Tea break over!
That reminded me of the old joke - 'Tea break over, back on yer 'eads' (Ask your parents!)!
After the astonishing events of the previous evening, dull semi-final football returned with the Netherlands and Argentina fighting out a turgid 0-0 war of attrition in which neither side looked much interested in doing anything bar taking it to penalties. Although perhaps that is a little harsh eventually on the Dutch...
For in extra time, Louis van Gaal did bring on Klass-Jan Huntelaar for a misfiring Robin van Persie in an attempt to beef up his front-line and the men in Orange did look the more likely to score as Argentina simply shored up their midfield. But in a game in which Lionel Messi went missing, nobody could do much. However, van Gaal's decision to try and win the game rather than bring on substitute keeper Tim Krul as he did in the previous round did seem to impact on the eventual penalty shoot-out.
In fact, harsh though it may seem, there's a good argument for saying the Dutch got this penalty competition as wrong as they got the previous one right. In sending up Ron Vlaar to take the first penalty, the Netherlands sent out a signal. Segio Romero saved Vlaar's spot kick before Messi stepped up to coolly put his penalty aware despite Jasper Cillessen trying to do what his compatriot Krul had tried to do against Costa Rica last weekend.
It was noticeable that the referee stood before the penalty spot and waved away Cillessen's attempts to get 'in the face' of the Argentine takers and - though it's unlikely it may have made much difference - there was a definite sense that the Dutch keeper was not likely to save any well hit spot kick. Apparently, he had never save a penalty in his professional career and Cillessen could only watch as each penalty flew past him and Romero saved another from Wesley Sneijder.
It was the seemingly dull substitution of bringing on Maxi Rodriguez for Levezzi after 100 minutes that proved to be the masterstroke - the former Liverpool player hitting home the decisive penalty to put Argentina through.
The Dutch once again then come up short - proving how hard it can be to actually win this competition regardless of how many good players a country produces - and Argentina go on to face Germany in Sunday's final. See! They all laughed when Spain, Italy and England limped out but now look what we have!
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