Herrera the fall guy as Dutch roar back

Netherlands 2 Mexico 1

Herrera claimed Robben committed three dives, including for the decisive penalty, and criticised Fifa for appointing a referee from the same continent — Portugal’s Pedro Proenca — as the Dutch won in Fortaleza thanks to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s stoppage-time penalty, after Wesley Sneijder’s 88th-minute volley had equalised Giovani dos Santos’ goal.

Herrera raged: “Out of the four matches here in all of them the refereeing was disastrous.

“Robben did three dives and he should have been cautioned. You should caution a guy who is trying to cheat, and then if Robben did it again he would be sent off.

“And why did Fifa choose a referee from the same confederation as Holland instead of one from South America, Asia or Africa?

“The doubtful decisions were always against us. We have to say it in capital letters, in three matches we had horrible refereeing. The man with the whistle knocked us.

“I want the referee committee to take a look and that the referee goes home just like us.”

Herrera also blasted organisers for making the teams play in the heat and humidity of a 1pm kick-off in Fortaleza.

He added: “What goes against football is to have to play in these conditions. The players were suffocated by the sun, heat and the humidity.”

Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal admitted he used Fifa’s new official cooling breaks — allowed during certain temperatures or humidity levels — to instruct his players on a change of tactics.

He said: “I moved to a ‘plan B’ and yes I did that in the cooling break but that’s a clever way of benefiting from these breaks.”

Van Gaal, who will become Manchester United manager after the tournament, paid tribute to substitute Huntelaar’s coolness under pressure.

He added: “Everyone knows Klaas Jan Huntelaar takes penalties at Schalke and there had been a foul against Robben, and he asked Huntelaar if he wanted to take it.

“He doesn’t need any encouragement and he’s very cool and did an excellent job.”

Van Gaal confirmed that Nigel de Jong was substituted early on in the match with a groin injury and his tournament may be over.

The substitution of Robin van Persie 15 minutes from the end was for tactical reasons, however, and he will be available for the quarter-finals.

Defeat was familiar misery for Mexico — it is now six consecutive World Cups where they have been knocked out at this stage of the tournament.

They looked more comfortable with conditions and took the game to the Dutch, whose cause was not helped by enforcer De Jong going off injured.

Miguel Layun had shot over from distance and Hector Herrera snatched at his shot after neat build-up play.

Herrera caused the Dutch fans to sweat even more when Ron Vlaar followed through a clearance with a high foot in the head, but his penalty claims were waved away.

Dos Santos then combined nicely with Oribe Peralta but the Villarreal striker’s low shot was gathered by Jasper Cillessen.

The Netherlands were reliant on a flash of brilliance from Robben or Van Persie and each caused some fear for Mexico.

First Van Persie took the ball down and seemed poised for a trademark lash at goal but, off balance, sliced his volley badly wide.

Just before half-time Rafael Marquez slipped to concede possession to the United striker who found Robben running into the penalty area, only to be taken down by a combination of Marquez and Hector Moreno. Only Portuguese referee Pedro Proenca could explain why he did not award the penalty.

Mexico’s dominance paid off three minutes after the break, when Dos Santos fastened onto Vlaar’s attempted headed clearance and, running across goal under pressure from Daley Blind, smacked a low shot back inside the far post.

The Dutch had to respond and they gave it everything. Only a point-blank save from Guillermo Ochoa kept them out — Stefan De Vrij arrived to thump in Robben’s corner but the ball hit Ochoa’s gloves and head and glanced onto the inside of the post and clear.

Robben had another penalty appeal turned down before Ochoa bailed Mexico out again when one on one with the winger.

Van Gaal’s last throw of the dice was to give Jan Huntelaar his first chance of the tournament, in place of the tired-looking Van Persie, and that proved decisive.

With three minutes of normal time left, Huntelaar won a header from a corner and Sneijder lashed in a volley with power from the edge of the area.

Then came Robben, once again making the most of contact inside the box from Marquez, giving Huntelaar a chance to score only the second of his six penalties.

He did, and the Dutch had survived.

NETHERLANDS: Cillessen, Verhaegh (Depay 56), Kuyt, Blind, Vlaar, de Vrij, Wijnaldum, de Jong (Martins Indi 9), Sneijder, van Persie (Huntelaar 76), Robben.

MEXICO: Ochoa, Aguilar, Layun, Moreno (Reyes 45), Marquez, Rodriguez, Herrera, Salcido, dos Santos (Aquino 61), Peralta (Hernandez 75), Guardado.

Referee: Pedro Proenca (Por).