With the tension at fever pitch as the first-ever goalless FIFA World Cup semi-final reached the end of extra-time on Wednesday, Argentina’s Sergio Romero kept his cool to save two penalties in a shootout against the Netherlands and send his side to their first final in 24 years.
Romero plunged low to his left to save the first penalty-kick from Netherlands defender Ron Vlaar, before pulling off a superb stop to deny midfielder Wesley Sneijder and send Argentina fans wild at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The pressure of scoring the game-winner fell to Argentina substitute Maxi Rodriguez, who slotted high past Jasper Cillessen as the Netherlands ’keeper failed to emulate the heroics of backup Tim Krul, who saved two penalties in the Oranje’s quarter-final win over Costa Rica.
Photo: Reuters
Two-time champions Argentina now travel to Rio de Janeiro for Sunday’s final against historic rivals Germany, who thrashed hosts Brazil 7-1 in the other semi-final in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday.
It will be a repeat of the 1986 and 1990 finals, as well as the first time two teams have faced each other three times in the title decider.
“I’m really happy with everything,” hero Romero said in a televised interview. “[Penalties] are a question of luck, that’s the reality... I had confidence in myself and, fortunately, everything turned out well.”
Photo: AFP
Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella added: “I’m very happy because we reached the final and now we will see what we can do. We will give everything as usual, with humility, work and 100 percent effort.”
Netherlands winger Arjen Robben told Dutch TV: “It hurts, but we gave it our all this evening and it’s grim going out in this way... [but] I have to be proud of these guys.”
With Brazil’s harrowing defeat still fresh in the mind, caution was the watchword of a tactical first half as both sides felt each other out and battled for possession across the pitch in a defense-dominated encounter short on entertainment.
Photo: Reuters
Nigel de Jong, best known for his chest-high kick on Spain’s Xabi Alonso in the 2010 final that the Dutch squad lost, completed a remarkable recovery from a groin injury to play in midfield and was clearly under orders to shadow Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi.
Los Albicelestes equaled their longest winning streak at a World Cup with their 1-0 victory over Belgium in the quarter-finals, but all five of those wins were by one-goal margins and they were even less creative without Angel di Maria.
Four-time FIFA World Player of the Year Messi, who was kept quiet by his standards, did test Cillessen with a free-kick early on and Ezequiel Garay headed over the bar under pressure from Vlaar, but chances were few in a dire first half.
The second period was equally cautious as the Dutch failed to record a shot on target for the entire 90 minutes before Robben burst into the box in the dying moments, only to be denied by Javier Mascherano’s well-timed block.
Argentina sub Rodrigo Palacio missed a gilt-edged chance in the second period of extra time when he broke clear and his tame header was held comfortably by a relieved Cillessen before Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir called for the shootout.
Vlaar said of his missed attempt: “In the penalty I wasn’t nervous I, concentrated. It had to go in and it didn’t. We didn’t get that many chances [during the game]. We could have created more chances, but we didn’t. We didn’t get the chance to score and that’s a shame.”
Argentina substitute Sergio Aguero, who converted his penalty in the shootout, said of their victory: “It means so many things, a lot of people didn’t think that Argentina would be in the final, but we know what a good team we have.”
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was