10/07/2014

:00:38. > :00:40.Cup replay. It is the second semifinal from S?o Paulo. Argentina

:00:41. > :00:48.against the Netherlands, watched by Mark Lawrenson and Guy Mowbray.

:00:49. > :00:54.COMMENTATOR: Robben plays in a Dutch side showing one change from the

:00:55. > :01:05.dramatic quarterfinal win over Costa Rica. Robben and Ron Vlaar off it.

:01:06. > :01:11.-- are fit. The former Manchester City man comes back in at Memphis

:01:12. > :01:16.Depay's expense. Four of them got to the final, four years ago. No

:01:17. > :01:27.coincidence they were the first four in line to take an score penalties

:01:28. > :01:31.in the last game. Tettey pause back -- Turkey's C?neyt Cakir is the

:01:32. > :01:36.referee, having taken charge of two group games. He also had a semifinal

:01:37. > :01:40.at Euro 2012. Nine yellow cards out of his pocket that day in the fiery

:01:41. > :01:49.derby between Spain and Portugal, that went all the way to penalties.

:01:50. > :01:55.Argentina have Marcos Rojo back in the side after suspension, having

:01:56. > :01:59.missed the quarterfinal win over Belgium. He replaces Jose Basanta

:02:00. > :02:05.with Enzo Perez coming into midfield to replace Angel Di Maria. It is

:02:06. > :02:09.only the second time the Benfica play has started in competitive

:02:10. > :02:13.internationals. Sergio Aguero is fit and he is on the substitutes bench.

:02:14. > :02:21.And as usual, it is all eyes online messy, -- online or messy, as he

:02:22. > :02:26.goes one cup better than Diego Maradona. -- all eyes on messy macro

:02:27. > :02:35.-- Messi. The frustrated Angel Di Maria can

:02:36. > :02:41.only watch and hope that his team get to the final and that he can

:02:42. > :02:47.prove his fitness. The Argentina players are wearing black armbands

:02:48. > :02:52.in memory of Alfredo Di Stefano who passed away on Monday, aged 88. Now

:02:53. > :02:54.a moment for all to mark the life of surely the greatest player never to

:02:55. > :03:44.have played at the World Cup finals. Whatever the outcome, we are going

:03:45. > :03:52.to see a final that we have had before. Be it memories of 86 and 90,

:03:53. > :03:57.stirred, then it was West Germany against Argentina, or you have to go

:03:58. > :04:05.back to 1974, for Germany against the Dutch. We should get a final to

:04:06. > :04:09.savour, and hopefully, a second semifinal which will not disappoint

:04:10. > :04:17.either, Mark. No, we have contrasting formations as well,

:04:18. > :04:22.3-4-1-2, against 4-2-3-1. We have too assumed that Nigel de Jong, who

:04:23. > :04:26.had a fitness test yesterday, a kin to match conditions. You cannot do

:04:27. > :04:31.what he has supposedly done to his groin and be able to play in ten

:04:32. > :04:35.days, can you? Huge trust placed in him and the medical staff by Louis

:04:36. > :04:39.Van Gaal. We will watch an idol to don carefully, certainly in the

:04:40. > :04:46.opening stages. -- we will watch Nigel de Jong. De Jong, getting his

:04:47. > :04:49.chance in the semifinal, having missed the semifinal four years ago

:04:50. > :04:53.through suspension. He should have been sent off in the final, by

:04:54. > :05:05.rights, for his karate kicked on Xabi Alonso. -- karate kick.

:05:06. > :05:23.Ezequiel Lavezzi ran straight into Stefan de Vrij.

:05:24. > :05:28.Zabaleta is on the move down the right. Peres could not get it to him

:05:29. > :05:41.straightaway. Martin Demichelis played against

:05:42. > :05:45.Belgium. This is his second game of the World Cup. The Manchester City

:05:46. > :05:47.man was recalled prior to the tournament, after over two and a

:05:48. > :05:50.half years away from the international scene, reward for his

:05:51. > :05:56.second half of the season form in Manchester. It's nearly bounced back

:05:57. > :06:04.to Messi who was being policed by Nigel de Jong. That would be the

:06:05. > :06:09.main reason for his inclusion. Interesting to see in the Argentina

:06:10. > :06:13.rucksacks, are far and how quickly Zabaleta got forward. -- Argentina

:06:14. > :06:21.attack. Zabaleta has not got forward much in the tournament.

:06:22. > :06:28.Alejandro Sabella, we used to call them Alex when he was at Sheffield

:06:29. > :06:33.United and Leeds, with Enzo Perez rather than Sergio Aguero, which

:06:34. > :06:37.suggest that Argentina are very wary of the Dutch counterattacking

:06:38. > :06:39.ability. The other macro the Dutch front three, Sneijder, Robben and

:06:40. > :07:00.Van Persie three matchwinners, ultimately.

:07:01. > :07:08.A great noise, as there has been for every single Argentina game. The

:07:09. > :07:12.most fervent bunch of supporters that there has been at this World

:07:13. > :07:19.Cup. Of course, they have not had far to travel, but my, have they

:07:20. > :07:25.travelled. I think it is two and a half hours from one of their race,

:07:26. > :07:30.here, biplane? Most of them have come by camper van. Two and a half

:07:31. > :07:41.weeks, then. Filling the roads and filling the air with noise.

:07:42. > :07:47.Biglia, the Latvia midfielder, has kept his place ahead of Fernando

:07:48. > :07:54.Gago, as the midfield shield alongside Mascherano. We have seen

:07:55. > :08:10.Messi touched the ball once so far, if that? Yes.

:08:11. > :08:21.It bounced back to Demichelis a little strongly from Mascherano. He

:08:22. > :08:27.looks quicker with his haircut, doesn't he? Seriously, you does.

:08:28. > :08:30.Very strange, that. A little less wind resistance for Martin

:08:31. > :08:35.Demichelis, now. In fairness to him, from December onwards, he came

:08:36. > :08:37.back and was brilliant for city. Yes, he was but he was a figure of

:08:38. > :08:49.fun for a while. Collected nicely by Sneijder, poked

:08:50. > :08:55.through to Robben. He is up against Zabaleta, who is forcing him away,

:08:56. > :08:57.and timed his tackle well. Few full-backs

:08:58. > :09:00.and timed his tackle well. Few better. And if you notice, he did

:09:01. > :09:06.not dare tackle Robben until he went out of the box and then he really

:09:07. > :09:09.did go to tackle him. The way he has played over the last couple of

:09:10. > :09:12.seasons, he must be a candidate for best full-back in the world. He

:09:13. > :09:17.would certainly be up there but Philipp Lahm would have a shout as

:09:18. > :09:40.well, wouldn't he? It depends where he wants to play, that day.

:09:41. > :09:45.Be flag has gone up and Argentina will have free kick. Robben did not

:09:46. > :09:54.hear the whistle, but then turns and sees the flag and wags his finger. A

:09:55. > :09:58.bit of a shaky start for both players on the near side, Dirk Kuyt

:09:59. > :09:59.in Orange and Marcos Rojo in blue and white. They cannot find their

:10:00. > :10:26.own men, can they? Good movement, well taken but then

:10:27. > :10:29.crowded out. It needed the parents, Demichelis and Garay. -- the pair of

:10:30. > :10:58.them. The Netherlands, content to pass it

:10:59. > :11:04.around, move and try to find spaces. They completed a remarkable 692

:11:05. > :11:07.passes against Costa Rica. The position is slightly different

:11:08. > :11:12.today. But three at the back is a wheelie good system as well for

:11:13. > :11:18.them. The two wingbacks, Daley Blind and Dirk Kuyt, give them the wits,

:11:19. > :11:24.and then Sneijder can drop in Robben and Van Persie. -- give them the

:11:25. > :11:28.width. It is a very wide back three as well. They are very good, because

:11:29. > :11:59.when they need to be, they are also very tight.

:12:00. > :12:11.Messi, getting involved. And he is off on one. Only so far, this time.

:12:12. > :12:16.The two players that have completed more dribbles than anyone else on

:12:17. > :12:25.the field today, Messi and Robben. A useful run from Higuain. Now Messi

:12:26. > :12:28.takes over. Messi is down on the floor. Wasn't that a free kick? He

:12:29. > :12:49.is not getting one. Into Messi's feet, and Dirk Kuyt

:12:50. > :12:56.with a good challenge. Ron Vlaar has measured that nicely for Arjen

:12:57. > :12:59.Robben. It came off Garay, and is a Dutch throw. We nearly had one of

:13:00. > :13:05.those classic counters. Lucky Garay got a touch otherwise they were in

:13:06. > :13:31.trouble, because he was on his backside and out of the game.

:13:32. > :13:38.Lavezzi, forced out by Stefan de Vrij. He claims and gets the free

:13:39. > :13:55.kick. That is a free kick. He nudges him off the ball.

:13:56. > :13:59.coming across to have a word. I wonder whether he wants a short free

:14:00. > :14:09.kick so he can run and Robben and Sneijder, I think, isn't it? Only

:14:10. > :14:12.two orange shirted players out, here so Messi could get on a run and

:14:13. > :14:19.build up some steam. It looks like they have dismissed that option for

:14:20. > :14:24.now, though. Jasper Cillessen, back in the Dutch goal. He has recovered

:14:25. > :14:31.from the disappointment of being left out of the penalty shoot out

:14:32. > :14:37.against Costa Rica. That is way over the top from Enzo Perez. I thought

:14:38. > :14:46.you were going to say it was a clearance. Why didn't they give it

:14:47. > :14:50.-- why didn't they give it to Messi, running against two forwards? That

:14:51. > :14:54.does not make sense. Both sides still testing each other out, after

:14:55. > :15:00.11 minutes, getting a feel for things in the very cool S?o Paulo

:15:01. > :15:05.air. The contrasting climactic conditions of this tournament in

:15:06. > :15:11.sharp focus. It is a grey day but a great day for playing in terms of

:15:12. > :15:18.the conditions. The city of drizzle, not disappointing. And traffic. Lots

:15:19. > :15:27.and lots of traffic. And fireworks. All shapes, sizes and sounds. At all

:15:28. > :15:32.hours. Although at one stage last night, with the Brazil fiasco, it

:15:33. > :15:41.sounded like more than fireworks. Distress flares. The Bellas has

:15:42. > :15:42.still got it! -- Alex Sabella. The fans in Yorkshire will remember

:15:43. > :15:56.those touches. Robben, seen off by Mascherano. But

:15:57. > :16:02.a little bit hasty with the clearance and Sneijder had a go. A

:16:03. > :16:06.bit hasty with the shot, too. Yes, he set -- it set up nicely for him

:16:07. > :16:10.and he thought he was under more pressure than he was. Dirk Kuyt

:16:11. > :16:19.heading it is Sneijder, one touch, hit early, but he hit it even

:16:20. > :16:23.earlier than that. Argentina have not been behind at any game in this

:16:24. > :16:31.World Cup finals, yet. The only team to have won every game so far, and

:16:32. > :16:36.all by a single goal. Nobody has had a steam-rollering from them. Lovely

:16:37. > :16:41.ball, that, and they could be in. Stefan de Vrij coming across and

:16:42. > :16:45.that is a tumble and a free kick. What a place for it, especially with

:16:46. > :16:50.the players Argentina have. That was good stuff from Enzo Perez. He was

:16:51. > :16:55.played in originally by Higuain, a great ball. It took the two Dutch

:16:56. > :16:59.defenders out of the game. It is a bit of a daft tackle on the edge of

:17:00. > :17:07.the area. It is always a risk, any contact. Ron Vlaar, in from the

:17:08. > :17:12.back, not a lot of contact but when you get any from him, you're going

:17:13. > :17:17.to fall. Absolutely, and anywhere around the box, and you are going to

:17:18. > :17:23.fall over. What a chance, for Leonel messy. Nobody else near this. --

:17:24. > :17:34.Lionel Messi. We'll Jasper Cillessen?

