Netherlands (National Football)

Expectations for this Dutch side were not particularly high before the World Cup, and with good reason.

The squad featured only two players of real class, and one of them, Robin van Persie, had spent much of the second half of the season out with injury. The Netherlands were also drawn in one of the toughest groups at the tournament, and thus they weren't even a guarantee to make it to the second round.

However, they're now in the quarter-finals after squeezing past Mexico in the Fortaleza heat, which is obviously terrific news for the Netherlands but also for Manchester United.

For a start, United fans will have both enjoyed and seen something comfortingly familiar in a Louis van Gaal side that trailed for long spells but scored two late goals to claim a victory. The Netherlands were positively Ferguson-esque against Mexico, and for United fans who had to deal with such a depressing season, that would have been a great comfort.

More than just the late, late show, however, the Dutch performance in Brazil should give great heart to United fans about how Van Gaal is going to handle the season ahead.

United's poor campaign was of course partly down to a manager in David Moyes who was promoted above his abilities, but it was also because he had a squad lacking in the requisite quality to challenge at the top of the Premier League.

While the summer is obviously a long way from being over, the United squad as it now stands has improved in the short-term but not by a huge amount. This will be addressed before the start of the season, but United will still be a work in progress.

The encouragement for United from this World Cup will come from Van Gaal getting the very best from a fairly limited Netherlands squad. He has managed this through tight organisation, smart substitutions and perhaps crucially creating the team to get the best from its star players.

Arjen Robben has been superb in a largely free role behind Van Persie, being at the centre of most good and dangerous things the Dutch have done in Brazil. How Van Gaal will apply this to a United squad seemingly with several players who are most comfortable in the same position is currently unclear, but you can be sure he has a plan.

Perhaps even more importantly, Van Gaal seems to have the handy habit of being quite lucky.

Take the Mexico game as an example: With time running out and a goal down, Van Gaal removed Van Persie, by some distance his most dangerous striker, and replaced him with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, whose goal tallies have been dipping in the past couple of seasons and who hadn't played a minute of the World Cup. He left on Wesley Sneijder, who had looked ineffective not just in that game but during the whole tournament.

The result was an equaliser scored by Sneijder and set up by Huntelaar, then a winning penalty converted by the striker. Louis knows, it seems.

Van Gaal used the "cooling break," designed to help the players take on water, to impart his tactical wisdom. He said, as quoted by Sky Sports:

I first changed to a 4-3-3 and then we created a lot of opportunities with a shot on the post and a fantastic save.

Then I moved to plan B and yes, I did that in the cooling break. That is a clever way of benefiting from these breaks.

Did you see what I did?

Van Gaal will start work at Old Trafford more or less as soon as the Netherlands' World Cup campaign is over. While United would obviously prefer him to start as soon as possible, the further Van Gaal takes the Dutch into the tournament, the better United will feel about next season.

During the dying moments of the Netherlands' last-16 match against Mexico on Sunday, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was preparing to take a penalty kick.

Oranje had been 1-0 behind for much of the second half. For a long time, it had looked like the Dutch would be eliminated. But shortly before all hope was lost, Huntelaar had provided the assist for Wesley Sneijder’s equaliser.

The Dutch had dragged themselves from the gates of hell and were now back in the game. Shortly afterward, the referee had called a foul after Arjen Robben had been floored inside the box. 

Now Huntelaar had to seal everything up by putting the ball past the seemingly invincible Mexican goalkeeper, Guillermo Ochoa. 

It had been a strange journey for the Schalke striker. Near the end of the match, he had been brought on to replace the Netherlands’ star man, Robin van Persie, who had failed to score and seemed exhausted.

Huntelaar’s relation with Van Persie, and indeed with Oranje, had always been a strange one. As one of the most lethal strikers of his generation, Huntelaar had always yearned to be No. 1. It was just that manager Louis van Gaal always seemed to think that Huntelaar was good but that Van Persie was even better. 

