Previous Encounters:
This match offers football fans a repeat of the memorable 1978 World Cup Final when the South Americans
triumphed on home soil, in Buenos Aires (3:1aet).
Holland and Argentina also met in the France 1998 quarter-finals (on the 4th of July, in Marseille) and 2nd group
stage at Germany 1974. On European soil, Holland
won both the World Cup matches (2:1) and (4:0).
Match Preview:
The game started as if it was a knockout game; both teams probing cautiously. Looking at
the quality of these two teams (especially with the players on the bench), you feel it's
bigger than a group game somehow.
A draw would pair Argentina with Mexico and Holland with Portugal, in
the Second Round. Holland need to win, if they would rather play Mexico.
Roberto Abbondanzieri had to make a near-post save, in the 17th
minute, from Dirk Kuyt to keep the game even.
Holland started to push forward a little more; Roberto Ayala making a
great sliding tackle on Phillip Cocu, in the 20th minute.
That move sinalled that it was time for Argentina to move the ball the
ball around the way they're so good at. For almost a minute the ball was in their poition
as players moved forward, sideways, backwards and forward again. The final pass into the
area was offside.
Half-time: (0:0).
The start of the second-half had nothing exciting to offer except for
the names: Argentina and Holland.
The best scene of the second-half was Edwin Van der Sar's one-handed,
flying save from Carlos Tevez; in the 73rd minute.
When Juan Riquelme went off with ten minutes to go you could sense the
teams would be happy with a scoreless draw; maybe they hope to meet in the final, for the
real game.
Final Score:
Holland 0 - Argentina 0
Teams
Holland:
1 Edwin Van der Sar; 2 Kew Jaliens, 3 Khalid Boulahrouz, 13 Andre
Ooijer, 15 Tim De Cler; 8 Phillip Cocu, 10 Rafael Van der Vaart,
20 Wesley Sneijder; 7 Dirk Kuyt, 9 Ruud van Nistelrooy, 17 Robin Van
Persie.
Argentina:
1 Roberto Abbondanzieri; 2 Roberto Ayala, 15 Gabriel Milito, 17 Leandro Cufre, 21 Nicolas
Burdisso; 5 Esteban Cambiasso, 8 Javier Mascherano, 10 Juan Riquelme, 18 Maxi Rodríguez;
11 Carlos Tevez, 19 Leo Messi.
Substitutions:
24 Mins (Argentina) - 4 Fabricio Coloccini on for 21 Nicolas Burdisso
56 Mins (Holland) - 21 Ryan Babel on for 9 Ruud van Nistelrooy
67 Mins (Holland) - 6 Denny Landzaat on for 17 Robin Van Persie
70 Mins (Argentina) - 20 Julio Cruz on for 19 Leo Messi
80 Mins (Argentina) - 16 Pablo Aimar on for 10 Juan Riquelme
86 Mins (Holland) - 16 Hedwiges Maduro on for 10 Rafael Van der Vaart
5 Yellow
Cards:
28 Mins - Dirk Kuyt (Holland)
42 Mins - Andre Ooijer (Holland)
48 Mins - Tim De Cler (Holland)
57 Mins - Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina)
90 Mins - Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
