Argentina gives the Netherlands new penalty trauma and plays semi-final against Croatia

football world cup

The adventure of the Netherlands and Louis van Gaal in Qatar is over. In recent weeks, the 71-year-old national coach has been the star of a team that hoped for a repeat of a 2010 World Cup scenario: getting through to the final with little thrilling but efficient football. Against Argentina, the plan miraculously held up. Even after a 0–2 deficit, the Netherlands came back. But captain Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis missed in the penalty shootout. Just like at the 2014 World Cup, the Orange will go out with penalties against Argentina. With three penalty shoot-outs lost out of four, the Dutch are, tied with England and Spain, the worst-performing penalty shooters in World Cup history.

Just like in the eighth finals against Australia, Lionel Messi had shown his team the way. The number ten carries with it a stamp of underachiever at world cups. But since he helped Argentina to the Copa América in July ’21, he has trotted confidently in blue and white. Against Australia he was the first to find the opening and kicked his team ahead after 35 minutes. Against the Netherlands, he found the hole through the orange wall at exactly the same time.

Right back Nahuel Molina, who faced Club Brugge with Atlético earlier this season, played Messi about ten meters over the center line. The number ten cut in Argentina’s best number ten tradition, put Nathan Aké in the wind with a feint, and without looking, with a splitting pass, brought Molina alone in front of goalkeeper Andries Noppert. The young back did not hesitate and scored 0–1.

The Netherlands had no response in house. Van Gaal brought in Teun Koopmeiners for Marten de Roon and Steven Berghuis for Steven Bergwijn. It seemed lead to old iron. Halfway through the second half, Van Gaal switched to his plan B, which had already made the rounds on social media with the help of an attentive photographer. Luuk de Jong came in, awaiting the arrival of another tower, Wout Weghorst.

Desperate final offensive

While the Orange deployed its air force, Lionel Messi issued another warning. After a foul by Virgil van Dijk on number ten, he kicked a tight free kick just over Noppert’s goal. The lights seemed to go out completely for the Orange when Denzel Dumfries hooked Marcos Acuña in the box. The ball hit the spot and Messi wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. He smashed the penalty unsustainably against the side netting.

In a desperate final offensive, the Netherlands managed to score against. Wout Weghorst headed in the 1-2 on a cross from Steven Berghuis and ensured a nervous end to the game. The pots started to boil when Leandro Paredes kicked the ball hard to the Dutch bank out of frustration.

After ten minutes of added time, the Dutch miracle took place. After a rehearsed free kick, Koopmeiners played Weghorst, who turned past the Argentinian wall and pushed in the 2–2. The world over Argentina collapsed.

Yet came the Albiceleste bravest for the day in overtime. After a free kick, Messi launched Nicolas Otamendi, who just missed hitting the ball with his toe. The substitute Lautaro Martinez had two good shooting opportunities. Lionel Messi placed the ball on the wrong side of the post. And at the very end, Enzo Fernandez hit the box, in a mirrored drama of the 1978 World Cup final and the ball against the post of Rob Rensenbrink.

Captain Virgil van Dijk missed first in the penalties. Lionel Messi converted his on which Steven Berghuis also missed. Things got tense when Enzo Fernandez couldn’t get his eleven meter converted, but Lautaro Martinez got a second chance and kicked his team one round further.

Argentina is well deserved to the semi-final against Croatia on Tuesday. Lionel Messi can try to repeat his trick against Australia and the Netherlands: trying to find that one hole against a defensive opponent. Croatia is without a doubt one of the toughest teams at this World Cup.

The Orange goes home with the wrong impression that there was more to it. Only a favorable draw had allowed the Netherlands to get this far at this World Cup: a group stage against Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal, followed by a 1/8th final against the United States. It is great that the Orange kept it exciting until the end, but Louis van Gaal’s last team was not worth a semi-final. Even though the difference with Argentina on the scoreboard could not be smaller and the penalty trauma of the Orange unmistakably played up again.