:17:35. > :17:40.I think the war is big enough. The question for the keeper is whether

:17:41. > :17:47.he can see what is coming behind it? -- I think the war is big

:17:48. > :17:56.enough. It is a big wall, as well, because the centre-backs are in it.

:17:57. > :18:02.Messi, straight through and well held by Cillessen. That is a great

:18:03. > :18:07.save. Yes, his position was excellent. Because you put the

:18:08. > :18:12.centre-backs in, Messi has decided he cannot go over them because there

:18:13. > :18:17.is not enough room to get the ball over and down so he has got to go to

:18:18. > :18:21.the side. I say great rather than good because how refreshing is it to

:18:22. > :18:28.see the goalkeeper hold? Considering he missed the last human it is of

:18:29. > :18:37.the last game as well. -- the last few minutes.

:18:38. > :18:40.Martins Indi and Daley Blind bothering Messi. But nothing much

:18:41. > :19:08.does. I think that is the first time we

:19:09. > :19:15.have mentioned Wijnaldum. And you would remember his name. I can't

:19:16. > :19:17.even say it. He had a quiet game against Costa Rica, too, the PSV

:19:18. > :19:35.Eindhoven midfielder. Enzo Perez starts to wander forward

:19:36. > :19:42.in front of Zabaleta. Lavezzi is seen off it by Nigel de Jong. A nice

:19:43. > :19:48.trip ball to Sneijder. He is looking for Dirk Kuyt but it won't get

:19:49. > :19:55.there. A good idea but the wrong execution. He holds his hands up.

:19:56. > :20:03.Let's have another look at the Messi free kick. You notice how big the

:20:04. > :20:11.wall is, look at it, in height, I mean. I think we will go back from

:20:12. > :20:14.great save to good save. A throw your cap on its save. A say.

:20:15. > :20:22.Zabaleta saves the ball from going out of play and it is up to Higuain,

:20:23. > :20:26.but Cillessen is there again. They handled the substitution, Tim Krul

:20:27. > :20:30.coming on for Jasper Cillessen, brilliantly. They put both

:20:31. > :20:35.goalkeepers up at the press Conference the next day and both

:20:36. > :20:38.spoke brilliantly. Leasing about it is, why wouldn't Cillessen, he has

:20:39. > :20:43.just got into the World Cup semifinal? You would not be sulking.

:20:44. > :21:02.I suppose, but initially it was a shock.

:21:03. > :21:09.Disquiet intriguing, this game. No real chances so far, but Argentina

:21:10. > :21:13.look a little bit better going forward. They look like they have

:21:14. > :21:18.one or two more ideas than the Dutch. And without Batman, Angel Di

:21:19. > :21:24.Maria. It was touch and go whether he would make it for the final if

:21:25. > :21:27.Argentina win. Then again, we thought Nigel de Jong was ruled out

:21:28. > :21:34.for the rest of the tournament. So who do we believe? It is amazing how

:21:35. > :21:39.muscles can heal quickly when there is a World Cup semifinal or final

:21:40. > :21:44.place at stake. The other thing is, because they are way, you can work

:21:45. > :21:47.on these guys almost 24-hour the day. You have got three or four

:21:48. > :21:57.physios, and it is round-the-clock treatment.

:21:58. > :21:59.The Argentina supporters just cranking it up a little bit in the

:22:00. > :22:09.stands. Higuain and Lavezzi waiting, Higuain

:22:10. > :22:11.trying to get across in front of Stefan de Vrij and it is a corner.

:22:12. > :22:16.Good play by Argentina, Stefan de Vrij and it is a corner.

:22:17. > :22:21.Holland no exact what they wanted to do, getting down there left and they

:22:22. > :22:26.still got there through Zabaleta. -- know exactly. Stefan de Vrij knew

:22:27. > :22:33.where the ball was going and he knew where Higuain was. Who is he

:22:34. > :22:38.watching now? I think he is on Demichelis. The ball is going to

:22:39. > :22:58.come in from Messi, and it is flat. Lavezzi's ball in an Cillessen

:22:59. > :23:02.gathers comfortably. -- and Cillessen. Starting his 10th

:23:03. > :23:04.International in a row, the Ajax goalkeeper. But all he did then was

:23:05. > :23:49.put Dirk Kuyt under pressure. Bruno Martins Indi cannot keep up

:23:50. > :23:55.with Lavezzi, here. He just about got back to stop any kind of cross.

:23:56. > :23:57.And he stopped the next effort. I wonder whether Lavezzi might have

:23:58. > :24:01.been better off going for the byline? Just inviting Martins Indi

:24:02. > :24:23.into the tackle. Messi is not on this corner. A

:24:24. > :24:27.different play from Argentina. The likes of Marcos Rojo in the box for

:24:28. > :24:35.Lavezzi's delivery. But cleared by Van Persie.

:24:36. > :24:44.It always looked likely to bounce over Lavezzi's head from Mascherano.

:24:45. > :24:50.I like the line from Louis van Gaal, after his penalties excess --

:24:51. > :24:53.penalty success come his decision to put on Tim Krul. He does not smile

:24:54. > :24:59.very often but in the post-match press Conference he said, " it

:25:00. > :25:04.worked, it was beautiful", and with a knowing smile said, "I am proud of

:25:05. > :25:10.that". It could have gone very wrong. Yes. Huntelaar came on and

:25:11. > :25:19.scored in one of the earlier games as well, another masterstroke. He

:25:20. > :25:23.has changed it around quite a lot. Before games, during games. In fact,

:25:24. > :25:26.until that change of goalkeeper against Costa Rica, it was probably

:25:27. > :25:31.the game in which he had done the least tinkering. Nothing to change

:25:32. > :25:42.so far in this one, and no change in the score.

:25:43. > :25:48.A couple of saves from Cillessen but nothing for Romero to do, yet. It

:25:49. > :25:49.might change with Van Persie, here, trying to pull it back for Dirk

:25:50. > :26:09.Kuyt. Lavezzi just got a yard away from

:26:10. > :26:18.Daley Blind. He is much quicker than Blind and he is off-balance as well.

:26:19. > :26:22.Dirk Kuyt helping it away. I wonder if that is one of the reasons why

:26:23. > :26:25.they have made the change, putting Lavezzi on that side and Enzo Perez

:26:26. > :26:32.on the left, where he is on the ball. Returned to him by Messi. Enzo

:26:33. > :26:36.Perez wanted to play it back once again to be skipper but it is a

:26:37. > :26:44.corner. I'm not sure he could feed it through. It was almost a dummy

:26:45. > :26:56.run from Messi. A good touch from Ron Vlaar, as well.

:26:57. > :27:06.Lavezzi will take this. Argentina putting a level of pressure on.

:27:07. > :27:13.Nothing too testing, just yet, for the Dutch defence. Higuain has just

:27:14. > :27:20.put Dirk Kuyt away, right under the referee's knows. -- has just pushed.

:27:21. > :27:24.In from Lavezzi and over the top. It was a chance and it looked like an

:27:25. > :27:29.Argentina head got to it first. Wasn't it Demichelis? He was the one

:27:30. > :27:38.claiming at first that it should have been another corner, but it was

:27:39. > :27:44.Garay, round the back of Demichelis. Has he got a kick in the head for

:27:45. > :27:51.his troubles as well? Yes. It did not look as though the ball came off

:27:52. > :27:58.Ron Vlaar. Note. He will be OK. -- know. He has broken his nose a view

:27:59. > :28:02.times as a centre-back. He completed a 6 million euros move to Zenit St

:28:03. > :28:13.Petersburg in Russia from Benfica, a couple of weeks ago. She looks like

:28:14. > :28:15.she has got your microphone, Mark. She would be better, that is for

:28:16. > :28:32.certain. Cillessen, coolly done. That was a

:28:33. > :28:38.slight smile, a wry grin. De Jong looking for Van Persie. It was a

:28:39. > :28:49.little bit different but just for a second... It went through my mind as

:28:50. > :28:53.well. He just had Gary a little closer to him. He did not quite have

:28:54. > :29:00.the room he needed but Cillessen made room beautifully, there. The

:29:01. > :29:09.flag is up anyway. Oh, well, the thought was good. Jeering from the

:29:10. > :29:13.Dutch fans when they realised that. That is what they can do, in a spit

:29:14. > :29:19.second, the front three, Sneijder, Robben, Van Persie. When you think

:29:20. > :29:36.you are comfortable, bang. -- split second.

:29:37. > :29:43.Plenty of time for Gary and Demichelis.

:29:44. > :29:46.There has been a collision on halfway and there is real concern,

:29:47. > :30:11.here. I think it was Wijnaldum, he

:30:12. > :30:13.realised straight away there was a problem with Mascherano.

:30:14. > :30:24.realised straight away there was a problem with This was it.

:30:25. > :30:33.When you had the back of somebody else's head... Not a lot you can do

:30:34. > :30:40.about it. Apart from field your own head. We have seen more of Di Maria

:30:41. > :30:46.on the bench than we did in some games. He had an absolute nightmare

:30:47. > :30:53.but scored that fantastic goal late on. To beat Switzerland. How he

:30:54. > :31:04.wishes he was out there now. Angel Di Maria sidelined I a thigh strain.

:31:05. > :31:10.Mascherano not sidelined yet but laid out with a sore head. That is

:31:11. > :31:28.the aftermath. Wijnaldum tries to hold him up. It is a boxer blow.

:31:29. > :31:35.Hopefully he is OK. Dirk Kuyt said, I told you we would get you! They

:31:36. > :31:42.will just have to make sure there are no effects of concussion. We

:31:43. > :31:45.have seen one game in this stadium, Alvaro Pereira, the Uruguayan

:31:46. > :31:51.left-back, the doctor told him to come off and he was having none of

:31:52. > :31:56.it. I suspect Mascherano might be similar. He is the same make,

:31:57. > :32:06.chiselled. Possibly unhinged slightly! He might go and boot

:32:07. > :32:12.somebody and say to the referee, there is still a bit of concussion

:32:13. > :32:24.there! Which way will he kicked it. He is all right. A pity for Holland,

:32:25. > :32:35.they could have been on the break. So many Argentinian players on the

:32:36. > :32:39.wrong side of the ball there. It was a good job but did not come off the

:32:40. > :32:46.head of De Vrij with any sort of major balloon effect. The goalkeeper

:32:47. > :32:53.cannot have shouted to him, he had loads of time and it was a nice,

:32:54. > :33:09.cushioned header. Van Persie handled it. Did he? I don't know what with!

:33:10. > :33:13.Not his hand! It was with his chest. He was a doubt with a stomach

:33:14. > :33:16.problem, Van Persie. Daryl Janmaat the same, he is fit to be on the

:33:17. > :33:36.bench for the Netherlands. The belated tried to play it through

:33:37. > :33:45.Daley Blind. -- Zabaleta. We have not seen Daley Blind as an attacking

:33:46. > :33:50.force yet. He has a good left foot. Dirk Kuyt had pulled out wide but

:33:51. > :34:03.the option was closed down and taken away by Perez. Former Dutch players

:34:04. > :34:08.had doubts about Cillessen to this World Cup, they thought he was

:34:09. > :34:14.mentally fragile but he looks cool on the ball tonight. He looks very

:34:15. > :34:23.cool. One of his idols is Van der Sar. Isn't he the marketing manager?

