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Both the teams qualified through a singular penalty stroke, except that one of them was in regular time while the other was in a shootout. Costa Rica and the Netherlands face off in the final quarterfinals at Salvador, in Brazil. Netherlands had a late resurgence against Mexico while Costa Rica had to undergo a physically enduring penalty shootout to get into the last eight.
The odds, keeping in mind the other knockout games, are highly in favour of the Dutch. The underdogs have failed to impress in the knockout stages, with the likes of Chile and Colombia heading out of the World Cup. However, Costa Rica have a very good chance of upsetting the odds to continue their dream run in Brazil. Netherlands have shown to be quite patchy in the middle and it is for Costa Rica to exploit Netherlands’ weak attacking midfield, where Sneijder has been below par.
Venue
The Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador shall play host to this game. As of now, the stadium has seen five matches being played in this World Cup with an average of 4.8 goals per game. The Dutch’s demolition of Spain early in the tournament was at this very venue and they shall be hoping that they can repeat that performance.
The city lies at mean sea level which means the amount of humidity in these temperatures would be high and Salvador is home to countless parties, gaining the nickname Brazil’s Capital of Happiness. Seeing as either team isn’t from South America, the neutral cheering is going to be high and the atmosphere in the stadium shall be excellent.
Kickoff
July 4 – 5.00 pm – Brazil Local time
July 5 – 1.30 am – Indian Standard Time (IST) – Live on Sony Six
Possible Starting Lineups
Netherlands
The Dutch are running on loose legs after having come off quite an amazing win in the round of 16. Ever since their demolition of Spain, they haven’t looked as good and the midfield has looked vulnerable. With Robben and Van Persie playing in line with the opposition defense, Sneijder is left with no support and de Guzman has a regrettable passing range that can be exposed against rigid defenses. Having Dirk Kuyt enables them to add defensive players later on in the match to close out the game.
However, they have a tight defense but up front, they will look up to Van Persie to provide the perfect foil for Robben’s devastating pace. Leroy Fer is a doubt and may make the bench while de Jong has been ruled out.
Netherlands (5-3-2): Cillessen; Janmaat, Vrij, Vlaar, Indi, Blind; Wijnaldum, Guzman; Sneijder, Van Persie, Robben.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica come into this game as the underdogs, without a doubt. Their mauling of Uruguay suggests that their fast-paced attacking style of football can certainly wound Netherlands’ inability to retain the ball for long periods. Bryan Ruiz’s exploits from between the lines will be vital and Campbell will be put to real test against a sturdy three-man Dutch defense.
Costa Rica (4-3-3): Keylor, Gamboa, Miller, Gonzalez, Junior Diaz, Umana; Cubero, Borges, Bolanos; Bryan Ruiz, Campbell, Tejeda
Key Facts
- Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder have scored six goals in FIFA World Cup finals. The record for most by a Dutchman belongs to Johnny Rep (seven goals), whom either will be looking to emulate and possible overtake in this match.
- Costa Rica is only the 4th team from the CONCACAF region to reach the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup. Should they win the match, this would be the first time a North American team is in the semifinals since the inaugural edition in 1930, when the USA made it.
- The Dutch have scored 12 goals till now in the tournament, while Costa Rica have conceded just two. It is a true test for the Dutch attack against a resilient defense.
- These two sides have never met before in an official fixture.
- The Netherlands have scored 11 of their last 12 World Cup goals in the second half of a match, with the only exception being Van Persie’s flying header against Spain.
- The Dutch have averaged just 39.5% of possession till now in the tournament, the lowest of the 8 teams in the quarterfinals
Key Battles
Robin Van Persie v Keylor Navas
Well, this may be undermining of the Costa Rican defense, but the undertone isn’t that. Keylor Navas, Costa Rica’s goalkeeper has been stellar in front of goal the entire tournament. Coming off an excellent season in La Liga, the penalty save in the last match was testament to his abilities in guarding the goal. But tonight, he will be up against one of the best strikers in the world who can conjure a goal out of nowhere with his deadly left foot. The last time Van Persie played on this ground, he left having to his name one of the best headers in World Cup history and who is to say what will happen today. All we can, watch out Keylor Navas !
Bryan Ruiz v Stephan de Vrij
The Los Ticos captain will be looking to lead the side in this tough fixture. Playing behind Joel Campbell, it is essential that Ruiz plays well against a resolute and flexible Dutch defense. Ruiz’s left foot is quite capable of creating havoc; however, closing him down will make it tough for the Los Ticos to function efficiently. This is where De Vrij is vital. His physique gives him an advantage over Ruiz and he needs to be alert against the runs of Ruiz.
Prediction
On paper, this is the most mismatched quarterfinals. Seeing by that, the Dutch should see off the North Americans with ease but that isn’t the case. Just as every other quarterfinal, this match can pan out anyway and the prospects of an upset don’t seem bleak either. I am going to go ahead and suggest that the resolute Costa Rican defense holds off the Oranje Blitz at bay and emerge unscathed in their dream run.
Predicted Scoreline – Costa Rica 2-1 The Netherlands
Match Officials
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (UZB)
Assistant Referee: Abduxamidullo Rasulov (UZB)
Assistant Referee: Bakhadyr Kochkarov (KGZ)
4th Official: Noumandiez Doue (CIV)
