Dutch ripper

FORTALEZA. — A remarkable last-gasp turnaround by the Netherlands earned them a 2-1 comeback victory over Mexico yesterday and a place in the World Cup quarter-finals as they equalised in the 88th minute and won it with a stoppage-time penalty.
Mexico made the breakthrough three minutes after halftime when Giovani Dos Santos held off two challenges before firing a powerful low shot into the corner.
Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, Mexico’s hero in their group stage draw with Brazil, then produced an astounding reaction save to divert Stefan de Vrij’s point-blank effort on to a post but he could do nothing to keep out Wesley Sneijder’s fierce equaliser.

The Dutch won it when Arjen Robben was brought down by Rafael Marquez in stoppage time, with substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar slamming in the penalty.
The World Cup saw its first three minute cooling break after 30 minutes of this match.

Breaks can be ordered by the referee when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, which takes into account air temperature, humidity, sunlight and wind speed, exceeds 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 Fahrenheit). They were almost preparing the manager’s office at Manchester United for Louis van Gaal.

With Holland wilting in the stifling heat of north-east Brazil, it appeared as though Van Gaal’s journey through this World Cup was about to be derailed.
Only three minutes of normal time remained here and the Dutch were still behind. It looked as though Dos Santo’s early second half stunner was going to be enough to see off a Holland team that didn’t start to play until they fell behind.

But after Ochoa had repelled all of Holland’s best attempts to equalise — including a stunning save from Stefan de Vrij — the 2010 finalists struck twice at the death to leave the central Americans on their knees. First Wesley Sneijder — so ineffectual all afternoon — drove the equaliser in from the edge of the penalty area after an 87th minute corner had been headed down to him.

Then — early in the six minutes of time added for a Fifa water break — Arjen Robben went to ground under a challenge in the area. In truth it looked like a dive and if it was then it wasn’t his first of the game.

But Robben had been denied a clear spot-kick late in a first half that Mexico had dominated and he may feel he was owed something.
Whatever the case, substitute Klaas Jan Huntelaar — on for a disappointing Robin van Persie — waited patiently for the penalty and when he drove the ball low to Ochoa’s right an incredibly dramatic comeback was complete.

With the temperatures hovering around the 30 degree mark by 9.30am local time, it must have been closer to 40 by kick-off. — Mailonline/SuperSport.