:34:24. > :34:28.With Ajax? Yes. Similar styles. He says he has modelled himself

:34:29. > :34:36.mentally on Van der Sar. You are not putting him above Manuel Neuer,

:34:37. > :34:39.though? No. The German goalkeeper has won many fans, as if he did

:34:40. > :34:46.though? No. The German goalkeeper have enough. That is that ball

:34:47. > :34:47.forward for Holland. It came off Demichelis, the corner is the

:34:48. > :35:06.correct call. Vlaar has made a decent run but it

:35:07. > :35:10.is over him. Lovely ball again and Romero had to take it away from

:35:11. > :35:19.DeVry. This is a good spell for the Dutch. De Vrij is still up there.

:35:20. > :35:22.Van Persie was offside. The Dutch supporters get to their feet but

:35:23. > :35:32.realised it would not have mattered. As the referee blew his whistle, the

:35:33. > :35:40.Dutch contingent went up. That is why. It doesn't look right, punching

:35:41. > :35:50.it, but the first punch was excellent. You do is to never in

:35:51. > :35:54.control, are you? -- you are just never in control. The mero is an

:35:55. > :36:01.experienced Hull keeper but perhaps a little rusty after only playing

:36:02. > :36:13.three times in the French top division for Monaco -- Romero is an

:36:14. > :36:17.experienced goalkeeper. But it has not kept him his World Cup place and

:36:18. > :36:23.he has kept a clean sheet in their last two games. Not tested

:36:24. > :36:31.extensively by Switzerland or Belgium, certainly not by Belgium.

:36:32. > :36:35.That would have been a free kick but advantage Argentina. Just as well

:36:36. > :36:43.for Mascherano because he gave it away in the first place. Messi was

:36:44. > :36:45.sublime against Belgium at the weekend but has not had a chance to

:36:46. > :37:09.make his mark on this game yet. Lavezzi gets lucky with the bounce

:37:10. > :37:17.back, he was trying to find Perez. Messi is offside. If Argentina are

:37:18. > :37:19.going to get in any area of the pitch at the moment, it is down

:37:20. > :37:37.there right. My glasses just steamed up a little

:37:38. > :37:50.bit then. Nigel de Jong. He is looking for Van Persie.

:37:51. > :37:57.This second World Cup semifinal is going through a bit of a scrappy

:37:58. > :38:02.stage. A stage where nobody is really in charge of the game. While

:38:03. > :38:06.it is intriguing, nothing really great has happened so far, we are

:38:07. > :38:15.all waiting for this game to take off. We have not seen Arjen Robben

:38:16. > :38:16.at all. No, and you could argue Van Persie similar, Messi to a certain

:38:17. > :38:30.degree. That was well done by Lavezzi in the

:38:31. > :38:38.first instance. The flag is up here. That was just a little bit careless

:38:39. > :38:44.and it is a free kick for the Dutch. It is when you can see across the

:38:45. > :38:49.line. Higuain was the culprit. He was in a great position, as in being

:38:50. > :39:13.able to see, but was just in the wrong position.

:39:14. > :39:28.We can hear "Holland" ringing around the arena.

:39:29. > :39:37.Higuain is in the centre and Ron Vlaar got across to him at just the

:39:38. > :39:47.right time. Great tackle by Ron Vlaar. Kept in play. And then

:39:48. > :39:56.Sneijder was dumped to the floor unceremoniously. It was Martin

:39:57. > :40:03.Demichelis who kicked right at him. It has to be a booking, surely. It

:40:04. > :40:08.isn't, no sign of it, just a word from the Turkish referee. This was

:40:09. > :40:13.the interception from Ron Vlaar, he is great at that. The thought was,

:40:14. > :40:19.after what happened to Neymar in particular, that referees would lose

:40:20. > :40:23.their lenient take as has been the case for most of the competition,

:40:24. > :40:26.for the rest of it, but no great change in style. That has to be a

:40:27. > :40:42.yellow. I would love to see the heat map of

:40:43. > :40:50.how many touches Biglia in midfield for Argentina has actually had. Not

:40:51. > :40:56.a lot of heat anywhere in this stadium tonight.

:40:57. > :41:11.Messi blocked by Martins Indi and the referee already had his whistle

:41:12. > :41:14.to his lips. A free kick to Argentina and Martins Indi might be

:41:15. > :41:21.the first recipient of a yellow card. He might be. He was checking

:41:22. > :41:31.in his pocket to see if he still had it. He might not be. Again, I think

:41:32. > :41:37.it is just a word of calm. He did set the tone with the Demichelis

:41:38. > :41:42.incident a moment ago. Therein lies the problem. It is a yellow, he has

:41:43. > :41:49.blocked him off. Sneijder was caught at the start of the Argentinian move

:41:50. > :41:54.when he basically got clattered. Listen, we want them to keep players

:41:55. > :41:59.on the pitch, absolutely all day long but a booking is a booking. The

:42:00. > :42:05.other thing, whether it is in the second second or the 95th minute, it

:42:06. > :42:10.is still a yellow. Much criticism of the Spanish referee who basically

:42:11. > :42:18.let the situation billed until Neymar got his back broken. That was

:42:19. > :42:24.ridiculous. -- let the situation build-up. The same situation from

:42:25. > :42:36.the insurance agent from Istanbul who is in charge of this one. Messi

:42:37. > :42:40.skips away from Robben. Just asked a little bit too much of Perez and

:42:41. > :42:48.Couchman was there to meet him. I am not sure that Perez was ready for

:42:49. > :42:55.it. -- Dirk Kuyt was there to meet him. Sneijder is still off the

:42:56. > :43:07.field, the Dutch are down to ten men to Pirelli. -- temporarily. One shot

:43:08. > :43:13.on target? The free kick from Messi? That was well held by Cillessen. I

:43:14. > :43:20.am calling it a hold now, not a save.

:43:21. > :43:28.Ron Vlaar just got it away from Messi but the young was closed down

:43:29. > :43:45.by Mascherano and that has sparked a chance to attack for Argentina.

:43:46. > :44:07.40 pretty low-key minutes played so far. The Dutch have done most of

:44:08. > :44:13.their good work in the second halves of the games so far in this World

:44:14. > :44:23.Cup. 10/12 goals scored have come after the break. We have barely had

:44:24. > :44:29.a chance worthy of the name in this first half. Argentina just shading

:44:30. > :44:34.it as far as attacking intent goes. Higuain keeps his feet under

:44:35. > :44:39.pressure from Ron Vlaar who at least he has dragged out of defence. That

:44:40. > :44:47.is the good thing if you play three, the other two just inch towards the

:44:48. > :45:00.centre. And Dirk Kuyt and Daley Blind immediately retreat. Yes. De

:45:01. > :45:08.Jong stuck with Messi. Perez lost the chance. It looks like a trip or

:45:09. > :45:12.a push from Messi on Sneijder and Sneijder is getting a little wound

:45:13. > :45:24.up. He has been whacked three times the last time he has touched the

:45:25. > :45:31.ball, that is why. It was a poor touch from Perez. He took a knock

:45:32. > :45:40.himself from De Vrij for his trouble. Zabaleta has been penalised

:45:41. > :45:46.and now a Netherlands free kick. We need something to happen, in all

:45:47. > :45:52.honesty. Blind wanted to take that quickly down the left but Schneider

:45:53. > :45:57.did not see it, he ignored it. -- Sneijder. I seem to remember the

:45:58. > :46:01.general with the trophy from four years ago. He did not get to take it

:46:02. > :46:27.home then. Wijnaldum has to go back to Martins

:46:28. > :46:33.Indi. He has Higuain running at him and now at Cillessen who has pulled

:46:34. > :46:40.into a safe, wide position. Dirk Kuyt, got a bit lucky and bundled

:46:41. > :47:03.through Perez. That free kick probably summed up the first half.

:47:04. > :47:17.Wijnaldum is pestered by Mascherano, one of the better players on show.

:47:18. > :47:23.It has been that sort of game, where those who have destroyed and snuff

:47:24. > :47:31.out have been on top. Demichelis is an example. Biglia went in and won

:47:32. > :47:40.it, got it a fraction of a second in front of Sneijder. Ron Vlaar did

:47:41. > :47:46.well, not just to get there in the first instance but keep it in and

:47:47. > :47:52.now it is Messi, through the gap. Stopped and they yellow card is out

:47:53. > :47:56.now for Martins Indi. Sneijder is into him as well about the yonks.

:47:57. > :48:04.Both of them will have a go. He got away with one. -- about Nigel de

:48:05. > :48:06.Jong. You cannot say it is justice because he should have been booked

:48:07. > :48:19.for the first one. He's certainly stopped Messi there,

:48:20. > :48:28.put his arm across to prevent him getting up to top speed. That man

:48:29. > :48:29.Messi will now try to tease the right ball into the Dutch penalty

:48:30. > :48:47.area. The whistle has gone. Yes.

:48:48. > :48:56.Presumably for the challenge on the goalkeeper. It is that arm from

:48:57. > :49:01.Rojo. First half stoppage time, there will be two minutes on. It

:49:02. > :49:08.would be nice if we got two chances in those minutes.

:49:09. > :49:17.Lots of room for Blind, Lavezzi comes across to meet him. Alejandro

:49:18. > :49:22.Sabella made that change very quickly, Lavezzi went from

:49:23. > :49:27.left-to-right, Perez came to the near side as we watched it and they

:49:28. > :49:32.have not switched back. Know, and they will stay there until

:49:33. > :49:39.half-time. De Jong looks all right, he, after tearing his groin. Pulling

:49:40. > :50:00.it a touch might be a better reassessment.

:50:01. > :50:12.Higuain is having to work up there. Slightly more mobile number nine

:50:13. > :50:21.than the man we have seen in yellow throughout this tournament. Yes. We

:50:22. > :50:29.should leave him alone now, really. He had a bad day yesterday. Messi

:50:30. > :50:35.should leave him alone now, really. fires a wonderful ball to Rojo,

:50:36. > :50:43.first time... Next time. Martins Indi is not going to be beaten by

:50:44. > :50:50.Lavezzi that easily. Throwing. Orange one. Rojo should have done

:50:51. > :50:55.better. There is no time for the throw, that will do it for the first

:50:56. > :50:58.in S?o Paulo and it has been a case of a lot of good players out there

:50:59. > :51:02.not being able to show their full range of talents because our lot of

:51:03. > :51:08.other players out there are snuffing them out successfully. No real

:51:09. > :51:12.chances, not a great deal of excitement yet, no nearer to knowing

:51:13. > :51:36.who will play Germany on Sunday. 0-0.

:51:37. > :51:45.After what seemed like a delay, the Argentinian team have taken the

:51:46. > :51:51.field for the second half. The Dutch have been there for some time having

:51:52. > :51:54.made a half-time change. Daryl Janmaat has come on wearing seven

:51:55. > :52:01.and taken the place of Bruno Martins Indi. The team in Orange, the

:52:02. > :52:05.Netherlands get as started and Mark Lawrenson can tell us what that

:52:06. > :52:10.means. Daley Blind will play as the third centre-back on the left,

:52:11. > :52:17.Janmaat will be on the right, Dirk out on the left and the rest remains

:52:18. > :52:22.the same. -- Dirk Kuyt. Just a slight tinkering from Louis Van Gaal

:52:23. > :52:27.in personnel rather than shape. Perhaps worried about the booking

:52:28. > :52:32.form teams in the. Especially as he was on a booking plus, if you like.

