Round of 16 - Netherlands vs Mexico (17:00 BST) & Costa Rica vs Greece (21:00 BST)

[scott MUFC]

Greece gone \o/

[Andrew_]

Sad night for the World Cup.

[Rob1981]

wp Costa Rica

Still couldn't beat the England B team

[JD nawrat]

Would be pleased for Costa Rica because I liked them up until this game. But then they played the way they did so I couldn't care less what happens to them against Holland.

[TM]

so much for they'll miss a few

cracking penalty taking actually, great save from Navas to earn Costa Rica the win

[JD nawrat]

Costa Rica in the top 8 teams of the world :thup:

[ReggaeBwoy]

Excellent Costa Rica

Greece your luck ran out

All 10 penalties were very well taken tbh

[Zvonimir Boban]

[Marc Albrighton]

My prediction as per usual is spot on.

[kingjericho]

Ironic how in the first match in a long long long time that Greece was actually the team that created more chances. I guess they tasted their own medicine.

[Moto Club]

Go Costa Rica! Keylor Navas

[PaulHartman71]

just clocked why there isn't any 11 pm kick offs

[Razzler]

in your face, Greece

[HOORAY HENRIK]

That could be Sammy's last chance to lift the World Cup

[Razzler]

just clocked why there isn't any 11 pm kick offs

Only 2 games a day innit

[Andrew_]

That lasted 3 hours

[Razzler]

Never seen a player so utterly aware of the cameras whenever he reacts or does anything on the pitch

[JD nawrat]

is that really the time? Jesus...

[Lermon]

3rd team to go through via luck. Shows how much luck is a factor in cups.

[aiston]

Really don't think penalty shootouts have anything to do with luck.

[JD nawrat]

You know, Costa Rica beat Italy and Uruguay to get this far and also managed a draw out of England... could do a job against Netherlands who are very weak at the back imo.

[Lermon]

Really don't think penalty shootouts have anything to do with luck.

True but when a match resorts to that, then it has more or less come down to the luck element.

Colombia the only team that has 100% been the better side and made their spot in the quarters.

[Marc Albrighton]

You know, Costa Rica beat Italy and Uruguay to get this far and also managed a draw out of England... could do a job against Netherlands who are very weak at the back imo.

They have concrete Ron, mate.

[BraveSirRobin]

Wp Costa Rica

[Animasta]

I love that Greece (and Costa Rica) as a collective whole took better penalties than Brazil or Chile. Even Gekas's penalty was well taken, it was just a fantastic save

[roseboy64]

Never seen a player so utterly aware of the cameras whenever he reacts or does anything on the pitch

Beckham might have a say about that

[Shpina]

True but when a match resorts to that, then it has more or less come down to the luck element.

Colombia the only team that has 100% been the better side and made their spot in the quarters.

Make up your mind!

Penalties are part of the game and a skill, both to take and save.

[Lyssien]

Respect to Navas (from a Greek). What a great keeper.

[RubenJ]

Considering the circumstances back then and how wrong Ronaldo was, this is indeed very apt.

[Razzler]

Beckham might have a say about that

Beckham wasn't against revealing a new haircut on the day of a huge game However, Ronaldo is something else imo

[aiston]

Robben has said he dived in the game against Mexico, would be the perfect time to give him a 1 game ban.

I love SSN article comment sections some times, from Robben article:

"this guy cheats and puts another team out of the world cup, and admits it !!. and nothing is said by fifa. suarez cheats , game goes on but he gets a 4 month ban. if this was suarez admitting to diving it would be across every sports page world wide asking for him to be banned."

Is assault considered cheating now?

[DJ]

Years and years of laughing at Dutch beautiful football, so ineffective, har har. Well, get used to it, we are now applying realistic tactics and it pays off big time. Curse all you like, it shows how much you fear us.

Robben diving? Well, he does, but he gets fouled a lot, too and it would seem that no one here gives a damn about that. You just want Robben to lose, that doesn't make your poor jealous opinions fact though.

That first penalty, at the end of the first half. Hand on heart, how many of you screamed 'dive!' only because it was Robben? I'm going to say 90%. Whereas it was a very clear one. Not one, but two kicks at his legs. I saw it at the first glance, got confirmed in the replays. How the ref missed that one, we'll never know. Probably as skewed and prejudiced as you lot

But the ref knew he owed us a peno and he delivered, good man, even though that one was as blatant a dive as you will ever see. Justiça

Then van Gaal and his subs again. Hunterrrrrr Laying that corner back for Sneijder (what a blast!) and coolly converting that penalty.

