Romero breaks Dutch hearts

Lionel Messi will walk out at the Maracana stadium on Sunday to take on Germany in the World Cup final, an underdog for once in his life but given the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the finest players ever to have played the game.
This semi-final victory over the Netherlands on penalties was not Messi's finest two hours on a football pitch. It was one for the dogs of war and it took extra-time and then a shoot-out for Messi and his team-mates to see off a Dutch team that showed little or no ambition.
It was a game that was played out in stark contrast to the jaw-dropping circumstances of Germany's victory over Brazil the previous evening. But Argentina are there, they have made it to Rio de Janeiro, in a rematch of the 1986 and 1990 finals - and once again they have a maestro at No 10 to pin their hopes upon.
It was far from a classic but shot through with tension from beginning to end, this World Cup semi-final went to extra-time without a meaningful chance at either end. The game's great attacking players -Messi, Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben - were forced to take bit-parts in a match played out between two cautious defences and two zealous midfields.
It went to extra-time without Van Gaal's side mustering a decent shot on goal. For the Manchester United fans who have followed their new manager's tactical nuances throughout this tournament, there was another new departure here. In 90 minutes he forbade his team to do much more than contain. It was Argentina who tried to take the game to the Netherlands.
It was not quite as gruelling to watch as the Netherlands' attempts to win the world Cup final four years' ago but it was not far off.
As for Van Persie, he was substituted halfway through the first period of half-time looking shattered but without having had a sight of goal. The introduction of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was the last of the Netherlands' three substitutes.
Mascherano makes a crucial block on Robben A pragmatic man, Van Gaal was not too proud to send out a Netherlands teams that was primarily set-up to neutralise the threat of Messi - as much as any team can - rather than try to exploit the explosive attacking force of Robben and Van Persie. It meant that the first half drifted by with very little of note from the Dutch, and just seven touches of the ball for Robben.
One of them was a half-volley lashed well wide on 13 minutes and as he came off at half-time, the Bayern Munich man looked like he was starting to get fed up with it all. Project Stop Messi meant sacrifices all around the men in orange shirts, including deploying Nigel De Jong almost exclusively to track Argentina's mesmeric No 10.
Messi has an effect on people that few sportsman do. As the television cameras tracked him walking into the tunnel area before the game, Van Gaal could be spotted with his staff and then moving over to catch Messi's eye and offer his hand. On the pitch, the Dutch never left Messi's side and they were so fearful of what he might do to them that they were very reluctant to leave their own half.
It was frustrating for Argentina who made all the running before the break with very few clear chances on goal to show for it. The defender Ezequiel Garay put a brave header wide from Ezequiel Lavezzi's cross. Messi had a good, low free-kick saved. But other than that the No 10 sent much of his time traversing the centre of the pitch looking around for the opportunity that would set him free to run at the Dutch.
Bookings for opponents are crucial for Messi. The more who are on them, the fewer there are prepared to risk the tactical foul to stop him. In the first instance he whisked the ball away from a Dutch shirt on the right wing and was heading for goal before Martins Indi collided with him. Even the best defenders find themselves obliged to foul him on occasions. The key is to do it only once, and only for a booking.
There was a strong performance from Vlaar who made one crucial tackle on Messi on the edge of the box on 54 minutes a challenge that had to be immaculately timed or risk another of those dreaded bookings. Although the Dutch had little imagination going forward, when they did win free-kicks in dangerous positions they failed miserably to deliver. Both Dirk Kuyt and Sneijder struck dead balls from the left straight out of play.