:52:33. > :52:40.Janmaat has his first touch and gives it away. That is cynical. That

:52:41. > :52:44.should be a booking. That was absolutely cynical from Stefan de

:52:45. > :52:48.Vrij, and took the man out completely and it has to be a yellow

:52:49. > :52:52.card but it is not going to believe. You cannot just warn him

:52:53. > :52:59.for that, he was away. That is ridiculous, E. I hope he is not

:53:00. > :53:08.thinking it was the first tackle of the second half. -- that is

:53:09. > :53:14.ridiculous, referee. That was the most premeditated foul we have seen

:53:15. > :53:15.in the game yet. Louis Van Gaal will agree with the referee all day of

:53:16. > :53:26.course. Sneijder looking for Robben, we have

:53:27. > :53:35.all been looking for Robben in the games so far. The throwing goes to

:53:36. > :53:59.his team, not his team. -- the throw in.

:54:00. > :54:13.That is a Miss Jude punt. It is because he has got his boot off --

:54:14. > :54:21.miscued punt. Ezequiel Garay buying himself some time. The boot is on

:54:22. > :54:28.the other foot now! The centre-back debts himself re-shod and Janmaat

:54:29. > :54:37.will take the throw in. This would be a peculiar way to bring about a

:54:38. > :54:46.goal if it happens. He will not find Van Persie with that.

:54:47. > :54:51.A neat little touch and one from Robben as well. Dirk

:54:52. > :55:12.Kuyt will come onto this. Robben was pulled back and it will

:55:13. > :55:17.be a free kick. Demichelis is holding his nose but it was a foul

:55:18. > :55:22.by the Manchester City man on the Bayern Munich flyer. And he might

:55:23. > :55:29.get booked here, would you believe? He is. Yellow for Demichelis,

:55:30. > :55:36.another player who got away with one in the first half. Former Bayern

:55:37. > :55:43.Munich team-mates for a season and a half. Demichelis actually quite

:55:44. > :55:47.vocal in the Argentinian before the match saying that Robben is not a

:55:48. > :55:59.fighter but the great player and he would have a go at him early. It has

:56:00. > :56:03.taken him a while. I think as well, saying to the referee, what about

:56:04. > :56:15.the foul at the start of the second half? He booked Demichelis, that is

:56:16. > :56:18.fine, but consistency is the key. Schneider or Robben -- Sneijder. He

:56:19. > :56:26.just sensed there was a chance to catch out Romero had not his best

:56:27. > :56:32.effort. No. The referee put the paints down and the two players just

:56:33. > :56:40.moved to the side. That is the technical expression, laying the

:56:41. > :56:45.paint down. We might be seeing that in a few European leagues next

:56:46. > :56:48.season, it seems to have gone an well. The Premier League? I thought

:56:49. > :57:04.I read that somewhere. May be. That is a great ball but the flag is

:57:05. > :57:12.up against Messi, Cillessen was out to meet him but it will not count,

:57:13. > :57:34.don't worry, it is wide anyway. The flag went up very sharply. Yes. But,

:57:35. > :57:42.but, Holland went two against two. Mascherano saw it straight away with

:57:43. > :57:48.a wonderful ball through. Just at the moment as well, Argentina have

:57:49. > :57:51.got Higuain on the right, Lavezzi on the left and Messi is playing

:57:52. > :57:58.through the middle at the moment so they have also changed. Maybe he

:57:59. > :58:07.fancies a run at Ron Vlaar. He would with those little scampering legs

:58:08. > :58:11.around you. Time for the Argentinian supporters to raise it a little.

:58:12. > :58:20.They do say that playing against a back three that you either play one

:58:21. > :58:28.up or three up, never two. Wijnaldum lost it, Messi will have a run at

:58:29. > :58:34.Ron Vlaar, he got some help. That is De Vrij down to Janmaat.

:58:35. > :58:49.De Vrij again just shouldered Lavezzi out of his way.

:58:50. > :59:21.Yes, Argentina have definitely gone three up front.

:59:22. > :59:29.Dirk Kuyt gets it away before Zabaleta appeared to bother him and

:59:30. > :59:34.returned by Daley Blind. He is playing as one of three central

:59:35. > :59:39.defenders now, a very versatile player, the son of assistant coach

:59:40. > :59:46.Danny. I think you might have called him Danny earlier! Sorry! I have

:59:47. > :59:59.done, three or four times in the tournament!

:00:00. > :00:04.Nothing to choose between the teams. We knew it would not be anywhere

:00:05. > :00:08.near as open as the first semifinal. It could not possibly be. Then

:00:09. > :00:11.again, I don't think any game you will see for the next four years

:00:12. > :00:36.will be. But this is really cagey. Sneijder has taken some stick. He

:00:37. > :00:45.was followed by Biglia that time. A free kick against Argentina. A howl

:00:46. > :00:50.of anguish from Higuain. It is a foul, isn't it? Maybe a chance for

:00:51. > :00:56.Robben through the middle but cannot go any further. There is your man,

:00:57. > :01:04.Biglia getting back. Can you see Van Persie on the right? It is the old

:01:05. > :01:09.hands on hips. He did not look, did he? He only had eyes for Demichelis

:01:10. > :01:16.and he did not see Van Persie or Biglia coming in from the side to

:01:17. > :01:21.win it. Zabaleta will not be able to keep that in. Just a little more

:01:22. > :01:25.animated now, Alex keep that in. Just a little more

:01:26. > :01:31.used to know him. Did you play against him? I think he probably

:01:32. > :01:32.did, I don't know if it was Sheffield United or Leeds but I

:01:33. > :01:48.would have thought so. He was all left foot, if I remember.

:01:49. > :01:53.He had two nicknames, the magician or the sloths. You could take your

:01:54. > :01:59.pick, depending on what kind of day he was having. He was fiery as

:02:00. > :02:04.well, I think. Find me an Argentine player who isn't. Messi called Ron

:02:05. > :02:10.Vlaar off-balance but a good recovery from the Aston Villa man.

:02:11. > :02:14.-- court Ron Vlaar. We are getting a bit of pace to the game, now. We

:02:15. > :02:21.are, the telescopic legs coming out from Ron Vlaar.

:02:22. > :02:31.You just get the feeling that the chances. To come. Demichelis. On

:02:32. > :02:47.Sneijder. -- that the chances will start to come.

:02:48. > :02:54.You would play three at the back all day if you are Aston Villa, wouldn't

:02:55. > :02:58.you? With the competition Ron Vlaar has had. I am sure Roy Keane will be

:02:59. > :03:12.watching with interest. Although they have signed Senderos. A World

:03:13. > :03:16.Cup player. Speaks five averages. Another look at the wonderful tackle

:03:17. > :03:21.from Ron Vlaar. Again, it is one he had to get right. We have reached

:03:22. > :03:21.the point of no return a bit in this game.

:03:22. > :03:24.had to get right. We have reached the point of no return a bit in The

:03:25. > :03:29.players are suddenly thinking, " come on, let's have a go". One goal

:03:30. > :03:36.might take you to the Maracana and the World Cup final. But to get a

:03:37. > :03:40.goal, you have to gamble. And the Netherlands have to get Arjen Robben

:03:41. > :03:42.into the game more. All he has to get himself into the game. Which is

:03:43. > :03:51.it? A bit of both, I think. Higuain was a bit quicker than

:03:52. > :04:05.Stefan de Vrij. With Holland, it might be a case of

:04:06. > :04:10.getting Sneijder on the ball more, than robbing an Van Persie. You have

:04:11. > :04:14.mentioned the key front three but none of them have really seen as

:04:15. > :04:21.much of the ball as they would like. And neither has Messi.

:04:22. > :04:31.Mascherano has dropped off to the left.

:04:32. > :04:38.I think they are waiting for the one moment of magic. There are three or

:04:39. > :04:38.four players on the field, some more prominent than others, likely to

:04:39. > :04:53.provide it. The flag stays down as Lavezzi gets

:04:54. > :04:57.onto the ball. Ron Vlaar is beaten. But we header goes away from goal,

:04:58. > :05:02.from Higuain. Or was it good defending from Daryl Janmaat to win

:05:03. > :05:19.it? It was the latter, most definitely, Janmaat did great.

:05:20. > :05:25.Acer in for the Dutch. Someone just cluttered Robben as well. Marcos

:05:26. > :05:44.Rojo, sliding through. Seeing red. Messi thought that should have been

:05:45. > :05:48.his throw. Not his game, so far, so far. No, well, the four big stars

:05:49. > :06:02.you have mentioned, none of them... Ron Vlaar with a good ball for

:06:03. > :06:07.Sneijder but not such a good ball from him to Van Persie. Could he

:06:08. > :06:14.have had an extra touch and maybe taken a shot? Sneijder wins it back.

:06:15. > :06:35.Enzo Perez cannot do any more than tackle.

:06:36. > :06:44.Sneijder has ghosted forward as an extra striker, here. Wijnaldum is on

:06:45. > :06:51.the run. Dirk Kuyt spotted him but could not find him. Romero, all over

:06:52. > :06:56.it. That is the other thing, when you look at it, neither team from

:06:57. > :07:01.wide areas has put particularly good service into the front players,

:07:02. > :07:05.neither team. The highlights have been the singing and the nonstop

:07:06. > :07:09.encouragement of the Argentina supporters, really, and they are

:07:10. > :07:13.going again. They have been taunted by some of their Brazilian

:07:14. > :07:17.counterparts here, watching. They have been singing, " five times

:07:18. > :07:24.champions". But they will not be this year.

:07:25. > :07:30.The chance is still there, of course, for Argentina to close the

:07:31. > :07:48.gap, win a third World Cup. Marcos Rojo was careless, there.

:07:49. > :08:01.Janmaat just let it run too far in front of him. He was late in. It was

:08:02. > :08:06.a lunge. Lucas Biglia, in the wars. It is one of those, you know it is

:08:07. > :08:12.coming, but once you are committed, you cannot get out of the way. A bit

:08:13. > :08:17.of his knee and a bit of his boot and quite a lot of starred. Nigel de

:08:18. > :08:21.Jong has lasted past the hour, which is longer than we thought he would

:08:22. > :08:25.last. It was really doubtful. In fact, we thought he was out for the

:08:26. > :08:29.tournament with a groin problem but now he goes off, to be replaced by

:08:30. > :08:34.22-year-old Jordy Clasie of Feyenoord, baying for his country

:08:35. > :08:40.for only the ninth time, his first appearance at this or any World Cup.

:08:41. > :08:44.-- playing for his country. The squad Louis Van Gaal picked before

:08:45. > :08:50.setting off for Brazil showed that he is not bothered. Never mind your

:08:51. > :08:54.age. If you are good enough, you are old enough. And it is also his way

:08:55. > :09:03.or the highway. He is very much that kind of manager. The Dutch have made

:09:04. > :09:09.a midfield change, but Argentina might have two after this. They do

:09:10. > :09:14.have the right man in Fernando Gago, should Biglia have to go off. It

:09:15. > :09:27.would be like for like. Look at his face. He did something similar.

:09:28. > :09:46.It looks like they are trying to patch him up.

:09:47. > :09:53.Argentina are preparing to make a change of they have do. There is

:09:54. > :09:58.Gago, number five. -- if they have do. He has played in every game and

:09:59. > :10:00.started three of them. You may have to wait a bit longer for his chance.

:10:01. > :10:26.It caught his arm as well, look. Alejandro Sabella making his point

:10:27. > :10:33.keenly. The rain has started to fall a lot more heavily in S?o Paulo now.