It is, perhaps, hard to argue with Van Gaal’s argument, but nonetheless, Huntelaar had never agreed. During Euro 2012, when the Dutch squad lost their way and fell victim to internal squabbling, he had rebelled by publicly stating he was “angry and disappointed” about his role as a reserve, as reported by MirrorFootball's Mo Moallim. 

Two years later, during the World Cup in Brazil, he had so far been quiet about his role on the bench. Even when it became apparent that Van Gaal would sooner bring on the up-and-coming Memphis Depay than Huntelaar, he had taken it in stride. 

Now, he had the chance to wash away all those years of frustration by converting that penalty and scoring the winning goal in this crucial last-16 match. A lot was depending on it. 

Arjen Robben, who often takes penalties for the Netherlands, had probably seen where this was going. Huntelaar wanted to take it, and who was he to stand in the way of destiny? 

Huntelaar scored his goal, ran to the corner flag and kicked it in a mad frenzy then ran to the crowd to celebrate his team’s victory with the supporters. 

It was also his personal victory, though. After playing second fiddle for years, having to look at Van Persie—arguably one of the best strikers in the world—in front of him, thinking about what could have been in a different time, in a different team, he had finally shown what he was worth.

Huntelaar deserved to be of such importance to Oranje. It was the standout moment that was still missing from his Netherlands career. Having scored 35 goals in 63 appearances, he finally received his due. 

Hopefully for the Schalke striker, Van Gaal will now start looking at him—not just at youngsters like Memphis Depay or quick runners like Jeremain Lens—when a substitute needs to be brought on late in the game.

As he showed against Mexico, Huntelaar still has a lot to offer his country. Perhaps especially now that he’ll feel liberated.

After a thrilling round-of-16 match, during which Oranje scored twice in the dying minutes of the game, the Netherlands have progressed to the quarter-finals by beating Mexico 2-1.

Once again, the Netherlands needed a break, and just as in their group stage match against Australia, they fought their way back from behind. More so than in the match against Australia, however, it felt like the Dutch needed a dose of luck as much as they needed their skills against Mexico.

Before Wesley Sneijder equalised by thumping the ball past a seemingly invincible Guillermo Ochoa, the Mexican goalkeeper, the Netherlands' situation was almost reminiscent of Euro 2008, when a still young Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie—who had just broken through at club level—ran riot during the group stage matches against Italy (3-0) and France (4-1).

In the quarter-final, however, the all-conquering Dutch team suddenly looked lost against Russia. Against all expectations, the Netherlands lost 3-1 and were sent home.

After the group stage in 2008, it had looked like Oranje would go on to win the tournament. But when push came to shove, the Netherlands completely lost the plot against a team they should have been able to beat.

Against Mexico, six years later, a similar scenario seemed on the cards. With only minutes to go, the Mexicans were leading 1-0, and once again, it looked like the tournament would soon be over for the Dutch—despite the impressive group stage wins against Spain, Australia and Chile.

But then, like a sudden plot twist in a suspenseful film or novel, Sneijder popped up to change the face of the game completely. Finally showing he still has fantastic shooting skills, he transformed a feeling of utter disappointment into pure ecstasy for the Dutch.

Having turned things around, the Netherlands then marched on to victory by winning a penalty, which Klaas-Jan Huntelaar converted.

This is where luck played its part, perhaps. Even so, it was a lucky break partly made possible by the tactical tinkering done by manager Louis van Gaal, who once again changed from a 5-3-2 to a 4-3-3 formation in the second half.

During a World Cup, it is difficult, if not completely impossible, to play well from the very first match until the final showdown in the final. Every now and then, you need a bit of luck, and the Netherlands received their fix Sunday.

"Yes, we escaped," Van Gaal said, per ESPN FC. "But we showed that we could create more chances with 4-3-3, and the players handled this shift very well."

Almost every successful team has had similar luck at one point. Oranje did not at Euro 2008; that's why they failed. This Dutch team—much wiser, with players more experienced and mentally strong than six years ago—is currently looking like a team that has just about everything going for it.

