Ahead of what should be an epic Quarter-Final round in Qatar 2022, the fans are eagerly anticipating all four encounters, with each boasting its own special drawing power and for a variety of reasons. But there’s one particular matchup that symbolizes the glorious history of the tournament. Of course we’re talking about the ground-shattering battle between the Netherlands and Argentina which will be the two nations’ sixth World Cup meeting.
Therefore, we’ll go through the memory lane and recall the the Top Three past encounters between the Oranje and the Albiceleste who share one of the most unlikely rivalries in international football.
3. 2014 Semi-Final (Argentina Won on Penalties)
Admittedly, this encounter wasn’t exactly epic. It was a cagey and tactical affair for the largest part, with neither side able to break the deadlock after 120+ minutes of action.
But being a semi-final battle is enough to warrant the Sao Paolo clash a spot on the podium – after all, the other two encounters which didn’t made the cut were a goalless affair in a meaningless group stage contest back in 2006 and a 4-0 routing from the Dutch in the second round of the 1974 edition (which was also contested in an awkward group format at the time).
At the end of the day, Lionel Messi and company prevailed on spot kicks thanks to Sergio Romero’s heroics who denied Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder, setting up a meeting against the Germans at the Maracana, which didn’t exactly go according to plan for the south American giants.
Read our Full Predictions for the Upcoming World Cup Quarter-Finals
2. 1998 Quarter-Final (Netherlands Won 2-1)
When the two rivals clashed heads in Marseille, Argentina no longer possessed Diego Armando Maradona, while the Milan trio and the rest of brilliant Dutch generation that lifted the Euro 88 trophy had mostly vanished as well.
Yet, both nations still possessed spectacular names within their ranks. Netherlands had Patrick Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf (on the bench), Jaap Stam and the de Boer brothers just to name a few. On the opposite side, Daniel Passarella’s squad featured the likes of Gabriel Batistuta, Javier Zanetti, Sabastian Veron, Diego Simeone.
The Europeans drew first blood as Bergkamp brought down the ball with a cheeky header allowing the clinical Kluivert to put his shot past Carlos Roa. Nonetheless, the Albiceleste swiftly equalized thanks to a well-taken goal from Claudio Lopez.
In the second half, things expectedly took a nasty turn, especially in the presence of some of the most notorious men on the pitch. Simeone made the most of a challenge (rolling on the ground for approximately 182 tines, prompting a second yellow card for Dutch defender Arthur Numan.
But instead of capitalizing on their numerical advantage, Daniel Ortega foolishly returned the favor by getting himself sent off for a headbutt on Edwin Van der Sar who obviously took a page from Simeone’s black book, falling to the ground like a gigantic tree in a wood.
With the numbers levelled once more, it only took a couple for magical touches from the enchanting Bergkamp to cement himself as the ultimate star of the show by snatching the late winner that took the Netherlands towards the Final Four.
1. 1978 Final (Argentina Won 3-1)
While the previous two entries remain memorable for the action on the pitch, this battle had started long before its official kickoff.
If the current edition in Qatar is deemed controversial on a political and social standpoint, then Argentina 78 arguably remains the most ill-famed World Cup in the competition’s history, mostly thanks the infamous Junta regime which was at the helm of the state during that period.
After losing the previous final in Munich four years ago, the Netherlands were hellbent on avenging themselves and prove once and for all the superiority of their renowned “Total Football” system.
But in their absence of their talisman Johan Cruyff and with the host nation’s shrewd gamesmanship (including singing choirs throughout the night in front of the Dutch hotel and an extra tour bus in the streets of Buenos Aires ahead of the match), they were already at a disadvantage.
At the end of the day, it was Mario Kempes who cemented himself as the ultimate star of the tournament with a personal brace, the first in normal time and the other in extra-time, sealing his nation’s first ever World Cup triumph, and on home soil, leaving the Dutch to rue their misfortunes while consolidating their undesired label as the tournament’s ultimate bridesmaid.
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