:10:34. > :10:34.It may just speed the pitch up a little bit, and therefore the game,

:10:35. > :11:33.we hope. Those backpasses might take an a bit

:11:34. > :11:40.of a high level of risk, now, with a slick surface. The rain is really

:11:41. > :11:44.coming down. It is heavy and steady. And if you look, tactically, it is

:11:45. > :11:45.always intriguing, but both teams have never really been pulled out of

:11:46. > :12:01.position at any stage. Daley Blind, getting it away before

:12:02. > :12:20.Higuain's challenge came in. Dirk Kuyt versus Zabaleta. Room for

:12:21. > :12:25.Jordy Clasie. Not exactly flowing, but it is still moving for the

:12:26. > :12:30.Dutch. Robben did well to control it. It was a poor ball from

:12:31. > :12:33.Wijnaldum. Clasie, spraying it about a bit, having only just joined

:12:34. > :12:38.Wijnaldum. Clasie, spraying it about action. Not a bad cross from Dirk

:12:39. > :12:51.Kuyt Boswell defended. -- but well defended.

:12:52. > :12:58.Getting towards the three quarters mark of the game and it is still

:12:59. > :13:00.goalless. You could argue as well that certainly, Holland have the

:13:01. > :13:03.more attacking midfielders on the pitch. Ron Vlaar just got there and

:13:04. > :13:30.got something on the ball. Robben, looking a bit more busy and

:13:31. > :13:35.more interested and more involved. They are moving it around quicker,

:13:36. > :13:42.the Netherlands. Oh, dear me, Daley Blind has its head in his hands.

:13:43. > :13:47.the Netherlands. Oh, dear me, Daley should have gone right foot, but he

:13:48. > :13:54.went outside left. His dad has his arms folded. Denying all knowledge

:13:55. > :13:59.of him. I think, just the fact that the Dutch have sent Clasie on, it is

:14:00. > :14:05.like they are trying to say, " come on, let's get hold of the ball and

:14:06. > :14:09.start to play". Clasie was all over Lionel Messi. Of course, he has to

:14:10. > :14:12.do that job as well, taking over from Nigel de Jong. A bit too eager,

:14:13. > :14:38.that time. He did not quite get that right, and

:14:39. > :14:43.well won by Janmaat. Mascherano, back to stop Robben. Janmaat is

:14:44. > :14:53.still down in his own half of the field. The Dutch are getting on with

:14:54. > :15:00.it. Dirk Kuyt has swung it in and Wijnaldum is blocked off. It is a

:15:01. > :15:08.corner, if it goes. It will now be a Netherlands throw and finally,

:15:09. > :15:15.Janmaat can receive treatment. He won the header and just got caught,

:15:16. > :15:23.I think, here. Ouch! That must have been his cheekbone. Dear, oh dear.

:15:24. > :15:27.It is always when you least it, you get it. It was right on the

:15:28. > :15:32.cheekbone, as he went in with Marcos Rojo. He is sitting up, Daryl

:15:33. > :15:35.Janmaat. He has done well to coming on at half-time, done really well

:15:36. > :15:39.defensively. There are, almost attacking, trying to spark an

:15:40. > :15:45.attacking move for the Netherlands. -- there, almost attacking.

:15:46. > :15:51.Interesting, that was one of those occasions that makes a mockery of

:15:52. > :15:55.teams that have not got possession and Dara man down, asking the

:15:56. > :16:02.opposition to put it out. They were not going to do it themselves, not

:16:03. > :16:06.while they were moving forward. Janmaat might well being the Premier

:16:07. > :16:10.League next season. He has been linked heavily with Newcastle and

:16:11. > :16:13.Manchester United, as I supposed asked about everyone in the Dutch

:16:14. > :16:16.team has been, given the new manager. -- as I suppose just about

:16:17. > :16:31.everyone. Janmaat has come, feel. -- has come

:16:32. > :16:37.back on the field. His cheeks have survived.

:16:38. > :16:44.Jordy Clasie has come on with a point to prove. No World Cup action

:16:45. > :16:47.at all before his introduction here, for Nigel de Jong. No fear as well,

:16:48. > :17:28.I would suggest. Enzo Perez was chased all the way by

:17:29. > :17:34.Sneijder. Room on the far side for Marcos Rojo. He now has it under

:17:35. > :17:40.control and attacks Janmaat and Stefan de Vrij. Helped by Lavezzi. A

:17:41. > :17:52.bit of room for Lavezzi. His shot goes straight into the solid body of

:17:53. > :17:55.Ron Vlaar. Stefan de Vrij comes across to challenge. Better from

:17:56. > :18:02.Argentina, they little bit of urgency. We have hardly seen them

:18:03. > :18:11.attack in the second half. Sneijder running into trouble, in the

:18:12. > :18:16.un-movable former Zabaleta. Messi. -- an movable form of Zabaleta.

:18:17. > :18:19.Something is going to happen soon. It may be a mistake that leads to a

:18:20. > :18:28.goal, but we need something, as neutrals.

:18:29. > :18:34.Messi, bouncing back to his feet to keep Argentina in possession. Enzo

:18:35. > :18:40.Perez, nudging it forward to Higuain. Ron Vlaar is all over him

:18:41. > :18:44.and into him. The ball is out. I think he just dived on the bull with

:18:45. > :18:50.his head at the end, it seemed. See what he does, here. Get in there,

:18:51. > :18:57.Ron. Brilliant. You are not getting past.

:18:58. > :19:08.It will be a free kick, perhaps not surprisingly, rather than a throw.

:19:09. > :19:15.18 minutes of the 90 remaining. Argentina have not shown much as an

:19:16. > :19:23.attacking force at all since half-time. Rojo is up for the Messi

:19:24. > :19:25.free kick. The movement is more intense, now, in the middle. It is

:19:26. > :19:29.over the goalkeeper and everyone. intense, now, in the middle. It is

:19:30. > :19:48.is human! Not like him. You can't overstate the pressure

:19:49. > :19:53.that is on Lionel Messi. He overtakes Diego Maradona's number of

:19:54. > :19:58.caps in this game and is on 92 now. All the time, he will be aware of

:19:59. > :20:01.the reports that he cannot be considered a world great until he

:20:02. > :20:06.does what Maradona and Pele and company did before him. He did it to

:20:07. > :20:12.some extent. With a not very good team, by the way, as well. Dirk Kuyt

:20:13. > :20:30.apologising to the world. Louis van Gaal is not having it.

:20:31. > :20:40.Conditions to match the game, pretty grim. The aero slipping as he

:20:41. > :20:44.cleared. -- Romero slipping. Robben is onto it, brilliantly taken.

:20:45. > :20:50.Janmaat outside him. Van Persie is in the box but offside anyway. And

:20:51. > :20:54.he was the wrong side of the goal. It would have been a wonderful

:20:55. > :21:02.finish, from there. But well played by Robin, great first touch, and

:21:03. > :21:12.great play by Janmaat as well. Robin van Persie has not had a sniff. No,

:21:13. > :21:26.no. We could say the same about Messi, couldn't we?

:21:27. > :21:33.Ron Vlaar has had an excellent game at the heart of the Dutch defence.

:21:34. > :21:40.He might be the game's best player at the moment. I kind of thing that

:21:41. > :21:45.tells you about the game. Yes. Kept in play by Enzo Perez. Sneijder is

:21:46. > :21:49.after it, lovely, teasing ball! It is into the side netting. What a

:21:50. > :21:54.ball from Enzo Perez. But it could not find the finish from Higuain.

:21:55. > :22:03.Brilliant. Supporters at the other end of the ground thought it was in,

:22:04. > :22:07.seeing the net billowing from the foreign. Did the flight go up

:22:08. > :22:12.anyway? Play has gone on, as it should, with Jordy Clasie, looking

:22:13. > :22:18.for Van Persie. Demichelis away. It is looking a lot more open, now.

:22:19. > :22:22.Enzo Perez with one of the parties of the match. -- passes of the

:22:23. > :22:31.match. Robben shimmying past Zabaleta. Look

:22:32. > :23:06.how deep Dirk Kuyt is. Zabaleta shuts the door on Daley

:23:07. > :23:22.Blind. Good work again from Ron Vlaar, on

:23:23. > :23:26.his way, at the moment to maybe being Man of the Match in the World

:23:27. > :23:29.Cup semifinal. Years going to job forward and stay up there. Free kick

:23:30. > :23:38.to Holland for the foul on Daley Blind. I would have thought

:23:39. > :23:45.Argentina are thinking about making a change. They must be. Surely they

:23:46. > :23:54.need to try and affect the game? We keep on hearing Sergio Aguero is

:23:55. > :24:01.fit. Sneijder with the free kick. Nobody is that deep all that tall.

:24:02. > :24:06.Argentina goalkick. Very similar to Messi's wasted free kick a few

:24:07. > :24:08.moments ago. He has only got one change left, Louis Van Gaal. Will he

:24:09. > :24:24.save it for the penalties? Indeed. That was Higuain's opportunity. He

:24:25. > :24:32.immediately looked at the referee's assistant.

:24:33. > :24:41.12 and a half minutes of regulation time to go. The big winners at the

:24:42. > :24:50.moment are Germany. The big winners yesterday and this evening, they

:24:51. > :24:54.will be sitting back, relaxing with a gluhwein or two, and an extra

:24:55. > :25:01.day's rest because they will want this to go all the way if it can.

:25:02. > :25:08.Mind you, they had an extra half rest. What do you mean, half? It was

:25:09. > :25:14.like an under nines game in the first half. One team kept chasing,

:25:15. > :25:19.and the other one gets scoring. Very, very different semifinals.

:25:20. > :25:35.Zabaleta. Enzo Perez is having a much better

:25:36. > :25:39.second half. Yes. The thing about Argentina is, look out the

:25:40. > :25:42.Mascherano goes for the ball. He almost plays at centre-back at

:25:43. > :25:47.times. Biglia is in front of him and he is basically an up and down

:25:48. > :25:52.midfield player, who will just close people down. He is not exactly a

:25:53. > :25:56.passer. They are lacking in that department, aren't they? You are not

:25:57. > :26:01.telling me that one of the centre-backs cannot do what

:26:02. > :26:06.Mascherano is doing. He is doing it pretty well. There is no argument

:26:07. > :26:12.about that, but you are a player like in the forward areas. Messi

:26:13. > :26:21.running straight into Janmaat. It runs away from Robben.

:26:22. > :26:28.Looking down at the bench, to see if there is any sign of a change, there

:26:29. > :26:31.is movement for Argentina. It looks as though Rodrigo Palacio is going

:26:32. > :26:37.to come on. If they are going to put a forward on, I would have thought

:26:38. > :26:40.it would have been a wearer. He is starting to jog a little bit down

:26:41. > :26:45.there as well. It might be both of them. There we go, talk about

:26:46. > :26:49.affecting the game, changing the game. This is a signal. Two forwards

:26:50. > :27:07.about to take the field for Argentina.

:27:08. > :27:13.Misjudgement by Mascherano but tidied up by Demichelis.

:27:14. > :27:21.Daley Blind, looking for Wijnaldum again. Ezequiel Garay got the call

:27:22. > :27:26.from Rojo to leave it. They worked it out between them. Good play by

:27:27. > :27:33.Rojo because he is facing the balls he does not need to make a decision.

:27:34. > :27:40.Here we go. Argentina are taking off Enzo Perez, and the first player on

:27:41. > :27:51.will be Inter Milan's Rodrigo Palacio. 19 goals last season. He a

:27:52. > :27:56.live wire as well. He is a forward, isn't he? Oh, yes, plays as the lone

:27:57. > :28:03.striker for Inter Milan, more often than not. Is he the boy with the

:28:04. > :28:08.right's tale, for want of a better description? I am not sure that is a

:28:09. > :28:12.hairdresser's term. It is off centre as well, jaunty. And the other

:28:13. > :28:16.change will see the return of Sergio Aguero, who has had a groin problem.

