Sunday, 6 July 2014 - 00:57
Oranje advances in shootout win
In a match that went 120 minutes without a single goal, the Netherlands disposed of Costa Rica in penalties, 4-3. A stunning last minute goalkeeper substitution by Dutch coach Louis van Gaal looked brilliant after Tim Krul stopped two of five Costa Rican penalty shots, securing a Dutch victory.
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The Netherlands will play Argentina in the semi-final on Wednesday at 10 p.m.
Krul stopped shots from Ruiz and Umaña to win the match. Van Persie, Robben, Sneijder and Kuyt all put the ball in the back of the net for the Netherlands.
Borges, Gonzales and Bolaños all scored penalties for Costa Rica.
Despite the scoreline, the match was not without offensive moments. Oranje's Wesley Sneijder saw two shots miss by inches, one off the post in the second half, and one which struck the crossbar in extra time. The Netherlands kept possession throughout 65 percent of the match, with 15 shots on goal and 11 corners.
Their aggressive play repeatedly led to chances cut short as the Dutch were called offside 13 times.
Goalkeeper Keylor Navas stopped 14 shots as his defense broke down repeatedly, compared to just three saves by Dutch keeper Jasper Cillessen, including one off his foot in the last few minutes of play.
Costa Rica won their only corner in the last five minutes of the game.