Written by @Wayde_D for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
Netherlands vs Mexico | Sunday 29 June | Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza | 18:00
After going through a gruelling group stage battle, Mexico and the Netherlands will now duke it out for a spot in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Both sides have exceeded expectations so far by qualifying in the fashion that they did. The Netherlands will look to continue their prolific run that saw them scoring ten goals in the three group games and despite a roller-coaster World Cup qualifying journey, Mexico rose to the occasion by going unbeaten in a group that contained hosts Brazil along with Croatia and Cameroon.
To Win (90mins)
Netherlands 11/10
Draw 9/4
Mexico 26/10
Netherlands
The Dutch dominated Spain 5-1 in their opener before beating the Aussies 3-2 and Chile 2-0 to wrap up Group B as log leaders. A victory against the Mexicans will catapult the Oranje to the quarter-finals, three wins away from redeeming themselves for bombing out during the end minutes of the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa. The Netherlands will regain the services of their scoring assassin Robin van Persie, who was suspended for the final group game against Chile. The Manchester United striker has already scored three goals in the tournament and the Flying Dutchman will want to continue that form here. On Monday, the Netherlands faced Chile in a match that would decide who would finish on top of Group B. The match was important for both sides, because the team that reigned victorious would avoid host nation Brazil in the Round of 16. It was a close match, but thanks to a 77th minute header by Norwich’s Leroy Fer and a last-minute tap in from Memphis Depay, the Oranje managed to win the match.
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal was again praised as both goalscorers were brought in as substitutes in the second half. The Netherlands’ other star, Arjen Robben, has also come to the fore in Brazil. Ahead of the World Cup, a lot was expected of world-class players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But so far, one of the best players has been Arjen Robben. As the tournament progresses to the knockout stage and the final nears, it will become clear whether Robben can continue his impressive run—but so far, it seems like the winger is unplayable. Memphis Depay is yet to start a match in the World Cup, but regardless, he has scored two decisive goals. The youngster, who broke into the national team this year after storming through PSV’s youth academy, came on as a substitute against Australia, providing an assist and scoring the winning goal.
Mexico
They were the last team to book a spot in Brazil, but their results so far tell a different story, beating Cameroon 1-0, Croatia 3-1 and playing out a 0-0 draw with Brazil. El Tri surged into the knockout stages for a sixth consecutive time on Monday with their 3-1 win over Croatia. Rafael Marquez, Andres Guardado and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored in a 10-minute span in the second half, dooming a talented Croatian side to elimination from the group stage. The result gave Mexico a second-place finish behind Brazil in Group A.
Midfielder Jose Juan Vazquez is suspended for the game against Netherlands after he received his second yellow card of the tournament. Besides his absence, Mexico will be playing at full strength ahead of their do-or-die showdown. Marquez, at 35-years-old, is still a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the field after holding his own against Croatia and scoring a crucial goal. Upfront, Oribe Peralta is preferred to Chicharito, and the most expensive Mexican Liga player needs to prove his worth after scoring only a penalty so far. Hernandez, on the other hand, has been used as an impact player from the bench in all three of Mexico’s group games but his last performance in the victory over Croatia could have earned him a starting berth.
VERDICT: Netherlands
The last time these teams met was in a warm-up match for South Africa 2010, with Netherlands emerging 2-1 victors. Both sides have been great so far with Mexico proving solid at the back while the Dutch have impressed most spectators going forward. If there is one team who are capable of breaking down the Mexican’s five man defence it’s the Netherlands, with Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben performing at their peak and looking hungry. The Dutch are tipped for the win.