:28:17. > :28:18.Of course, he has been beset by injuries since the turn of the year

:28:19. > :28:24.for Majesty city. injuries since the turn of the year

:28:25. > :28:32.board is like a borrowed so, now. -- Manchester City. And the

:28:33. > :28:38.substitute's board is like a bar of soap. Gonzalo Higuain is going off,

:28:39. > :28:42.rather forlornly. As you would in a World Cup semifinal. Yes, he scored

:28:43. > :28:48.a good goal in the last round to get them through but he has probably

:28:49. > :28:52.been average at best, Higuain. On comes a player who rarely years but

:28:53. > :28:57.has never scored at the World Cup. Three games, here, and three in

:28:58. > :28:59.South Africa, two from the bench and he has gone five games without an

:29:00. > :29:19.international goal, Aguero. So, it will be Rodrigo Palacio down

:29:20. > :29:24.the right, and it looks at the moment as though Aguero is going to

:29:25. > :29:30.go through the middle. Yes. Lavezzi on the left and Messi to tuck in

:29:31. > :29:31.behind and play where he wants. Basically an extra forward on,

:29:32. > :30:02.great. Sabella has played his cards with

:30:03. > :30:17.seven minutes to go. Messi has got it out to Rojo and he

:30:18. > :30:23.has gone from distance. Cillessen runs into a wearer. I think Aguero

:30:24. > :30:29.tried to flick it out. The Dutch players are saying it should be a

:30:30. > :30:35.booking. He knows where he is, very deliberate. Not a bad shot from Rojo

:30:36. > :30:38.considering it is getting slippery now and quite wet. He did not catch

:30:39. > :30:51.it cleanly. Patty cake patter cake. We have seen glimpses in the last 20

:30:52. > :30:59.minutes or so of Robben and still only glimpses of Messi. Biglia was

:31:00. > :31:25.pounced upon by Dirk Kuyt. That is a daft prowl. -- daft free kick.

:31:26. > :31:33.Mascherano, formerly of the club that will be moving into this

:31:34. > :31:46.ground, Corinthians, briefly, for moving to West Ham and then

:31:47. > :31:47.Liverpool. Great interception it yet again for the umpteenth time from

:31:48. > :32:01.Ron Vlaar. Ron Vlaar really does some up the

:32:02. > :32:05.improvement of this Netherlands national side since the European

:32:06. > :32:12.Championship two years ago. They were knocked out at the group stage

:32:13. > :32:24.and were quite miserable. Brilliant work by De Vrij. Wijnaldum is rather

:32:25. > :32:31.needlessly fouled by Rojo. Since the European Championship, the Dutch

:32:32. > :32:38.have lost two out of 26 games played and those were friendlies. That was

:32:39. > :32:47.a good tackle. I think he was waiting to see the reaction of

:32:48. > :32:53.Robben. This might tell us. He gets the ball. Look at Robben. There was

:32:54. > :32:58.a point at first from Demichelis and then a hand slap before the

:32:59. > :33:06.team-mates. -- from the former team-mates. Job done by Rojo and

:33:07. > :33:14.that is drilled well wide by Jordy Clasie. It was a poor touch from

:33:15. > :33:19.Lavezzi. I think we are going into extra time, it looks that way

:33:20. > :33:28.barring something that has not been in keeping with the game, something

:33:29. > :33:34.magnificent. You mean football? Has it been that bad? It has not been

:33:35. > :33:40.great. Higuain will not make the difference as he did in the last

:33:41. > :33:45.round against Belgium for Argentina. That has gone straight to Messi and

:33:46. > :33:54.he somehow comes away with it and that is Aguero. It is some wonderful

:33:55. > :34:20.defending. Guess who? Big Ron! Big Ron again.

:34:21. > :34:30.Messi just wriggled away from Dirk Kuyt. Mascherano with a driving

:34:31. > :34:37.run. He cannot get it through to Sergio Aguero. Guess why? Ron Vlaar

:34:38. > :34:47.is in the way of everything! Concrete Ron!

:34:48. > :35:11.Biglia was pointing the way. Out it goes for a Dutch throw. Robben

:35:12. > :35:41.cannot get through it tonight. So far.

:35:42. > :35:53.They are so narrow down the right at the moment, Argentina. Palacio is

:35:54. > :35:56.pushed in all the time. Just for a moment when Mascherano ran at the

:35:57. > :36:03.heart of the Netherlands defence, it looked like a shot was on. He does

:36:04. > :36:10.not score very often as we know. That is twice someone has big Aguero

:36:11. > :36:14.to the ball, Sabella is going nuts. He is saying, just come to the

:36:15. > :36:28.ball, he is strong as well but he was

:36:29. > :36:36.Even when we get into injury time, we will have half an hour to go

:36:37. > :36:37.unless there is an injury time goal so we will not see Tim Krul warming

:36:38. > :37:05.up yet. Good ball from Dirk Kuyt, Robben, he

:37:06. > :37:13.is in! Brilliance defending! Behind it goes for a corner. Was it

:37:14. > :37:19.Mascherano? It was, he read the danger. Absolutely top-class. That

:37:20. > :37:31.was the chance to win it. Yes, it is Mascherano. Great block. Look at his

:37:32. > :37:35.eyes widened, he realised, that was the moment he realised, we are going

:37:36. > :37:40.out, we are not making the final but for that last bit of lunging, and he

:37:41. > :37:52.has gone a bit far, something has stretched. They knew it was a chance

:37:53. > :37:58.will stop look at Danny Blind. He is all right, he is a warrior. He has

:37:59. > :38:05.just kept his team on course for the Maracana, or in with a shout of it.

:38:06. > :38:10.Robben had Romero to beat Gambian macro but he was well set.

:38:11. > :38:31.Romero started to come for that but went back. Sneijder has a nice

:38:32. > :38:33.angle. He can punch, can't he? It is the Dutch who are pressing in the

:38:34. > :39:21.last seconds in S?o Paulo. Robben lets it run. The cross from

:39:22. > :39:24.Janmaat and it is cleared by Garay. The Netherlands will keep going

:39:25. > :39:33.until the final whistle-blowers, keep going at that Argentinian

:39:34. > :39:38.penalty area. -- until the final whistle blows. Only Van Persie in

:39:39. > :39:42.the box. Janmaat for the return but he went too soon and the flag is up

:39:43. > :39:48.and it will be a free kick and we are into the last few seconds. Yes,

:39:49. > :40:00.again, he could have looked across the line because nobody went with

:40:01. > :40:06.him. Just. He is off. Just. Off. Off but just! A free kick for Sergio

:40:07. > :40:10.Romero to take but he will not take it because that will do it for the

:40:11. > :40:18.90 minutes. We have extra time in Sao Paulo in the second World Cup

:40:19. > :40:24.semifinal. No eight goals here but we have got drama till the last and

:40:25. > :40:28.we have 30 minutes extra to come first of all. Netherlands 0-0

:40:29. > :40:52.Argentina. The two captains, two of the greats

:40:53. > :40:55.of the game, Robin van Persie and Lionel Messi, neither of whom have

:40:56. > :41:06.been able to make any sort of mark on this World Cup semifinal at all

:41:07. > :41:11.but there is time yet. We have just been talking about the dilemma that

:41:12. > :41:15.Louis Van Gaal has, with 30 minutes to go, with cramp and fatigue taking

:41:16. > :41:19.its toll yet he made that subsidiaries and, Krul for Cillessen

:41:20. > :41:27.just ahead of penalties against Costa Rica. Does he have a problem

:41:28. > :41:31.now? Yes, and the problem will be different conditions completely

:41:32. > :41:35.tonight, really wet, sapping in terms of energy. If one or two of

:41:36. > :41:41.his players go down with cramp in the next 29 minutes... He has

:41:42. > :41:49.stepped out his stall, the wings that Krul is the better at

:41:50. > :42:00.penalties. -- he has set his stall out, he thinks that Krul is the

:42:01. > :42:05.better at penalties. I really do hope it is not a mistake by Ron

:42:06. > :42:12.Vlaar that settles this game because he does not deserve it. Yes. Van

:42:13. > :42:19.Gaal said to him as well after normal time, keep going, he has been

:42:20. > :42:24.fantastic. He was ruled as a doubt for the game with a knee problem but

:42:25. > :42:40.defending has been no problem to him at all.

:42:41. > :42:44.Dirk Kuyt does well to find Daley Blind who had taken up a useful

:42:45. > :43:02.position on the left-hand touchline. De Vrij and Daley Blind have

:43:03. > :43:13.defended very well. Yes, they have been very compact, as have

:43:14. > :43:17.Argentina. Demichelis got enough on that but he needs the help of the

:43:18. > :43:23.other letter now. Van Persie has lent into him, a Manchester derby

:43:24. > :43:27.duel between the three of them. The decision goes to the light Blues.

:43:28. > :43:40.Yes, and rightly so. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has been

:43:41. > :43:49.stretching and it looks like he is getting ready. It looks as though

:43:50. > :43:56.the Dutch will be take sting -- putting on a penalty taker rather

:43:57. > :44:01.than a saver. And the other thing is that Argentina will have watched

:44:02. > :44:07.what Tim Krul did the other night and he went the same way for every

:44:08. > :44:12.penalty. Argentina have watched him trying to save the penalties. They

:44:13. > :44:16.don't know where Cillessen is going and we don't know which way the game

:44:17. > :44:22.is going. We might not get there yet. We are kind of hoping we do! I

:44:23. > :44:49.am wishing, not hoping! Clasie almost lost it to Aguero.

:44:50. > :44:53.Cillessen only just cleared Sergio Aguero with that. Messi loses it to

:44:54. > :45:10.Wesley Sneijder. FIFA Aguero with that. Messi loses it to

:45:11. > :45:14.to go to encourage attacking play in extra time rather than the nervy

:45:15. > :45:17.play we saw when it was next goal wins. Is this going to conform? It

:45:18. > :45:34.looks like it at the moment. Janmaat tried to squeeze it through

:45:35. > :45:43.to Robin van Persie. There is nobody there.

:45:44. > :45:54.It is his 102nd cap tonight, it puts him ahead of Phillip Cocu, into the

:45:55. > :46:00.top six in Dutch football history. And he has played in 17 different

:46:01. > :46:01.positions are those caps! He was even in goal in training sessions

:46:02. > :46:16.last week. If I remember rightly, didn't he

:46:17. > :46:35.once go in goal for Liverpool? I don't know. I might have dreamt it!

:46:36. > :46:42.Blind made the attentions of Palacio seem as if they did not bother him

:46:43. > :46:46.one bit. The play is going the same way as it did for much of the

:46:47. > :46:56.closing stages of the game with the Netherlands attacking. Dealt with by

:46:57. > :47:00.Demichelis. I was going to say, he looks better without the ponytail,

:47:01. > :47:09.and not just aesthetically. I said it earlier, he looked different,

:47:10. > :47:16.better, quicker. Smarter. Van Persie off, Huntelaar on. That has answered

:47:17. > :47:22.your question. A few whistles, shakes of the head and

:47:23. > :47:27.your question. A few whistles, looking Dutch supporters at that

:47:28. > :47:32.change. Van Persie has been under the weather and has had a stomach

:47:33. > :47:37.problem. Huntelaar is immediately involved. Robben has got through.

:47:38. > :47:43.And he nearly found Huntelaar but Mascherano and Zabaleta ganged up on

:47:44. > :47:50.him. Mascherano yet again made the block. Now we know the answer if it

:47:51. > :47:53.goes to penalties, Jasper Cillessen will be in goal for the

:47:54. > :47:59.Netherlands. No heroics from Tim Krul this time. Louis Van Gaal will

:48:00. > :48:06.be wanting his team to win it before it gets to that stage. Just at the

:48:07. > :48:11.moment it is the team in orange looking the most likely. Yes, it is,

:48:12. > :48:18.Argentina have hardly got out of their own half in this first period

:48:19. > :48:35.of extra time. Janmaat is ambling to the ball.

