NED 0-2 ARG. Smashes it in with aplomb. 

Netherlands 0-1 Argentina. This time diving full stretch to his left and Martinez dances!

Netherlands 0-1 Argentina. As cool asit comes, simply rolls it down the center. 

Netherlands 0-0 Argentina. Just a sensational save diving to his proper by Martinez. Now its Messi

Virgil Van Dijk has the ball in his fingers, Martinez in aim. Here we go!

Extra time is up, on to penalty shootout we go. Oh the drama. 

120 minutes: The teenager smashes in a shot from 25 yards out, Noppert was nowhere close to it and it smashes in opposition to the left bar and out. 

120 minutes: From outdoors the field, low alongside the bottom and it’s deflected simply broad for a nook. 

116 minutes: Fernandez fizzes in a shot from outdoors the field after a nook kick routine. It is deflected off a Dutch foot simply over the bar. Every minute appears like a thrill on this half. Argentina have discovered their ft once more and are making an almighty push. Meanwhile, Netherlands take off Cody Gakpo for Noa Lang. 

114 minutes: Ball squared in from the fitting by Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez’s shot and it’s simply deflected broad! 

112 minutes: Free kick from Gakpo, about 35 yards from aim simply left of centre. He floats it invitingly to De Jong on the left who for a second has solely the goalkeeper between him and aim. But his shot is blocked and he’s referred to as for a foul for top foot whereas taking the follow-up shot. 

Lisandro Martinez taken off for Angel Di Maria by Argentina. Defender off for an out and out attacker. Di Maria had an harm which is why he’s being introduced solely now. No doubt his main cause for being there may be his means with penalties. 

109 minutes: Messi wins a free kick on the fitting, performs a one-two from it and cuts inside earlier than letting off a shot that goes over the bar. 

Allright then, is there one aim subject aim left on this match? Netherlands, to be very sincere, have seemed fairly bored with going for aim. 

Well this has been the antithesis to the final 20 minutes of regular time. Almost no risk to both aim. This is likely to be determined by penalties. 

Free kick for Argentina from the fitting, not fairly appropriate for a shot. Messi takes it, places into the empty zone on the far put up and the ball goes out tamely. 

96 minutes: They are again to enjoying their passes however they’re much more decisive now. Gakpo takes a shot that takes the roof of the web. Martinez had reached for it however pulled out on the final second. 

Goodness, gracious me, how is that this recreation going to finish now. Are Netherlands gong to proceed lumping the ball into the field? Can Messi conjure yet another piece of magic and may Argentina defend after that? Is this one actually going into penalties? Yikes!

Well it has come to a boil once more with each benches pushing and shoving one another after that whistle went off. There as no manner this match was fizzling off right into a a simple 2-0 win for Argentina was there. Wout Weghorst has come on and turned the sport on its head. The sheer cheek of that free-kick. Koopmeiners did a FAKE SHOT FROM A FREE-KICK IN THE LAST SECONDS OF A WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINAL, handed it to Weghorst who turned it into the close to put up. It is the sort of ingenuity that may win you World Cups … 

OH CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT! The entire stadium anticipated a shot, as a substitute the ball is handed to Weghorst who scores the equaliser in what needs to be the final 10 seconds of regular time. 

Pezzella with a careless problem simply left of centre proper on the sting of the D. Noppert is down on his haunches. The 10 minutes are up, this might very nicely be the final kick of the sport. Lionel Messi has been proven the yellow card presumably for operating his mouth an excessive amount of. 

Argentina are holding on for his or her pricey lives. Netherlands trying extra harmful than they ever did. If solely they’d determined to only lump lengthy balls into the field earlier within the match. Doesn’t matter now, this has develop into a deliciously dramatic end. The likes of Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti will be seen of their fits and blazers singing their hearts out with the remainder of the Argentine field from their field. 

It is much from over and to begin off this bumper added time, Berghuis lets a free kick from 22 yards smash into the highest of the wall to begin it off. This goes to really feel like 10 hours for Argentina.

The gamers resolve to put off one another, possibly as a result of this can be a World Cup knockout recreation or one thing. Paredes will get away with a yellow card the place he actually, actually ought to have seen pink. The referee has been just a little unusual right this moment. He was flashing yellow playing cards in all places within the first half and exhibits no pink for a blatant provocation corresponding to this. 

88 minutes: Paredes smashes right into a Ake two-footed close to the touchline after which smashes the ball into the Netherlands dug out. They all come speeding out to have a well mannered phrase or two with Paredes, the Argentines are available to maintain their teammate protected and it’s now a churning human potpourri in that space. 

