Santos tested Jasper Cillessen but the Dutch goalkeeper made a fine save with his legs.
22:19 (IST): That is the end of the first half. Both teams still locked at 0-0 and it sets up the game for what promises to be an exciting second half.
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22:16 (IST): Four minutes of stoppage time to be played in the first half.
22:13 (IST): Mexico have not scored in the first half in their last 7 World Cup games. The last time they did so was in the Round of 16 game in 2006.
22:09 (IST): Referee Pedro Proenca gets play back underway at the Castelao arena in Fortaleza in the 36th minute. The three minutes taken for the cooling break will be added on at the end of the half.22:03 (IST): The first official cooling break of the FIFA World Cup 2014. Both teams get three minutes to refresh themselves before resuming the match.
21:59 (IST): Santos threatening to make inroads for Mexico in the first 30 minutes of play but the score is still 0-0.
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21:56 (IST): Mexico have done well to stand up against Netherlands and neither team giving an inch .
21:48 (IST): Hector Herrera shoots after receiving a good pass in the 17th minute. His effort from the edge of the box goes just wide of the left post. The ball is out of the pitch and it's a goal kick for Netherlands.
21:43 (IST): Mexico get the ball across the goal in the 14th minute but Santos can't make it in time and Netherlands have a lucky break early on.
21:39 (IST): Nigel De Jong gestures for a substitution. His injury doesn't allow him to stay any longer on the pitch. Bruno Martins Indi is introduced to the game. Netherlands forced to make a change in the opening 10 minutes of play.
21:35 (IST): Netherlands coach Louis Van Gaal has set his side up in a 5-3-2 formation which may change to a 4-3-3, while Mexico manager magic man Miguel Herrera is going with a 4-2-3-1 system.
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21:30 (IST): The referee blows the whistle and the game kicks off. Mexico looking for a place in the last eight after 28 years while Netherlands aim to do one better than 2010 when they finished runners-up.
21:24 (IST): Both teams line up as it is time for the national anthems.
21:20 (IST): Mexico's recent success came when they beat Brazil to win the gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012.
21:13 (IST): Netherlands are one of the tournament favourites after convincingly coming through a tough pool containing Spain, Chile and Australia. They thrashed defending champions Spain 5-1 and beat both Australia and Chile, finishing top of the group scoring 10 goals. Mexico also did well to progress from a group undefeated containing tournament favourites and host Brazil, as well as Croatia and Cameroon so today's clash has all the ingredients to become a classic. History is on the European side - Mexico have lost three and drawn one of their last four encounters with The Oranje, conceding at least two goals on each of these occasions. The match offers El Tri the chance to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1986. They have fallen at the round-of-16 juncture in their last five World Cup campaigns and know if they can end that run a seemingly winnable last-eight clash with Greece or Costa Rica awaits. The Dutch have won nine of their last 10 World Cup matches but Mexico have scored a goal in each of their last 11 World Cup matches against European nations, losing just two of these games.
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Netherlands vs Mexico: Factoid
- Head-to-head: Netherlands have won three out of the six games they have played against Mexico while the latter has two wins and one match ended in a draw.
- The last time these two teams met in a FIFA World Cup was in 1988 when the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
- Robin van Persie, who is back after suspension, has scored 21 goals for Netherlands in his last 25 matches.
- Since 1994, Mexico have been knocked out in the second round of all five editions of the FIFA World Cup.
- The free-scoring Netherlands have had 28 shots on target in the group stage, nine more than any side in thier group has managed.
Road to Last 16
Mexico: Beat Cameroon (1-0), Drew Brazil (0-0), Beat Croatia (3-1)
Netherlands: Beat Spain (5-1), Beat Australia (3-2), Beat Chile (2-0)
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Mexico chase history
Eight months ago Mexico looked set for one of the greatest humiliations in the country's football history. Now they are riding a Latin American wave at the World Cup.
A disastrous qualification campaign put them on the brink of elimination. However, as they ended a 2-1 defeat away to Costa Rica in their final CONCACAF qualifier, they received a lifeline from the unlikeliest of sources.
Two goals in stoppage time by the already qualified United States away to Panama handed the Mexicans a second chance through a playoff against New Zealand despite having won just twice in 10 qualifiers.
Now Mexico can reach the World Cup quarter-finals on foreign soil for the first time with victory over the Netherlands on Sunday. The Mexicans have already come through a tough group against World Cup favourites Brazil, Croatia and Cameroon. (Read more)
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Water breaks during Netherlands-Mexico Clash? Van Gaal wants it!
Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal wants Portuguese referee Pedro Proenca to allow water breaks during his side's World Cup last 16 encounter with Mexico in Fortaleza on Sunday.
Temperatures for the 1pm kick off local time (1600GMT) are expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius with intense humidity also likely to drain players on both sides.
"We hope that we get breaks to drink, otherwise we will put bottles around the pitch for the players," said Van Gaal, who will take over at Manchester United after the finals.
"Dehydration is an element we have looked at in our training. Every people is different, but some can lose up to four kilos during the match, so you have to keep them hydrated as much as possible.
"We hope that the referee will referee in a sensible way." And Van Gaal admitted that the heat and humidity would be an advantage for the Mexicans at a World Cup where teams from central and south American sides have generally outperformed their European counterparts.
"That is the reason we tried to get the players as fit as possible. I am quite conscious that it will also affect the Mexican team, but they are much more used to it."
The Netherlands did, though, score one of Europe's few victories over south American opposition with a 2-0 win against Chile in their final Group B game to ensure they won the group with a 100 percent record. (Read more)
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Mexico coach lauds Javier Hernandez's attitude
Mexico boss Miguel Herrera insisted on Saturday that Manchester United's Javier Hernandez remains a key player for El Tri despite not yet starting a World Cup match.
Hernandez came off the bench to register his first international goal in a year as Mexico sealed their place in the last 16 with a 3-1 win over Croatia, and Herrera said he would get another chance to shine from the bench against the Netherlands in their last 16 tie on Sunday. (Read more)