:48:36. > :48:41.That was too strong for Wijnaldum. The number of times that right

:48:42. > :48:49.footed players have crossed from the left for Holland and they have

:48:50. > :48:53.overhit it, it is too numerous. Of course, Argentina have one

:48:54. > :48:58.subsidiary left available. They have played there to attacking cards,

:48:59. > :49:08.Palacio and Aguero. Maybe again for Maxi Rodriguez. -- may be a game.

:49:09. > :49:16.Ricky Alvarez is another option, that is if Sabella wants to go the

:49:17. > :49:37.attacking route. Or a penalty taker. They have got a few of those on the

:49:38. > :50:05.field already. Palacio is stopped by Blind.

:50:06. > :50:16.Really nicely done by Dirk Kuyt. Huntelaar on the left, Sneijder with

:50:17. > :50:21.Robben and Janmaat to the right. Robben goes past Biglia and goes for

:50:22. > :50:32.gold. It was on target, Romero had to be switched on and ready. -- goes

:50:33. > :50:37.for goal. Did that double their shops tally? It was just as well

:50:38. > :50:39.that Garay left it, he tried to get in the way but it might have taken

:50:40. > :50:51.it past Romero. Biglia tries to curl one down the

:50:52. > :50:54.line and Blind has been beaten by Palacio but back at him now and Ron

:50:55. > :51:24.Vlaar stops the ball across. Here is the final Argentinian change

:51:25. > :51:30.and they are going to put Maxi Rodriguez into the game. Lavezzi is

:51:31. > :51:35.going off, again, for a player of his abilities, not influencing the

:51:36. > :51:40.game to the level he should be doing. Not at all, not at all. I

:51:41. > :51:46.would not challenge his work rate but you are supposed to work hard in

:51:47. > :51:50.professional football. This is somebody whose reputation cannot be

:51:51. > :51:56.challenged, playing in his third World Cup, scored three goals in

:51:57. > :52:00.2006 in Germany. The former Liverpool man left Anfield a couple

:52:01. > :52:06.of years ago and has been back at his spiritual home, Newell 's old

:52:07. > :52:11.boys in Argentina since. Zabaleta has gone for the old guard, the

:52:12. > :52:16.tried and trusted. And you would expect Maxi Rodriguez to take a

:52:17. > :52:20.penalty, wouldn't you? Still another 20 minutes before we get there but

:52:21. > :52:29.no sign of the deadlock being broken just yet. That ball very nearly came

:52:30. > :52:42.through to Palacio. Very nearly is not good enough. Sneijder was all at

:52:43. > :52:47.sea. He is having a go at Huntelaar about the past to him but he was

:52:48. > :52:57.under unbelievable pressure. -- the pass.

:52:58. > :53:04.If anything, Mascherano is dropping even deeper now. He does of course

:53:05. > :53:12.play centre-back for Barcelona these days. Rojo chips it up. Returned in

:53:13. > :53:26.his direction but Janmaat has gone with him. It has to be poked out by

:53:27. > :53:32.Garay with Huntelaar there. Lovely return and Wijnaldum has gone to

:53:33. > :53:46.Robben again. Huntelaar is in the box.

:53:47. > :53:55.Dirk Kuyt to have another look. He gets it wrong, played it straight

:53:56. > :54:00.against Biglia and could we have an Argentinian break led by Messi?

:54:01. > :54:11.Janmaat is back. He has been terrific. He has, full of energy

:54:12. > :54:15.Janmaat is back. He has been vim and vigour. The closer option

:54:16. > :54:23.was Robben. He skips away from Zabaleta. That is a foul. I thought

:54:24. > :54:29.it was as well. Robben was definitely impeded by Zabaleta.

:54:30. > :54:34.Messi just escapes the leg of Blind. Suddenly the game is stretched, I

:54:35. > :54:55.don't think it has been at any point today. And it is not any more.

:54:56. > :55:02.The name of Lionel Messi starts to be sung by Argentinian supporters,

:55:03. > :55:06.desperate for their icon, their captain, their super start to take

:55:07. > :55:08.them through to the Maracana on Sunday. He has got to beat Ron Vlaar

:55:09. > :55:39.to do that. -- their superstar. A lot more urgency about the Dutch

:55:40. > :55:45.play. Robben does not move, he will not get a free kick or a penalty or

:55:46. > :55:51.whatever he wants from that. It was a poor pass again from Dirk Kuyt, he

:55:52. > :56:03.has wasted the ball so often down that left.

:56:04. > :56:08.Mascherano is chased by Huntelaar and fouled by Huntelaar, free kick

:56:09. > :56:23.Argentina, yellow card for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. You are not going to

:56:24. > :56:30.change the referee's mind. A good job for him that they are wiped

:56:31. > :56:34.after the quarterfinals. Surely the two centre-backs are going up, I

:56:35. > :56:39.thought for a moment they were going to stay back but they are going up

:56:40. > :56:45.now. Garay and Demichelis get up into that penalty area. There will

:56:46. > :56:53.be one minute added on and we are into it now until the end of the

:56:54. > :57:07.first half of extra time. Something for Cillessen to do here, maybe.

:57:08. > :57:12.Lionel Messi free kick. Cillessen watches it onto the end of his

:57:13. > :57:20.gloves. He actually did well, for a split second I did not think he was

:57:21. > :57:32.going to get there. Oh! He came right over the top of Sergio Aguero.

:57:33. > :57:36.He has a look of Stuart Broad. Yes. Palacio gets away from Blind and it

:57:37. > :57:40.was close to Aguero but not quite close enough and it is turned behind

:57:41. > :57:47.by Janmaat and Argentina will be in a hurry to take this corner. It was

:57:48. > :57:58.a great ball in as well, Aguero just cannot get there. Did De Vrij get

:57:59. > :58:03.the call to lead it? It is headed clear by Wijnaldum and that will do

:58:04. > :58:07.it for the first period of extra time. Flurries of excitement, mainly

:58:08. > :58:13.the Netherlands doing the attacking side of it but still neither side is

:58:14. > :58:20.able to find a way through. 15 minutes to go and if we do not see a

:58:21. > :58:22.goal, the World Cup finalists to join Germany in Rio will be decided

:58:23. > :58:44.by a penalty shoot out. Are we set for another semifinal to

:58:45. > :58:49.be decided by spot kicks? Those on the field will have to do it for the

:58:50. > :59:00.teams. All three subs to juice and have been used by both coaches. --

:59:01. > :59:03.substitutions. Cillessen made it look simple enough but his heart

:59:04. > :59:11.must have been beating a bit more quickly when he saw Aguero coming.

:59:12. > :59:16.That is twice he has done that. That the letter stays down and you know

:59:17. > :59:19.there is a problem then. Complete accident, they seemed to both

:59:20. > :59:26.arrived at the same time for the ball. Dirk Kuyt is not even looking

:59:27. > :59:37.at Zabaleta, he is looking at the ball. It is another one on the jaw.

:59:38. > :59:46.Yes. It is wonderful when it works. Oh yes. Real competence there and

:59:47. > :59:48.you called it early on, there is definitely a touch of Edwin van der

:59:49. > :00:04.Sar about him. goalkeepers again, with Tim Krul on

:00:05. > :00:08.the bench and Michel Vorm of Swans A. Kenneth Vermeer was seemingly

:00:09. > :00:12.first choice at the beginning of last season for club and country but

:00:13. > :00:20.Cillessen overtook him. Real concern for Zabaleta. They have made the

:00:21. > :00:28.changes, haven't they? It is a just in case compensation, if he does not

:00:29. > :00:34.make it. -- conversation. Just checking everything. It is his

:00:35. > :00:39.teeth, isn't it? Oh, straight into the shoulder. And don't forget how

:00:40. > :00:45.much that is slowed down. He sees everything, Alex Sabella, kicks

:00:46. > :00:53.everything, hits every ball, feels every blow. I think he is going to

:00:54. > :00:58.be fine. By that I mean he will be able to carry on. Of all the players

:00:59. > :01:03.on the field, he would be the one you would back. Him and Mascherano.

:01:04. > :01:10.You don't get soft South American players, do you? Not in blue and

:01:11. > :01:23.white, for Uruguay and Argentina, that is the shore. -- for sure. It

:01:24. > :01:31.is a long delay, for treatment to Pablo Zabaleta's jawline. Mascherano

:01:32. > :01:35.is there. I think he could end up playing right back, couldn't he? It

:01:36. > :01:44.is quite an attacking line-up that they have on the field, now.

:01:45. > :01:49.Zabaleta will continue. It looks as though he knows exactly what day it

:01:50. > :01:58.is and what is at stake. Yes, it is Friday, February eight. A clean

:01:59. > :02:00.shirt and a tissue will sort him out and on we go with Netherlands in

:02:01. > :02:14.possession. Here goes Palacio. He worked really

:02:15. > :02:19.hard to get that through to Aguero, whose touch was not what was

:02:20. > :02:25.required. Aguero has been very poor, for him, since he has been on.

:02:26. > :02:34.He looks completely out of sorts. Zabaleta is back on the field.

:02:35. > :02:47.Sneijder finds the on movable Ron Vlaar. -- on movable.

:02:48. > :02:50.It is almost like we are starting the second period of extra time

:02:51. > :02:55.again the second period of extra time

:02:56. > :02:58.Zabaleta. Wijnaldum wants it but Robben gets it instead.

:02:59. > :03:04.Zabaleta. Wijnaldum wants it but to be quick and was caught by

:03:05. > :03:06.Aguero. He has not been quick ever since he came on. Yes, he has been

:03:07. > :03:30.slow off the mark. Messi cannot quite find Palacio but

:03:31. > :03:36.Daley Blind is winding one up. That was more in hope than anything else.

:03:37. > :03:44.A little bit. It will Stefan de Vrij, anyway. I am glad I did not

:03:45. > :03:52.get too excited! And was it Danny Blind, or Daley Blind? It was Stefan

:03:53. > :03:59.de Vrij. It happens. I am really glad it did not go in!

:04:00. > :04:04.Still goalless after five and a half minutes of the second period of

:04:05. > :04:09.extra time. There will be a good couple of minutes added to the end

:04:10. > :04:19.after Zabaleta's crunching challenge from Dirk Kuyt. It was an accidental

:04:20. > :04:26.Huntelaar was unlucky. He just looked as though he was going to set

:04:27. > :04:32.Robben free. He is trying to pinch the ball for the throw, look. He

:04:33. > :04:38.does smile, at times. He is all smiles, Arjen Robben, playing in a

:04:39. > :04:43.very relaxed fashion. He falls over in a very relaxed fashion. Not in

:04:44. > :04:48.the last couple of games. It seems to have worked, a bit of a backlash,

:04:49. > :04:51.not the refereeing but a bit of a spotlight on it, and he seems to

:04:52. > :05:00.have suddenly found the ability to stay upright.

:05:01. > :05:07.No doubt at all that he will be in the queue, he went second in the

:05:08. > :05:10.penalties, if we get there, against Costa Rica. Someone will have two

:05:11. > :05:14.step first now Van Persie is no longer out there. -- have to step.

:05:15. > :05:38.It might well be Huntelaar. There is a fear of losing, now,

:05:39. > :05:43.isn't there? So close to the finish. They scrapped the Golden Goal rule,

:05:44. > :05:49.but we have almost got one now. Ron Vlaar once again seeing of Sergio

:05:50. > :05:53.Aguero. When you think of the likes of Aguero, Messi, Van Persie and

:05:54. > :05:57.Robben, you would not have expected Ron Vlaar to take Man of the Match

:05:58. > :06:07.honours in the World Cup semifinal. No, but he has been fantastic, plus

:06:08. > :06:30.his leadership. Ron Vlaar blocking again and getting a throw.

