Holland in last-gasp win; Costa beat Greece on penalties

30 มิถุนายน 2557

Behind 1-0 after 87 minutes, the Netherlands get two quick goals to break Mexican hearts, the last on a controversial penalty (Clear video clip included). Meanwhile, 10-man Costa Rica win on penalties.

Behind 1-0 after 87 minutes, the Netherlands get two quick goals to break Mexican hearts, the last on a controversial penalty (Clear video clip included). Meanwhile, 10-man Costa Rica win on penalties.

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Mexico's defender and captain Rafael Marquez (TOP) reacts after the awarding of a penalty after a tackle on Netherlands' forward Arjen Robben (R) during a Round of 16 football match between Netherlands and Mexico at Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 29, 2014. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNAND

Robben in penalty storm as last-gasp Dutch sink Mexico,

FORTALEZA, Brazil, AFP – Arjen Robben won a controversial late penalty as the Netherlands staged an incredible last-gasp fightback to beat Mexico 2-1 and advance to the World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday. (Video highlights: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/videos/highlights/match=300186508/index.html)

Bayern Munich star Robben – regularly accused of going to ground too easily throughout his career – tumbled to the turf in injury time after making contact with Mexico defender Rafael Marquez. (This vine clip appears to show there was contact: https://vine.co/v/MFgBWT7j03K).

Portuguese referee Pedro Proenca pointed to the spot and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar stepped up to bury the winning penalty.

Netherlands' forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (L) scores a penalty past Mexico's goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa during the Round of 16 football match between Netherlands and Mexico. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNAND

It came just moments after Wesley Sneijder had scored an 88th-minute equaliser to cancel out Giovani dos Santos's superb goal for Mexico.

Mexico's forward Giovani Dos Santos (R/10#) runs past Netherlands' goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen as he celebrates after scoring. AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO

The epic finale settled a second round battle played in furnace-like conditions at Fortaleza's Castelao Stadium.

Mexican coach Miguel Herrera lashed out at referee Proenca for awarding the penalty.

"The determining factor was the man with the whistle. He put us of the World Cup," Herrera said.

"At the very least they can look at this and this referee ought to be going home like us."

Robben however insisted Proenca had been right to award the penalty, telling Dutch broadcaster NOS: "I was fouled."

But Robben did admit to a dive in an unsuccessful attempt to win a penalty earlier in the first half.

"I really have to say and at the same time apologise in the first half I took a dive and I really shouldn't do that," Robben said.

"That was a stupid, stupid thing to do but sometimes you're expecting to be struck and then they pull their leg away at the last minute."

The Dutch fightback left Mexico's players in tears as their last 16 jinx struck again.

Netherlands' midfielder Wesley Sneijder shoots to score the equaliser. AFP PHOTO / DAMIEN MEYER

Mexico have now lost in the second round in six consecutive World Cup appearances, and had been just minutes away from a first quarter-final since 1986.

The match saw three-minute cooling breaks used for the first time in World Cup history as pitch-side temperatures hit 39 degrees.

Dutch coach Louis van Gaal praised his team for not wilting as they chased an equaliser in punishing conditions.

"The players showed they had faith and belief until the very end," said Van Gaal.

"The humidity was not in our favour so when you see that until the very last minute we were fresher and fitter than the Mexicans that is a big compliment to my players."

Netherlands' coach Louis van Gaal (C) talks with his players during a cooling break. The temperatures on the pitch at Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza reached 39 Celsius. AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO

Van Gaal also revealed he had exploited the cooling breaks to introduce tactical tweaks at key points in the game.

"That is a clever way of benefiting from these breaks," he said.

Costa Rica's goalkeeper Keylor Navas (R) saves a penalty kick by Greece's forward Fanis Gekas during the penalty shootout after the extra time in the round of 16 football match between Costa Rica and Greece at Pernambuco Arena in Recife during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 29, 2014. AFP PHOTO / RONALDO SCHEMIDT

10-man Costa Rica beat Greece on penalties

Meanwhile in Recife, Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas claimed man-of-the match honours as his side sank Greece in a penalty shootout to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time and a clash with the Netherlands. (Video highlights: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/videos/highlights/match=300186459/index.html)

Reduced to 10 men in the second half, Costa Rica still seemed to be on a course for an upset victory until Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored an injury-time equaliser to force extra time.

Greece's defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos (L) scores late to send the match into extra time. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS

Navas, who had blocked a string of shots in the game, was equally impressive in the two 15-minute periods of extra time before he pulled off a superb one-handed save to deny Theofanis Gekas's spot kick during the penalty shoot-out.

Costa Rica went on to secure a 5-3 victory to keep the central Americans' World Cup dream alive.