86 minutes: With De Jong and Weghorst in entrance, the Dutch have determined to ditch all that pragmatic passing and there are balls flying into the field like cannon hearth. Weghorst had headed in from simply outdoors the six yard field off a vicious cross from the fitting. 

83 minutes: Well a type of two battering rams has scored inside seconds of approaching. Wout Weghorst with a fully sensible header to chop Argentina’s lead in half. Now then…

78 minutes: Double substitution for Argentina German Pezzella and Nicolas Tagliafico exchange Cristian Romero and Marcos Acuna. The Netherlands carry on Wout Weghorst for Memphis Depay. So they now had two battering rams in entrance in Weghorst and De Jong. Wonder if they are going to now begin sending balls into the field and attempt to really rating. 

A row between Emiliano Martinez and Luuk De Jong after which the sport is stopped by a pitch invasion. All of that places a break on the proceedings, which actually wasn’t going wherever as a result of the Netherlands had taken again to passing the ball round with totally no finish product. They have been shockingly dismal on this match. 

73 minutes: As calm a penalty kick as they arrive. Messi attracts degree with Gabriel Batistuta’s document of 10 World Cup targets for Argentina. Just clips it to Noppert’s proper the Dutch goalkeeper was rooted to the spot.  

One can anticipate a VAR examine in fact however for now, the ref has pointed to the spot. Acuna goes down, seemingly tripped by Dumfries on the fringe of the field close to the byline on the left. There is not any VAR examine and Messi stands over the ball. Breath in…

66 minutes: Argentina take off Rodrigo de Paul, who has run rather a lot and been fairly tireless within the midfield however hasn’t had too nice a recreation going ahead. Leandro Paredes comes on to switch him. Meanwhile, the Netherlands have additionally taken off defender Daley Blind for striker Luuk de Jong. 

63 minutes: Free kick for Argentina simply left of centre after Messi is pushed down by Van Dijk. The Argentina captain takes it and the ball fizzes simply over the bar on the fitting. 

De Paul overhits an tried by ball to Messi, who’s on the ball fairly much more than he was within the first half. Other than that, nothing too thrilling. 

Argentina get the ball rolling. Wonder if we can have extra motion on this second half contemplating certainly one of these two sides are going to be out after this. Van Gaal has introduced on Steven Berghuis and Teun Koopmeiners for Steven Bergwijn and Marten de Roon.

Not the best of first halves however who cares when Messi does his factor, eh? Nahuel Molina scored what’s going to in all probability stay essentially the most particular aim of is profession. Apart from that little second, it has been a half wherein a lot of the gamers appear to have walked greater than run.  

Not too many possibilities or stoppages on this half actually and so it’ll simply be 5 minutes of harm time. The ref has proven yellow playing cards to Julian Alvarez and Wout Weghorst, the latter being on the bench. That is 5 yellow playing cards proven already, two of these to these on the bench. The referee simply telling everybody to not be too naughty, he has playing cards for everybody. 

43 minutes: Acuna has a kick at Dumfries’ ankle and the latter goes down in a heap. Acuna follows the ball and Timber comes accross and pushes his him fingers on chest to the bottom, seemingly as a tit-for-tat. Timber and Acuna get yellow playing cards for all that nonsense and the latter will miss the semi-final if Argentina undergo. 

40 minutes: Messi receives the ball on the left simply contained in the field, surrounded by about three Dutch shirts, Nathan Ake behind him being the person giving him essentially the most grief. He fakes a motion to the skin earlier than dipping his shoulder and turning the opposite manner and taking a shot multi functional swift motion. That was low however straight at Noppert. 

35 minutes: Nabuel Molina’s aim with love from Lionel Messi. The maestro with a cross that slices the Dutch defence on the left and places it on a platter for Molina, he buries it for his first-ever worldwide aim. That aim has come out of nowhere however then Messi does dig targets out of nowhere, both by scoring them himself or offering them for others. Messi collects the ball on the fitting, threads his manner inside after which out of the blue reverses an excellent by ball for Molina that appeared to have catched out even the Dutch participant that was following the Argentinian captain. 

Argentina with numerous possession now and now each units of gamers appear to have given Messi competitors for strolling stats. The solely pleasure of the final 5 minutes comes in the direction of the top of the thirtieth minute when the Argentinian supervisor Lionel Scaloni will get proven a yellow card for making an actual nuisance of himself at that touchline. 

