Netherlands
Beats Costa Rica in Penalty Shootout
Tim Krul came on as a substitute in the final
minute of extra time and then saved two penalties in a 4-3 shootout victory
over Costa Rica on Saturday, giving the Netherlands a spot in the World Cup
semifinals.
Krul saved spot kicks from Costa Rica captain
Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana after the match had finished 0-0.
"We had a lot of chances but it didn't go
in," Krul said on Dutch television. "Then I come in, stop two
penalties and here we are."
In another stroke of tactical genius at this
year's World Cup, Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal pulled Jasper Cillessen
moments after the Ajax goalkeeper had saved a shot from Marcos Urena in extra
time.
"The trick is good," said Krul, who
plays for Newcastle. "A lot of preparation went into it."
The Dutch team will next face Argentina in the
semifinals on Wednesday in Sao Paulo.
Krul looked super confident during the shootout
at the Arena Fonte Nova, saving the second and fifth penalties by diving to his
left and sticking out his hand.
When Krul stopped Ruiz's penalty, Cillessen,
watching from the sideline, punched the air in celebration.
When he saved the second to win the match,
Cillessen out-sprinted the rest of the bench to get to Krul, who was already
being mobbed by jubilant teammates who had watched from the halfway line.
Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas had kept his
team in the match with a string of great saves in the first half and again in
extra time. When Wesley Sneijder twice beat him late in regulation and again in
the second half of extra time, the woodwork made the stop.
Sneijder hit the post with a free kick in the
80th minute and sent a curling shot over Navas and off the crossbar before the
penalty shootout.
At the end, however, Navas could not stop any of
the four Dutch penalties as veterans Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Sneijder
and Dirk Kuyt all scored.
The Krul substitution will only boost Van Gaal's
reputation as a coach who leaves nothing to chance and who has a golden touch
with replacements. And it kept his tenure with the Netherlands alive for two
more matches before he becomes the manager at Manchester United next season.
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