All it took was another tactical master-piece of a decision by Netherlands boss to set his team up with a semi-final clash against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the other one being Huntelaar’s arrival against Mexico.
Louis van Gaal decided to substitute his #1 Jasper Cillessen with Tim Krul specifically for the penalty shootouts when the time had clocked at 120’ +1’.
The genius of the match was this replacement for the Dutch: Krul’s arrival gave the much needed fresh legs in front of the goal post as Cillessen was a tad bit exhausted.
Tim Krul had previously saved only 2 penalties out of 12 for his Premier League club Newcastle United but today he bettered his record by saving two penalties in quick succession, one of Costa Rica captain Bryan Ruiz attempt and another of Michael Umana to swoop up the victory and the subsequent progression of his country into the second semi-finals in 4 years.
Here’s the decisive penalty save that jolted Netherlands into celebrations:
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