Skin-headed Players blot out Messi, Arjen

It was billed as Arjen Robben and Lionel Messi’s battle but the unfashionable players stood out

 IT was dubbed the Messi v Robben show, yet it was their unglamorous, skin-headed defensive teammates who stole the limelight in a cagey World Cup semi-final.

The Netherlands’ 190cm, spider-limbed Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar was looming as the game’s star as the game went into extra-time then penalties.
But after 130-odd minutes Argentina’s defensive brat-pack, led by the World Cup’s best no.6 (defensive midfielder) Javier Mascherano, emerged as the heroes.
He was ably supported by the back four, with the sight of right-back Pablo Zabaleta finishing the game with tissues stuck in his mouth to stem bleeding.
Stoppers Ezequiel Garay and Martin Demichelis, included for just his second game, also stood up when it counted, but with most of the play centred on Argentina’s right side, Zabaleta was busiest and he ventured forward often.

Dutch striker Robin van Persie was even more anonymous that Lionel Messi and Arjen Robben in his 96 minute, display before making way for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

The lack of combinations between he and Ducth no.10 Wesley Sneijder perhaps a by-product of the Netherlands’ ultra-defensive gameplan, which will attract plenty of critics as it flies in the face of their Total Football philosophy.
Messi was the busier in the first hour, regularly getting on the ball and attempting to penetrate the Dutch defence.
But he was man-marked for the duration, double-teamed whenever he received it and saw a wall of at least four Oranje shirts each time he faced forward as Louis van Gaal’s compact defensive unit swiftly bunkered down anytime the no.10 got it.
Robben threatened even more rarely, but lurked ominously as players began to tire.
His best chance came in the 91st minute when Sneijjder slid in a delightful pass and with Demichelis paddling, Mascherano produced a miraculous recovery to close down one of the world’s quickest players.
His desperate lunging tackle stopped a shot that looked certain to beat Sergio Romero and hand the Dutch a fortuitous win with their first genuine chance of the game.
Robben then unleashed a venomous 25 metre strike in extra-time that would have troubled Romero if it wasn’t straight at him.
Playing in a front three with Ezequiel Lavessi and Gonzalo Higuain, who was later replaced by Sergio Aguero, Messi drifted deep and right but even as fatigue set in, he failed to find space in extra-time.
Both players were on the end of physical challenges, with referee Cuneyt Cakir seldom breaking up the momentum of play.

Ezequiel Lavezzi, Netherlands' defender Daryl Janmaat and Argentina's defender Marcos Rojo. Source: 

The game was destined for penalties from the get-go, and it was only ironic that Vlaar, whose epic performance was highlighted by a near perfect second half tackle on Messi as he threatened to race past, missed the first while the Argentine megastar converted his.
Romero, who played under van Gaal at AZ Alkmaar, saved Sneijder’s penalty - the Netherlands’ third - but Argentina were composed and clinical.