:06:31. > :06:36.Ezequiel Garay will certainly be in the queue for Argentina. He takes

:06:37. > :06:50.free kicks and penalties when he is allowed the chance.

:06:51. > :06:56.Mascherano slipped but still found Aguero. Maxi Rodr?guez was after

:06:57. > :07:16.Daley Blind. It has bounced off the heel of

:07:17. > :07:43.Palacio. Dirk Kuyt was about three yards

:07:44. > :07:54.offside when he realised that the ball was sailing over his head. You

:07:55. > :07:58.can see what he thought of it. It is difficult to know what Jasper

:07:59. > :08:05.Cillessen is thinking. "Probably about time, too. It should have been

:08:06. > :08:09.me last time". We know he does not lack confidence. Also, I think

:08:10. > :08:15.goalkeepers should take penalties. Tim Krul might have, had we got

:08:16. > :08:20.there. They are always kicking dead balls, aren't they? Palacio is in

:08:21. > :08:24.Argentina! The flag stayed down and he made a mess of it. He wanted the

:08:25. > :08:29.ball to come down and it was tamely into the hands of Cillessen. He

:08:30. > :08:32.decided to head it without having a look at where Cillessen was. He

:08:33. > :08:42.headed it straight at him rather than over him. The Dutch keeper made

:08:43. > :08:51.that looked very routine as well. -- made that look. That just shows you,

:08:52. > :08:59.we are not there yet. One slip-up and the World Cup semifinal could be

:09:00. > :09:01.decided. Rojo had to stretch everything to keep it in play. He

:09:02. > :09:19.did well. You have to say as well that both

:09:20. > :09:25.teams, defensively, have looked absolutely rock-solid. They really

:09:26. > :09:32.have, two different systems, as well.

:09:33. > :09:40.Germany will certainly find it harder to score against either of

:09:41. > :09:41.these teams in Sunday's final. If you can say certainly about any game

:09:42. > :09:52.at this World Cup. Ron Vlaar goes shoulder to shoulder

:09:53. > :09:55.but Messi is strong enough to keep his balance and Argentina on the

:09:56. > :10:00.attack. He has beaten Ron Vlaar this time. There is the chance! And

:10:01. > :10:07.Cillessen is in the way. Maxi Rodr?guez at the back. He did not

:10:08. > :10:13.strike it with any quality whatsoever. Chances suddenly coming

:10:14. > :10:20.Argentina's way. Robben. Mascherano will deal with him and just wait on

:10:21. > :10:26.the contact from behind. I just wonder, with Rodriguez's chance, I

:10:27. > :10:34.think Palacio is in the way as it comes back towards him. A little

:10:35. > :10:37.bit, but even so. Ron Vlaar, pulling messy's -- Messi's shirt. He just

:10:38. > :10:48.asked to strike through the ball but it was a complete misfit. -- has

:10:49. > :10:54.destroyed. Was that the first time Ron Vlaar has been beaten? Yes, and

:10:55. > :11:02.the header was not great either. Ron Vlaar wastes this. A bad 38 seconds.

:11:03. > :11:06.He is having a shocker. It goes for an Argentina throw. Two and a half

:11:07. > :11:15.minutes to go plus another couple of minutes, I should not wonder.

:11:16. > :11:19.Benzema was similar and the weekend. -- at the weekend, a similar

:11:20. > :11:26.situation. One shot to win it. There might be another one yet. A little

:11:27. > :11:38.bit late, there, Janmaat. He called Rojo. -- court Rojo.

:11:39. > :11:45.The top of his foot. No protection in his boots, is there? Actually,

:11:46. > :11:50.has anyone got the big boots onto night? I don't think they have. I

:11:51. > :11:55.have not see them but they might have longer studs in. It is still

:11:56. > :11:57.raining. Not as heavily as it has been at times throughout this

:11:58. > :12:14.evening. Huntelaar gets back onside. But

:12:15. > :12:17.Robin is met by Mascherano. For one flaw in Orange, read Javier

:12:18. > :12:24.Mascherano in blue and white. Absolutely, the two of them have

:12:25. > :12:35.been brilliant. I think he is better there, Mascherano, I really do.

:12:36. > :12:38.Huntelaar had to work to hold it up and keep it away from Ezequiel

:12:39. > :12:56.Garay. Janmaat ran into Rojo. He is in the

:12:57. > :13:06.wars again. He hurt himself this time. Huntelaar is on the move in

:13:07. > :13:09.the penalty area, just getting in front of Ezequiel Garay for the

:13:10. > :13:13.throw from Janmaat. He was able to turn, too.

:13:14. > :13:21.Janmaat setting himself on the cross and it goes to Dirk Kuyt! Blocked by

:13:22. > :13:33.Demichelis. Yes, I don't think he knew much about it. We are about to

:13:34. > :13:39.move into one final minute. Robben keeps the ball and wanders through.

:13:40. > :13:45.But Zabaleta lifts it out of harm 's way for Argentina. One minute, that

:13:46. > :13:49.is what the board said, and that is all that is left of the second World

:13:50. > :13:53.Cup semifinal. Dirk Kuyt is attacking for the Netherlands and he

:13:54. > :13:58.nearly got it through to Wijnaldum. He was blocked by Rojo. There is a

:13:59. > :14:02.bit of afters but it soon calms down and the goalkeeper will clear. Rojo

:14:03. > :14:08.spotted the danger extremely quickly, coming in from his

:14:09. > :14:12.left-back position. It looks as though it is going to end in a draw.

:14:13. > :14:16.That is what it will say in the record books. We will see who will

:14:17. > :14:26.go through to the World Cup final by a penalty shoot out.

:14:27. > :14:36.Sergio Romero, the referee has the whistle to his lips and we are going

:14:37. > :14:44.the full distance. The Netherlands have been here before. They saw off

:14:45. > :14:50.Costa Rica in the quarterfinals. They got four out of four from the

:14:51. > :14:53.spot. Can they do it again? They are now playing an Argentina side you

:14:54. > :14:56.have not been involved in a World Cup in the shoot out since 2006,

:14:57. > :15:00.when they lost the quarterfinal to Germany. The match has finished 0-0.

:15:01. > :15:18.The drama continues, though. The cheers after the toss of the

:15:19. > :15:24.coin between the captains, Lionel Messi and now Arjen Robben, have

:15:25. > :15:27.only come from those supporters who realised the referee signalled the

:15:28. > :15:36.penalties would be at their end. We will have a look in a moment to see

:15:37. > :15:43.who will go first. It looks as though it may well be... Dirk Kuyt

:15:44. > :16:13.is coming to have a word with Jasper Cillessen.

:16:14. > :16:13.will have a look in a moment to see who will go first. It looks as

:16:14. > :16:13.will have a look in a moment to see is coming to have a word with Jasper

:16:14. > :16:38.Cillessen. There are penalty shoot out and

:16:39. > :16:44.thereof penalty shoot outs. A place in the World Cup final is at stake.

:16:45. > :16:49.-- there are penalty shoot outs. The Netherlands will go first. Robin van

:16:50. > :16:58.Persie is off the field. So responsibility lies with Ron Vlaar.

:16:59. > :17:05.He did not take one in the last shoot out against Costa Rica. Ron

:17:06. > :17:10.Vlaar has had a terrific game for the Dutch and he is first up from

:17:11. > :17:17.the spot and it is saved by Rome Aero! Isn't that just the way? --

:17:18. > :17:21.Romero. How many times have we seen that at this level? He has an

:17:22. > :17:26.absolute brilliant game of football, Ron Vlaar, and it is just a poor

:17:27. > :17:33.penalty. Romero guessed right. He almost did not have to move at all.

:17:34. > :17:37.The Dutch went four out of four against Costa Rica in the

:17:38. > :17:42.quarterfinal but none out of one, here. Argentina have their main man

:17:43. > :17:50.and regular taker going first to them. Lionel Messi. With the extra

:17:51. > :17:55.story being the fact it is Jasper Cillessen in goal for the Dutch.

:17:56. > :18:01.They could not make the change of the Tim Krul on in this one. They

:18:02. > :18:05.used all three substitutes. Cillessen will want to prove he has

:18:06. > :18:14.got what it takes. We know Messi has but has he now? He has. Never in

:18:15. > :18:16.doubt. You felt that Messi almost waited for Cillessen to make his

:18:17. > :18:31.move. And now the Dutch can revert back to

:18:32. > :18:35.then at four order. Robin van Persie went second against Costa Rica and

:18:36. > :18:48.put it into the top left. -- their natural order. -- Arjen Robben.

:18:49. > :18:59.Robben, bottom right, this time. He gets the Dutch in the tick column.

:19:00. > :19:10.Dirk Kuyt, telling everyone what is happening. Ezequiel Garay, the

:19:11. > :19:14.centre-back, but a player who takes a mean penalty and want scored seven

:19:15. > :19:21.in a single season when he was playing for Racing Santander. --

:19:22. > :19:22.once scored seven. I don't suppose any of those carried as much

:19:23. > :19:39.pressure as this one. And he put everything he had behind

:19:40. > :19:52.the ball. You don't save those. He smashed it into the roof of the net.

:19:53. > :19:59.The advantage is with Argentina, 2-1 after two kicks each.

:20:00. > :20:15.Romero has saved one. Now he has to try to keep out Wesley Sneijder.

:20:16. > :20:22.Saved! Brilliantly saved! He went the right way and beat it away.

:20:23. > :20:27.Sneijder took only four steps to the ball here, I wonder if that has got

:20:28. > :20:33.anything to do with the fact that it was saved. Again, it is a great

:20:34. > :20:43.height for the goalkeeper once you dive the right way. Sergio Aguero,

:20:44. > :20:51.on as a substitute, can put Argentina within touching distance

:20:52. > :20:55.of the World Cup final. He is taking a long time about seeing the ball up

:20:56. > :21:02.as he likes it. -- pings. Aguero scores! It crept under

:21:03. > :21:25.Cillessen. Cillessen dives over this for me.

:21:26. > :21:33.Yes, he should have saved it, he will feel he should have saved it.

:21:34. > :21:38.Dirk Kuyt's turn, he has the score. He must beat Romero and put this in

:21:39. > :21:44.the net. Dirk Kuyt does that. The Dutch are still breathing, just.

:21:45. > :22:03.Good penalty from Dirk Kuyt. Argentina are one click away from

:22:04. > :22:08.the World Cup final -- kick. There is a swagger about Maxi Rodriguez as

:22:09. > :22:15.he makes his way from the halfway line to the penalty spot. The former

:22:16. > :22:22.Liverpool man could take his country to the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro

:22:23. > :22:31.with this kick. Cillessen is arguing that it is not on the spot. Here

:22:32. > :22:36.comes Rodriguez. Here go Argentina! They are going to Rio, they will

:22:37. > :22:41.face the might of Germany! For the third time in World Cup history, we

:22:42. > :22:49.are getting a final between the Germans and the Argentinians.

:22:50. > :22:58.Blasted in by Maxi Rodriguez, Alex Sabella is one game away from the

:22:59. > :23:06.greatest prize in world football. One step too far for the men in

:23:07. > :23:10.orange. It is the Albiceleste who will go on to Rio. Argentina win on

:23:11. > :23:19.penalties. So that's it for the World Cup

:23:20. > :23:24.replay tonight. Argentina against Germany is the World Cup final and

:23:25. > :23:29.you can see it from 7pm on Sunday night on BBC One. Goodbye.