Balls galore: Two inches that drove the Dutch to ecstatic delight

For those of you with no interest whatsoever in biological endearments nor physical endowments – no, we are not talking about some physical enhancement that is of interest to the bedroom slouch and couch-potato in you. We are into the realm of the aerial reach if not wing span of two competitive men needed to keep penalty takers at bay!

The Dutch and the Costa Ricans were playing each other in the quarter final stage. It was deadlocked after full-time at the 90-minute mark. It remained in a state of stalemate after two sessions of 15-minutes of time added on; and in such circumstances, the penalty phase loomed.

Only those players who were on the pitch within those 120-minute period could be nominated to participate in this deadlock `deal-breaker; game-changer if you will; and that saw Van Gaal do the derring-do.

He substituted his good goalkeeper Jasper Cillesen for what’s turned-out to be an even better keeper – Tim Krul.

Coming into this match, Tim Krul only had his reputation to call upon. He faced 20 penalties for his BPL team – he plays for Newcastle in the English Premier League – and saved a measly 2! Still, this is a 10% success rate which Van Gaal, in his soccer wisdom, calculated; was just what was needed in the steamy cauldron of the stadium.

Van Gaal later revealed that it was all down to Krul’s better physical attraction, or more precisely, his aerial gift. Krul was 6 foot 4 (193 cm) compared to Cillesen’s measly 6 foot 2 (187 cm). One thing about the Dutch, if you do get stuck at Schipol Airport, notice how tall the men are. Anyway, Van Gaal made the right call and now he is the new Dutch Hero.

Cillessen, not surprisingly was rather upset at being substituted. He had not put a foot wrong during the game and hardly broke sweat as the action was largely confined to a cagey cat-and-mouse game in the outfield.

He reacted badly to the coach’s decision, and ranted for a bit before issuing a contrite retraction, and apology.

Van Gaal indeed was not unhappy with his first-choice keeper found no fault with the man who was, and still remains his top-choice keeper, but that he knew he had a weapon in Krul – the man built precisely for the penalty phase.

His reason – that two extra inches meant there was that much more of a physical barrier the Costa Ricans have to face when they step up to the spot just 12 meters from the goal line.

No one, least of all the whole of the Dutch population think Cillessen has a case, now!

Krul brought not only his considerable height but also a bit of professional gamesmanship into the mix.

He stared into the eyes of each of the Costa Rican penalty taker and pointedly told them that; firstly he had studied each and everyone of their previous penalty sortie; and secondly; he knew which way they were going to direct their kick.

He was true to his word – Krul dived correctly throughout and in the process, saved two penalties. Krul was able to parry away the effort from Bryan Ruiz who directed his kick to the right. He also broke the heart of Michael Umana, stopping the Costa Rican’s kick, aimed at the keeper’s left.

So the Dutch will meet the Argentines in the semi-final stage which also sees the homesters, Brazil vie for a final but by first beating European giants, Germany.