As Grant Wahl noted for Sports Illustrated:

Good teams win games when they’re not playing at their best, and that was especially the case with the Netherlands, which seemed to be running in molasses for most of this game. In the first World Cup game ever with pre-planned cooling breaks, the Dutch didn’t seem as fit as the Mexican players, but they dug deep in the second half and took advantage of substitutions by Louis van Gaal that showed him out-coaching [Miguel] Herrera.

If even Lady Fortuna is an ally, there's no way of telling how far the Netherlands will come, but by winning matches like this, Oranje is making it very difficult not to count them amongst the contenders for the World Cup.

Likely, the Netherlands' squad, and Van Gaal, will realise this as well. Surely, the Dutch players will feel like they have received a huge boost from Sunday's nerve-racking spectacle.

Ahead of the quarter-final, the Dutch will undoubtedly look at the ordeal they survived and realise they are on a truly special campaign.

The Dutch, fluctuating from their awe-inspiring performance against Spain to this scrappy, blood-stained win against Mexico, have had their big break, and now they'll want to go all the way.

Mere minutes remained in the Netherlands' knockout match against Mexico, who held a 1-0 edge for nearly all of the second half. The Dutch's remarkable group play was about to be all for nothing, until they rallied with two late goals during the closing minutes to salvage a thrilling victory on Sunday.

Just like that, the Netherlands went from the brink of elimination to a team with a great chance of advancing all the way to semifinals, perhaps further.

El Tri gained the lead from a goal by Giovani dos Santos during the 48th minute, but Wesley Sneijder struck with an equalizer 40 minutes later, just when all hope appeared lost for Holland.

Arjen Robben may have embellished some contact on an inadvertent trip from Rafael Marquez to draw a penalty, which produced the winner. Watch the play for yourself, courtesy of ESPN Highlights on Twitter, to decide whether the official's decision was justified.

The final score, however, reflected the level of play throughout the 90-plus minutes. As shown by Squawka Football, they led Mexico in several key categories.

Netherlands had Mexico on their toes all game. According to FIFA, they amassed 48 dangerous attacks to Mexico's 28, earning 10 corners and 29 crosses. After being held in check for 88 minutes, their treacherous attack proved too much to contain all day.

Although Mexico played the underdog role in their bid to reach the quarterfinals, Mexico's physical style posed difficulty for the Netherlands. Through group play, El Tri surrendered just one goal, which created a stark contrast against the Dutch's tournament-leading 10 scores.

They now await the winner of Costa Rica and Greece's upcoming clash, and either way Netherlands are a strong choice to triumph. Sitting at No. 22 in ESPN's Soccer Power Index, Costa Rica have played over their heads so far. Greece are an even bigger long-shot to make noise, having advanced past group play despite a minus-two goal differential.

Argentina or Belgium would provide a tough semifinal slate, but neither opponent is insurmountable for Robin van Persie and Co.'s formidable offense.

For those unimpressed by Sunday's victory, consider the Netherlands' preceding path to the knockout stage. They decimated Spain, the defending World Cup champions and a strong contender to make a deep push at a repeat. Then they shut out Chile, who gave Brazil all they could handle in a tough loss on Saturday.

Prior to their victory on Sunday, Sneijder talked about conquering the difficult Group B in an interview on FIFA.com.

If you're in a group with Spain, Chile and Australia and you come first, winning all three games and scoring ten goals, then you've done a fantastic job. Almost no-one considered this to be possible but the important thing for us was to believe, and that's what we did from day one. In any tournament, you have to go in with the ambition of bringing home the cup, and that's how we approached this one. You can see that desire in every game we've played and it's a compliment to the whole team.

According to FiveThirtyEight, the Netherlands have the third highest probability of winning the World Cup (14 percent) behind Argentina (16) Brazil (41), who showed some weakness in their latest victory. At 77 percent, they have the most likely path to the semifinals.

