Netherlands v Mexico
Sunday 29 June – Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza (18:00)
After going through a gruelling group stage battle, Mexico and the Netherlands will now duke it out for a spot in the quarter-finals on Sunday. Both sides have exceeded expectations so far by qualifying in the fashion they did.
Netherlands will look to continue their prolific run that saw them scoring 10 goals in three group games so far. The Dutch dominated Spain 5-1 in their opener before beating the Aussies 3-2 and Chile 2-0 to wrap up Group B as log leaders. A victory against the Mexicans will catapult the Oranje three wins away from redeeming themselves after they bombed out during the winding minutes of their game with Spain in the final of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Netherlands will get back the service of their scoring assassin Robin van Persie, who was suspended for the final group game against Chile. The Manchester United striker has already scored three goals in the tournament and the Flying Dutchman will want to continue that form here. On Monday, the Netherlands faced Chile in a match that would decide who would finish on top in Group B. The match was important for both sides, because the team that finished first would probably avoid host nation Brazil in the round of 16. It was a close match, but thanks to a 77th minute header by Norwich’s Leroy Fer and a last-minute tap in from Memphis Depay, the Oranje managed to win the match. Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal was again praised as both goalscorers were brought in as substitutes in the second half. Netherlands’ other star, Arjen Robben, has also come to the fore in Brazil. Ahead of the World Cup, a lot was expected of world-class players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But so far, one of the best players has been Arjen Robben. As the tournament progresses to the knockout stage and we get nearer to the final, we’ll have to see whether Robben can continue his impressive run—but so far, it seems like the winger is unplayable. Memphis Depay is yet to start a match in the World Cup, but regardless, he has scored two decisive goals. The youngster, who broke through this year after storming through PSV’s youth academy, came in as a substitute against Australia, providing an assist and scoring the winning goal.
Despite a roller-coaster World Cup qualifying journey, Mexico have rose to the occasion by going unbeaten in a group that contained hosts Brazil along with Croatia and Cameroon. They were the last team to book a spot in Brazil, but their results so far tell a different story, beating Cameroon 1-0, Croatia 3-1 and playing to a 0-0 draw with Brazil. El Tri surged into the knockout stages for a sixth consecutive time on Monday with a 3-1 win over Croatia. Rafael Marquez, Andres Guardado and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored in a 10-minute span in the second half, dooming a talented Croatia side to elimination from the group stage. The result gave Mexico a second-place finish behind Brazil in Group A. Midfielder Jose Juan Vazquez is suspended for the game against Netherlands after he received his second yellow card of the tournament. Besides his absence, Mexico will be playing at full strength ahead of their do-or-die showdown. Marquez at 35-yaers-old is still a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the field after holding his own against Croatia and scoring a crucial goal. Upfront, Oribe Peralta is preferred to Chicharito, and the most expensive Mexican Liga player needs to prove his worth after scoring only a penalty so far. Hernandez on the other hand has been used as an impact player from the bench in all three of Mexico’s group games but his last performance in the victory over Croatia could have earned him a starting berth.
The last time these teams met was in a warm-up match for South Africa 2010, with Netherlands coming out 2-1 victors. Both sides have been great so far with Mexico proving solid at the back while the Dutch have impressed most spectators going forward. If there is one team who are capable of breaking down the Mexican’s five man defence, Netherlands have to be one of those nations. Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben are performing at their peak and look hungry. The Dutch are tipped for the win.
Predicted Line-ups
Holland (Possible, 5-3-2): Cillessen; Janmaat, Vlaar, De Vrij, Martins Indi, Blind; De Guzman, Sneijder, De Jong; Van Persie, Robben.
Mexico (Possible, 5-3-2): Ochoa; Aguilar, Moreno, Marquez, Rodriguez, Layun; Guardado, Fabian, Herrera; Dos Santos, Peralta.
