With two super saves of Vlaar and Sneijder in penalty shootout, goalkeeper Sergio Romero takes team into Final against Germany on Sunday
The World Cup’s second semifinal was supposed to put the silky skills of lionel Messi and Arjen Robben in the spotlight. Instead, a goalkeeper and two rock-solid defences stole the show.
Argentina goalie Sergio Romero saved two penalties Wednesday to send Argentina into the World Cup final with a 4-2 shootout win over The Netherlands after tough defending and a lack of creative spark from either team consigned the match to a 0-0 stalemate.
In a twist of fate, Romero credited The Netherlands coach louis van Gaal with helping launch his career when he arrived as an inexperienced youngster at AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch league.
A day after Germany lit up the World Cup with their clinical 7-1 destruction of host Brazil, the Dutch and Argentines could not manage a goal between them in 120 minutes before the shootout.
At the Itaquerao Stadium, Messi was overshadowed by his goalkeeper and the man he replaced as Argentina captain, Javier Mascherano, who bossed the midfield for his team the way surprise starter Nigel de Jong did for the Dutch.
When Robben looked like deciding the match in stoppage time, Mascherano’s perfectly timed sliding tackle blocked his shot at the near post. “I would say that he is an outstanding player,” Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said. “He is an emblem within our national squad, on the field as well as off it.”
Romero — thought to be a weak link for Argentina and not even a starter for his Monaco club most of last season — had almost nothing to do during the match, but blocked penalties by Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder in the shootout. For Argentina, Messi, Ezequiel Garay, Sergio Aguero and Maxi Rodriguez all converted their spot kicks.
A Germany-Argentina final means an extra bitter end to the tournament for Brazilians, who will have to watch their fiercest rivals play for the world title in their most hallowed stadium against a team that humiliated their nation in the semifinals.
“We have a final to play, but with one day less rest and against Germany,” Sabella said. “We’ll do everything possible to make it all the way to the top.”
van Gall runs out of luck
It was the second straight penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw for the Dutch. Against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, Van Gaal brought on substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul in the last seconds of extra time to replace Jasper Cillessen and Krul saved two spot kicks.
This time, Van Gaal had used up all three substitutions by the end of extra time and Cillessen had to face the shootout.
“I’d have subbed him again if I’d had the chance,” Van Gaal said. “But I didn’t have the chance.”
On Wednesday, his substitutions may have ultimately cost the Netherlands the game, and a place in the World Cup final.
He took off defender Bruno Martins Indi, captain Robin van Persie and midfielder Nigel de Jong. That meant not only that he couldn’t replace Cillessen with Krul.
The young Ajax goalkeeper collapsed onto his knees and sank onto his back when Rodriguez’s powerful strike ended the shootout. Krul walked across the pitch to console him. Van Gaal said he asked two other players before turning to Vlaar, the Aston Villa center back who had an outstanding match against Argentina. He would not name those players.