If the early action from the knockout stage has taught us anything, no outcome can be taken for granted during the single-elimination portion of the tournament. Brazil, the perennial favorites, nearly met their end against Chile, needing some clutch saves from Julio Cesar and another key stop from the crossbar to advance.

Nevertheless, the hosting nation came inches away from missing the quarterfinals in a match that made them look mortal and beatable. With the top contender suddenly looking normal, the Netherlands don't have to look up at anyone else in the bracket.

Mexico suffered a painful defeat in their World Cup last-16 tie with the Netherlands—conceding twice in the waning minutes to lose 2-1.

After the match ended, Dutch airline KLM wasted no time in posting this trolling on its Twitter account.

Ouch.

UPDATE: Shortly after posting, KLM deleted the tweet. Thankfully we grabbed the screenshot seen above.

UPDATE PT 2: Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal did not appreciate the tweet one bit. Here's his NSFW reaction:  

AeroMexico had the final say, however, with a classy message of support to their own team. 

In Spanish, they thank the team for their efforts, adding that they are proud and waiting for them at home. 

Gracias por este gran campeonato, estamos orgullosos y los esperamos en casa #VivaMéxico pic.twitter.com/GCE5u5Cj6r

— Aeroméxico (@AeroMexico_com) June 29, 2014

[Twitter]

The Netherlands and Mexico clash in Sunday's opening game for a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals, and to say that either team is lacking in confidence entering the match would be quite laughable.

Three matches, three victories for the Dutch in Group B. Despite being pegged against Spain, Chile and Australia, they made a mockery of the group with three convincing wins. 

On the other side, few teams have seen as much of an increase in confidence as Mexico. The only match in the group stage that they didn't win as a scoreless draw against hosts Brazil—one of many shocking early results. Ever since Miguel Herrera arrived, Mexico went from on the verge of not qualifying to becoming one of the more dangerous knockout-round opponents. 

Needless to say, it's going to come down to much more than momentum, as both sides have plenty of that. Let's break down what else these teams can do to gain the upper edge.

Date	Match	Time (ET)	TV
Sun., July 29	Netherlands vs. Mexico	12 p.m.	ESPN

Mexico 

Strong Start for Giovani dos Santos

As Mexico's fortunes at the World Cup have increased by the match, that of Giovani dos Santos has decreased every time he's stepped on the pitch.

Dos Santos was a force in Mexico's opener against Cameroon, helping create the game-winning goal opportunity and passing at an 89 percent rate, per Squawka. But since then, his impact has gone down, as he created no chances against either Brazil or Croatia. Against Croatia, he hardly touched the ball and was substituted off in the 62nd minute.

Fox Soccer's Kyle McCarthy noticed his disappearing act:

Playing the most crucial role in Mexico's attack, dos Santos can't disappear from multiple games for El Tri to have a realistic chance of advancing. At least not against a Dutch side that made the 2010 final and looks even better than they did four years ago.

If dos Santos can start strong, it will leave room for Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez to make his impact off the bench instead of having to sniff out multiple goals to get back in it—a style that doesn't suit El Tri. 

Holland boast formidable and physical defenders that can make life hard on attacking players, but dos Santos has the pace and creative ability that Mexico will need to penetrate it. However, they need him to show up first. 

Put Extra Emphasis on Back Line

The Dutch are one of the most attack-happy teams in the tournament, and few teams can match their pace like Mexico. All the makings for a track meet, right? 

Not if Mexico want any shot at pulling the upset. 

Although they're speedy, there is no doubt that the Mexicans' greatest asset lies in the defending third. Ever since Portugal scored a stoppage-time goal in a World Cup tune-up friendly on June 6, the only goal scored on Mexico was Croatia's irrelevant late goal in a 3-1 loss. 

Of course, they can't realistically hope for another clean sheet against the likes of Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder. But, if the back line of Francisco Javier, Rafael Marquez, Miguel Layun and Hector Moreno show up like they have so far in Brazil, they can hope to hold them to one goal and stay in it.

