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Costa Rica’s run ends with loss to Netherlands on penalty kicks
USA Today – SALVADOR, Brazil — Louis van Gaal’s gamble paid off.
Netherlands’ goalkeeper Tim Krul saves a penalty kick during the World Cup quarterfinal. The Netherlands won 4-3 on penalty kicks. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
The Netherlands coach brought on Tim Krul for a penalty shootout, yanking the goalkeeper who’d played every second of the World Cup. But Krul came up with two big saves to send the Dutch into the semifinals for a second World Cup.
When Krul batted away Michael Umana’s shot to seal the victory, he let out a roar as the rest of the Dutch players raced out to congratulate him. The Netherlands will now play Argentina on Wednesday in Sao Paulo.
The finish ended a surprising run by Costa Rica. Drawn into the “Group of Champions,” the Ticos weren’t given much chance of advancing, let alone winning a group that also had Italy, Uruguay and England. But Costa Rica went toe-to-toe with the big boys, and they did so again Saturday night.
The Netherlands dominated the game both in terms of possession and chances, with Keylor Navas coming up with one huge save after another. And as the game headed into extra time and then penalties, it seemed as if the soccer gods might be exacting some payback for the Netherlands’ ugly play in the 2010 final and its tendency to dive and embellish here.
Wesley Sneijder hit the crossbar in the 119th minute, after hitting the post in the 82nd. And Robin van Persie missed what is normally a gimme for him at the end of regulation. Getting the ball just beyond the edge of the 6-yard box, with Navas out of position, van Persie shot only to have Yeltsin Tejada clear it off the line, banging it up and against the cross bar.
Van Gaal has made all the right moves at this World Cup, but his decision to pull Jasper Cillessen looked silly. After all, Cillessen had played every game, and Krul doesn’t exactly have a reputation as a penalty killer – unlike Navas, who shut down Greece just a few days ago.
But if Krul was nervous, he didn’t show it, taunting several of the Ticos as they got ready to take their shots. He got his hands on Bryan Ruiz’s penalty, while Navas suddenly lost his touch. He guessed wrong on both Arjen Robben and Sneijder’s shot.
When Dirk Kuyt buried his in the back of the net, all Krul had to do was save one more and the Dutch were into the semis. He did, making van Gaal look like a genius.
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