And now two Argentinians get in one another’s manner. Alvarez tries to mortgage the ball to Acuna and transfer ahead on the left, in all probability anticipating his teammate to put it off for him and get out of the best way. Acuna not fairly on the identical wavelength and the 2 run into one another. It is only a mutual nudge although, extra clumsy than harmful. 

23 minutes: It does seem like Bergwijn and Depay sort of obtained in one another’s manner right here. The shot comes from the latter from the sting of the field simply left of centre and fizzes broad. First nip for the Netherlands. 

21 minutes: Goes over the bar! And fairly a number of metres above it as nicely. The first actual shy he has had on the aim right this moment. That shot got here after an extended interval wherein the Netherlands sucked the life out of the sport. And after that shot, the Netherlands proceed doing the identical. It hasn’t been the e most thrilling of 20 minutes of soccer. 

Netherlands have had extra of the ball in these final 15 minutes, and that signifies that there hasn’t been a lot taking place. The Dutch have been as pragmatic as ever however unable to string too many passes collectively within the Argentine ultimate third. 

 Can’t actually say if both aspect has really pulled away from the opposite however Argentina have seemed extra prone to rating. Dutch goalkeeper Andries Noppert gave everybody just a little scare by enjoying a dangerous cross that went simply previous the prolonged leg of Julian Alvarez to a centre again. 

Argentina push ahead however their assault fizzles out simply on the fringe of the field after they arrive up in opposition to an Orange wall. It is likely to be that sort of a recreation for them right this moment. 

Here we go then! Both groups of their iconic conventional colors. Argentina attacking from proper to left. The Argentine nationwide anthem was completely thundered out by the vast majority of the followers who’re carrying Argentina’s colors. 

Here they’re! Virgil Van Dijk leads out the Dutch, Lionel Messi leads out the Argentines. Netherlands nationwide anthem comes first, then Argentina’s. Go on. Feel it within the air. 

Lionel Messi gave #2013vibes with how he was prancing circles across the Australian defence. He first scored his first World Cup knockout aim and went previous Maradona’s tally on this match. He may have then assisted at the least yet another, had it not been for Lisandro Martinez’s misfiring ft, and virtually scored one other within the final 10 minutes. But Netherlands aren’t any Australia, let’s have a look at how the maestro handles with this. 

Louis Van Gaal had revealed in Aprl that he had obtained 25 radiation therapies for an aggressive type of prostate most cancers and he saved the prognosis from his gamers throughout their World Cup qualifying marketing campaign. Defender Daley Blind stated the 71-year-old’s sickness, and the way he dealt with the scenario, is on the gamers’ minds in Qatar. “Of course it is in the back of our heads,” the Ajax defender stated. “From the primary second we didn’t learn about it. He did all the things he may to maintain it from us. He was even going to the hospital in the course of the nights, in order to not present the staff what he was going by.

So, Angel di Maria began it off by saying that Louis Van Gaal was the ‘worst manager’ of his career. Van Gaal replied by saying that Memphis Depay, who was sitting with his default player’s face for press conferences beside him, also had to deal with him at Man United and now they ‘kiss each other on the mouth’, resulting in Depay’s statue face to interrupt. And then, got here the little joust with the media over techniques. “I get the same question from you every time but you don’t understand that football is evolving,” he stated in a tone of exasperation. “At this World Cup we see that the results are very tight, even between big teams and supposedly smaller countries, because compact defending is simply easier than attacking. But it’s not true if it seems we are only defending. I hope that is clear now.”

Can you scent it?

A bit staff referred to as Brazil ARE OUT OF THE WORLD CUP!!!!!! Well Croatia have accomplished an actual quantity on the five-time champions. Brazil’s World Cup marketing campaign appeared to have come alive in a burst of splendid colors when Neymar scored a very pretty aim within the first half of additional time. But then Croatia scored the equaliser by Bruno Petkovic. Then, Croatia did their factor within the penalties and BRAZIL HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OUT. Argentina at the moment are the one South American staff left within the match. Talk about seismic outcomes. 

Noppert; Timber, Van Dijk, Ake; Dumfries, De Roon, De Jong, Blind; Gakpo; Depay, Bergwijn.

E Martinez; Romero, Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez; Molina, De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister, Acuna; Messi, Alvarez.

There has been a little bit of a disagreement between the 2 camps already, mainly between Louis Van Gaal and Angel di Maria. There was additionally some sparring between Van Gaal and the media within the press convention over his techniques. Well, Croatia have confirmed that the one factor that issues, is successful, once they did a quantity over Brazil.