From then on, Mexico have the speed and confidence at the moment to counter-attack. But there's no way they can afford to be shorthanded in the back line, at any moment. 

Netherlands

Let Robben Run Wild

As if there was any doubt before, Arjen Robben has re-affirmed the world so far in Brazil that he's still very much in the mix among the best players on the planet. 

The Bayern Munich man has been unstoppable in the open field, gashing defenders from every side with his speed and elusive ability. He has three goals in three matches—one less than Mexico's team scored in the group stage.

Still, El Tri are focusing more on the Dutch attack as a whole than Robben, per Sky Sports Football:

It's right of Mexico to be confident enough in their defense to not be scared off by one single player—after all, they did keep Neymar under wraps for 90 minutes. But failing to single out Robben, if that's truly what they're doing, is ill-advised at best.

When Robben isn't locked down, he runs free. When he runs free, he scores goals more automatically than almost any other player in the world. Should Mexico leave him uncovered at any moment, look for the Dutch to go his way.

Jump on Them Early

Yes, the Dutch have three wins in three matches and should feel very good about that. But the opening 45-plus minutes of their recent fixtures have been far from convincing.

The Netherlands trounced Spain in the opener 5-1, but four of the goals came after the 50th minute. They trailed in that match early on, and again versus Australia in the second match before rallying to win 3-2. 

Even in their last match against Chile, neither side scored until the 77th minute. Notice a trend here?

Coming in against a confident Mexican side, it's even more important for the Dutch to get off to a strong start. An early goal would shake the confidence of both Mexico's strong back line and on-fire goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. 

Should they fail to do so, Holland fans will be a bit more nervous heading down the stretch knowing their World Cup lives are on the line. 

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It’s funny how football has a knack for making the unimaginable come true.

In that short period of time between the end of the season and the start of the World Cup, when fans were speculating and critics were writing their previews, there wasn't a soul who expected the Netherlands to demolish Spain, brush aside Australia and Chile and score a total of 10 goals.

But it happened, and looking ahead at the Netherlands' round-of-16 match against Mexico, it now looks as if we've been blind not to see it.

Defying all expectations, Oranje's defensive solidity and incredible goalscoring ability suddenly seem as natural as hot weather in Brazil.

After a train wreck of a season at Manchester United, Robin van Persie must now be smiling like a kid on his birthday party. He was always going to be good, but who would have thought he'd score three goals in two matches, including a wonder goal against Spain?

It was all set up for him by Louis van Gaal, though. The Dutch boss' unusual 5-3-2 formation gets the best out of the Manchester United man, and that's exactly why it was implemented. 

With back-in-form playmaker Wesley Sneijder right behind him, van Persie is always in position to be on the receiving end of a defence-splitting pass. What's more, wing-backs Daryl Janmaat and Daley Blind, who are excellent at making runs forward, are able to deliver pin-point crosses, targeted right on van Persie's forehead.

He has already won the Premier League, but there's another dream that he wants to see come true. Despite all the goals he has scored at club level, van Persie has never been as influential as he could be for the Dutch national team. In Brazil, that must change.

Then there's Arjen Robben. While most pacy wingers peak somewhere in their 20s, the 30-year-old Bayern Munich winger has somehow squeezed an extra dose of skills from his apparently unlimited potential.

Possibly the best player of the tournament so far, Robben has almost single-handedly led the Dutch attack that smashed the defensive walls of Spain, Australia and Chile to bits. If it wasn't for van Persie, you'd almost think Oranje played with just one attacker.

Robben's second goal against Spain was perhaps the ultimate manifestation of his newfound and almost god-like powers. Running towards the Spanish goal like a man possessed, he left defender Sergio Ramos with no chance. 

Robben put the ball past goalkeeper Iker Casillas as Ramos' desperate attempt to stop the ball tackled nothing but air. After the lost final of 2010, during which he missed an ultimate chance to score the only goal in normal time, Robben had finally taken his revenge.