Guess we can count ourselves lucky in a way, then again, the New Dutch Mentality prevailed. It ain't over until it's over. Overall, deserved result. Grit!

[robbert_o154]

Or, in short; when the Germans started to play Dutch football, they really gave us no choice but to start playing German football.

[Baptista_8]

Owed you a peno? What about when the Mexican player (Herrera maybe?) who got booted in the head in your area? Unbelievable tbh.

[georginho_juventusygr]

As the forum's front man to advocate grit, that wasn't a case of showing grit.

[jmr]

haha DJ is such a hypocrite, imagine if that was Chelsea playing like Holland with Torres diving all over the place.

[Barry Cartman]

He's admitted to diving in the game, he should be banned, I think we need a poll

[Koennn]

Robben has said he dived in the game against Mexico, would be the perfect time to give him a 1 game ban.

I love SSN article comment sections some times, from Robben article:

"this guy cheats and puts another team out of the world cup, and admits it !!. and nothing is said by fifa. suarez cheats , game goes on but he gets a 4 month ban. if this was suarez admitting to diving it would be across every sports page world wide asking for him to be banned."

Is assault considered cheating now?

He did admit he dived, but not in the situation in which the ref gave a penalty. In an interview with Dutch television (where I guess they took this from) Robben said there were two instances in which he should have gotten a penalty (he does not specify both, but I am guessing it's the one before half-time and the one at the end), once where he fell a bit too easily (of course, not literally saying he dived) and he added that Marquez definitely fouled him in the end. From his perspective the penalty was a good call (unsurprisingly).

Personally, I think it was a penalty too, but I can see where all the controversy comes from.

[aiston]

He did admit he dived, but not in the situation in which the ref gave a penalty. In an interview with Dutch television (where I guess they took this from) Robben said there were two instances in which he should have gotten a penalty (he does not specify both, but I am guessing it's the one before half-time and the one at the end), once where he fell a bit too easily (of course, not literally saying he dived) and he added that Marquez definitely fouled him in the end. From his perspective the penalty was a good call (unsurprisingly).

Personally, I think it was a penalty too, but I can see where all the controversy comes from.

I didn't say or suggest he dived for the penalty.

[Koennn]

I didn't say or suggest he dived for the penalty.

Ah, my apologies!

I guess all the news I've read about the interview you mentioned saying that he dived for the penalty clouded my vision. I unreasonably jumped to conclusions immediately.

[Paul Bacon]

Love this quote regarding the ref and the penalty

It left Herrera incensed, and he added: "Why did Fifa choose a referee from the same confederation as the Netherlands instead of one from South America, Asia or Africa? ]

So a European would be biased, but a South America ref wouldnt

[jep]

Dirk Kuyt is BOSS

That is all.

[RubenJ]

Ha, there are always some who take it too far.

[DJ]

haha DJ is such a hypocrite, imagine if that was Chelsea playing like Holland with Torres diving all over the place.

Chelsea can only dream of playing like Holland

[DJ]

Owed you a peno? What about when the Mexican player (Herrera maybe?) who got booted in the head in your area? Unbelievable tbh.

Gotta keep your head up when heading, endangered himself, should have been a FK for Oranje.

[DJ]

As the forum's front man to advocate grit, that wasn't a case of showing grit.

Advocate dirt more like it Oranje devasted the Mexicans until the 96th minute. Never giving up. GRIT!

[Razzler]

There's been plenty of actual journalists saying things like 'well, he should have got a penalty earlier on' as though it's some free pass to just go and have a dive later on

[DJ]

There's been plenty of actual journalists saying things like 'well, he should have got a penalty earlier on' as though it's some free pass to just go and have a dive later on

It is not, but it is justice Oh, how the whiners would have loved to say Oranje didn't score so nerr... glibly ignoring a stonewall penalty not being given.

[georginho_juventusygr]

I decide to invent the so-called Derek's Standard ("Derek", because it should sound English ):

"Any form of cheat is never acceptable unless it leads to a significant advantage of the most likeable side according to the person who views the form of cheat."

[DJ]

I decide to invent the so-called Derek's Standard ("Derek", because it should sound English ):

"Any form of cheat is never acceptable unless it leads to a significant advantage of the most likeable side according to the person who views the form of cheat."

You wish No one is holier than anyone, but declaring that some people have to be saints to remain respectable (Robben) whereas others can get away with everything as long as they win (Drogba, Keane, Gatuso) is the ultimate in biased nonsense.