ARGENTINA VS NETHERLANDS: A WORLD CUP SEMIFINAL INDEED

Netherlands Vs Argentina or Argentina Vs Netherlands – it remains the same both ways - it was the hope before the match – and thankfully, the regular hours and the extended minutes were on this line.

The hope was on Argentina to extend the team performance to Lionel Messi – and the hope was that it be at par with the Netherlands team performance and the Oranje 'trio's (Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder) fabulous show.

The hope was - it would help us to accommodate the letdown of the Brazil Vs Germany match that was indeed Germany>>>>>>>Brazil – Brazil were never in the game – and even if Germany was not on the top of its game, it’s dominance over Brazil on the day was unparalleled.   

The hope was that the 2^nd World Cup 2014 Semifinal would indeed be a FIFA World Cup event – I hoped I won't have bizarre shocking developments during the match, something that packed the Brazil Vs Germany match - yes, Football surprises regularly and we would love to have such surprises of a challenging and competitive game but the outright capitulation what Brazil did yesterday, was unacceptable.

Many, many points to hope, and hope, and seeking hope, after the Germany>Brazil semi-final the bad taste of which will take long to go!

The first half was uneventful with 0-0 score. As expected, the Dutch had the ball more but Argentina, too, were on the job.

Corners, free kicks, fouls and ground mapping were having their passages but no goal could be kicked in. –

There was this hope and expectation that the conserved energy of the first half (if that was so) would generate more heat and thus would create intense waves and ways to the goalposts - for stats, Argentina were the first scorers in their matches in this World Cup.

But no goals still when it was 90 minutes! No goals still when it was the first half of the 30 minutes of the Extra Time. Then 120 minutes of the game (excluding the additional minutes) and the score was still 0-0. It was time for Penalty Shootout then. We expected Netherlands’ Total Football could give us an all European FIFA World Cup 2014 final in that case, though it wasn’t to be.

Yes, a Penalty Shootout end to a good match like this is always unfortunate because the losing team doesn't deserve to lose like this, as it happened with Netherlands.

But going on Penalties has no alternative as of now – and in the war of nerves and on the luck factor, it proved to be the Argentina's day in the end.

Stretching till 4:15 AM India time - but the match was worth its time - an overall good match to give us Germany Vs Argentina final.

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com