Robin van Persie is generally considered to be one of the best strikers in the Premier League. Arjen Robben is a key man for Bayern Munich, who has been lavishly successful in the past few years.

Now the Netherlands' two best players want success with their country. 

Against Mexico, they will once again be used as the sword that must pierce the opposition's resistance. While van Gaal will sit back, hoping the defensive setup of his 5-3-2 will soak up much of Mexico's pressure, he expects his two star players up front to deliver the goals. 

Van Persie and Robben have made van Gaal’s tactics work. They are the ones who can power the Netherlands past Mexico.

The Dutch were not given much of a chance before the World Cup in Brazil started. Critics speculated that the Dutch defence was too inexperienced, and that Spain and Chile, two of the Netherlands’ opponents in the group stage, would get the better of them.

Despite the brilliance of players like Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben, not to mention the undeniable expertise of the manager, it was said the Dutch would have to leave the World Cup party quite early in the evening.

But three matches and 10 fantastic goals on, those critics have been silenced indisputably. The Netherlands have finished first in their group, leaving Spain without a chance. According to some, the Netherlands now have a clear chance of reaching the semi-final, and who knows what lies waiting for them beyond that.

Establishing themselves as one of the best-performing teams in the tournament, the Netherlands have risen from the position of outsider to the top-of-the-list favourites. 

The mastermind behind this ascension is, of course, Louis van Gaal, whose ability to tactically out-think opponents was perhaps underestimated ahead of the Netherlands’ match against Spain. Stepping away from the Netherlands’ traditional 4-3-3 formation, Van Gaal devised an unusual—especially for the Dutch—5-3-2 for the matches against Spain and Chile, all in order to accommodate star players Van Persie, Robben and Wesley Sneijder, who have indeed blossomed even more beautifully than was expected of them. 

But where the attackers are scoring manifold (and often beautiful) goals, it should be remembered that the constitutive foundation of Van Gaal’s new strategy is in fact formed by the defenders.

Daryl Janmaat, Stefan de Vrij, Ron Vlaar, Bruno Martins Indi and Daley Blind, all young defenders brought up by Dutch clubs Feyenoord and Ajax, have been especially important. It is they who allow Robben and Van Persie to catch their opponents on the counter; it is they who make the tactical pendulum swing.

De Vrij, Vlaar and Martins Indi are the centre-backs. It is their job to mark opposing strikers, block crosses and keep the defensive gates closed. While they pushed high up the pitch during the match against Spain, little attacking impetus is expected of them.

This is, of course, different for the wing-backs. Where the centre-backs are defenders in practice as well as in name, the wing-backs are required to combine the job of a full-back with the job of a winger. Neither the one nor the other, wing-backs have to cover an entire flank in attacking as well as in defensive phases of play.

Yet the centre-backs and the wing-backs are separate arms belonging to the same body, for it is precisely the extra man in the middle of the defence who makes it possible for the wing-backs to push so far up. Without the three centre-backs, who spread out when in possession to cover the entire back line, there wouldn't be any reinforcements in case the opposition’s full-back or winger approaches from the flank.

Thanks to the intelligent positioning of De Vrij, Vlaar and Martins Indi, Daley Blind and Daryl Janmaat get the chance to showcase their attacking prowess. And as was exemplified by Blind’s fantastic cross that led to Van Persie’s wonder goal against Spain, this adds an important dimension to the Netherlands’ attack force. 

Daley Blind, who is the son of Van Gaal’s assistant Danny Blind, also adds a touch of adaptability to the already versatile Dutch defence. As was the case against Australia, there are sometimes phases of the game where the Dutch function better in their tried-and-trusted 4-3-3 formation. By repositioning Blind, Van Gaal can easily switch without making many substitutions. 

Under normal circumstances, Blind would then end up as a holding midfielder, a role he often fulfils with verve for his club Ajax. Martins Indi, who often plays as a full-back or wing-back for his club Feyenoord, would then move to the left. Finally, a player is taken off for a winger—for example Memphis Depay or Jeremain Lens—and suddenly, the Dutch are back in 4-3-3 mode

Most critics were wary of the Netherlands’ young defence force, which largely consists of players deriving from the Dutch Eredivisie. But thanks to the defenders’ individual talent and Van Gaal’s excellent tactical vision, the Dutch back line has become vital to the Netherlands’ World Cup success so far. Providing defensive solidity while also contributing to the buildup of attacks, defenders like Daley Blind and Bruno Martins Indi have been of fundamental importance for the Oranje. 

Without the brickwork at the back, the Netherlands’ attacking stars would not have shined as bright as they have. Ahead of facing the Dutch in the round of 16 on Sunday, Mexico would do well to remember that.

It has not escaped anyone the Netherlands are doing extraordinarily well this World Cup. After ridding themselves of Spain as if it was nothing in the opening match, they went on to earn nine points in three matches, scoring 10 goals along the way. The praise currently directed to them has been well earned: Contrary to what was expected, the Oranje might even stand a chance at making it all the way to the final.

Four years ago, the Netherlands did just that. After beating Brazil in the quarter-final and Uruguay in the semi-final, they were up against Spain. Employing a proactive, and at times even aggressive style of play, the Dutch even came close to winning it. 

Oranje’s ultimate chance to score the only goal of regular time came halfway through the second half, when Arjen Robben broke through Spain’s high defensive line and ran towards Iker Casillas for a one-on-one.

Face to face with the Spanish goalkeeper, Robben waited to long, or maybe not long enough, and his attempt at chipping the ball into the net was thwarted by Casillas’ right toe. Robben clasped his head with his heads and fell to his knees. After extra-time, the Spaniards won. 

While he had played an important role in getting his team to the final, Robben failed when it mattered most, and his missed chance to score will probably forever be the biggest letdown of his career. No amount of Bundesliga titles and Champions League wins will ever wash away the disappointment.

Flash forward four years and Robben is once again functioning as a constitutive player in a successful Dutch team. But while it’s not quite clear yet how this Netherlands incarnation will stack up to their 2010 counterparts, it has already become obvious Robben is playing better than ever.

Against Spain, Robben contributed two goals to the Netherlands’ unprecedented 5-1 victory. In that same match, the winger recorded the fastest speed ever clocked by a footballer, as per ESPNFC.com. Against Australia, Robben bagged another goal, and while he didn’t manage to find the net against Chile, he provided the all-important assist to Depay’s tap in.

There seems to be a limit to what most players are capable of, and Robben has finally reached his. At the age of 30, Robben is peaking during this World Cup. Never has he played as well as he has done during the Netherlands’ group matches, and never will he get better. 

Taking himself and his team to new heights, Robben must be feeling like he’s standing on top of a mountain. Never mind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo: So far, Robben has outclassed them both. 

But while Oranje is reaping the rewards from Robben’s form at the moment, the memory of four years ago has not quite faded yet. Thinking back of that miserable encounter with Casillas’ toe and the hangover that followed, the question arises: Will Robben be able to do all of this when it matters most?

Of course, Spain, Australia and Chile were not the easiest of opponents, and of course, group matches are played under a lot of pressure as well. But during the knockout stage, when all bets are off and teams know they only get one opportunity to fight for their lives, the conditions are simply different, more intense. 

Naturally, this works both ways, and nerves will start playing a bigger role for the Dutch as well. Having reached the final of the World Cup three times, but having never won it, the Netherlands are sometimes accused of being incapable of performing when it matters most. What will happen this time around? Will Oranje once again be faced with nerve issues? 

Will there be an equivalent of Robben’s one-on-one with Casillas during this tournament’s final, or semi-final, or quarter final? And what will Robben do this time? Will his attempt be thwarted again—by a toe, a finger, a shoelace?

Or will he finally rid himself of the demons that have been haunting him for four years now, capitalise on his unprecedented form and score an all-important winning goal? 

This, of course, remains to be seen. But one thing is perfectly clear already: Going into the knockout stages of the World Cup in Brazil, there will be carloads of pressure on Robben to keep up his jaw-dropping form.

We were expecting a showcase of exciting attacking football when Netherlands and Chile squared off in Sao Paulo on Monday. Instead, we got a disciplined tactical performance from the Dutch, who won 2-0 to go through to the last 16 of the World Cup as winners of Group B.

It was a solid and orderly display from Louis van Gaal’s side. They knew that a draw would be enough to win the group and were content to sit back and strike on the counter-attack against a Chile side who became increasingly more open as the match progressed.

Van Gaal was effusive in his praise of Chile in the build-up to the match and showed them a huge amount of respect by defending deep and assigning seven of his 10 outfield players to primarily defensive roles.

Wesley Sneijder was employed as a largely unused conduit between the defensive element of the side and the speedy front two of Arjen Robben and Jeremain Lens, who prospered more readily from long balls forward from the back.

It was not the most aesthetically pleasing display, but it was an effective one, as Washington Post columnist Michael Caley noted in his post-match breakdown of the chances created by both sides:

The tactical set-up was very similar to that used in the crushing 5-1 defeat of Spain in their opening match and again gave the impression that this is a side suited to playing on the break. Their defensive players appear more comfortable close to their own goal, while the pace and direct dribbling skills of Robben are put to better use when he has space in front of him to attack.

Robben was the provider of the second goal on Monday, driving free on the break in second-half stoppage time before squaring for Memphis Depay to tap home. Leroy Fer had opened the scoring a quarter of an hour earlier with a free header from a Daryl Janmaat cross.

Barring a strange set of results in the final matches of Group A, Netherlands’ victory has seen them avoid a clash with hosts Brazil in the first knockout round. According to the statistical prediction model of Infostrada Sports, it has also nearly doubled their chances of winning the World Cup.

But just how far can Van Gaal’s side go? Have three wins from three group-stage matches suddenly cured all the ills that saw them come into the World Cup with even their own countrymen showing signs of pessimism?

The answer to the latter question is both yes and no.

Van Gaal has certainly struck upon a formula that has been sufficient to defeat all three of his side’s group-stage opponents, including the reigning world champions.

He also has the necessary experience and tactical acumen to make minor improvements to this set-up as the competition progresses. Tournaments are one of the few times international coaches are provided an extended period of time with their squads, and Van Gaal is the sort of coach who thrives in such an environment.

Netherlands have some excellent attacking players, and as long as they can maintain their defensive solidity, this wait-and-see approach will likely be sufficient to see them past most opponents. We have already seen that Robben and Robin van Persie have the requisite quality to take chances as and when they come.

The problems are likely to arise when they face a side who are comfortable adopting the same tactics—to cede possession, defend deep and break quickly on the counter. Tricky forwards aside, there is a lack of creativity in this Netherlands’ side that could see them struggle to break down other defensively aligned teams.

The Australia match also suggested that their defence may be susceptible to pace if the team are forced to push up as a unit in search of a goal.

Croatia and Mexico are Netherlands’ most probable second-round opponents, and of the two, it is Croatia who would be likely to cause them the most trouble. With hard-working wide players, a decent target man and willing forward runners from midfield, they are capable of playing an effective counter-attacking game. Mexico, on the other hand, are generally a more proactive side and would be likely to leave space in behind.

Until Netherlands have overcome such a hurdle, it is impossible to get a true grip on whether this side has what it takes to go all the way in Brazil. We know that they are good on the counter-attack, but suspicions remain about their ability to take the initiative.

To date, no outstanding candidate to lift the World Cup has emerged. Each and every one of the contenders has issues of some kind or another, and only time will tell if Netherlands' deficiencies are more pronounced than those of their rivals.

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