The Netherlands and Argentina served up one of the most memorable World Cup games of the latest 20 years last night. Four goals. Ten penalties. 18 yellow cards. One red card. It will be difficult for any 2022 World Cup fixture to match this one for pure, unadulterated sh*thousing.
And amazingly, a lot of it happened entirely off camera. During the epic penalty shootout, the accepted tradition of teams stoically standing in a straight line with arms around shoulders was abandoned. The Dutch players especially used the gaps between the penalties to confront and cajole the Argentina penalty takers.
Not much of this was visible to the world TV audience as FIFA's producers tried to tell the story of the penalties alone. But alternative angles - including a camera perched high above the stadium - captured the Dutch approach.
Netherlands v Argentina penalties
Here's Lautaro Martinez's journey to take Argentina's decisive penalty. He has to navigate a sea of orange. Denzel Dumfries would be sent off for his conduct after these penalties and we believe it must go back to how he handled himself here.
Esta cámara explica el enojo. Cuando Lautaro va a patear lo van a apretar entre cuatro. También le dice algo el holandés que ya había pateado y vuelve. Y el final con todos corriendo a un lado y Messi yendo a buscar a Dibu, es épico. A los cámaras no le dan las patas para correr. pic.twitter.com/hx4ZhoZAGC
— Nicolás Castrovillari (@ncastrovillari) December 10, 2022
Here's a close up.
Miren como lo van a apretar a Lautaro cuando va a patear su penal. Ahí tienen porque el descargo de todo el plantel de Argentina después del gol de la clasificación. pic.twitter.com/TMKyE2TRQl
— Nicolas Ambrogi ⭐ 73 ⭐ (@Nicoambrogi) December 10, 2022
This other crows nest angle shows how close things we were to a post-match scrap after the final whistle.
Y ahí se arma. Cosas de fútbol. Ganas, se carga y más si en la previa te rompieron los huevos. A otra cosa. Dejen de romper las pelotas que esto es FUTBOL pic.twitter.com/cPlS2iWvfH
— Nicolas Ambrogi ⭐ 73 ⭐ (@Nicoambrogi) December 10, 2022
Enzo Fernandez was on the receiving end of similar treatment as he ventured off for the penalty he would miss.
Enzo's penalty. 2 players disturb him pic.twitter.com/H71GyiSmsI
— Shmuel_zaneva (@smoalznb) December 10, 2022
For all the bad blood, the match gifted us with one of the truly great football photographs. Argentina players celebrated right in the faces of the defeated Dutch team as they absorbed World Cup elimination.
Prime shithousery. Absolutely world-class. pic.twitter.com/Cgeyg0LZSU
— John Brewin (@JohnBrewin_) December 9, 2022
This is how Otamendi explained the photograph. “I celebrated in face because there was a one Netherlands player, who at every penalty kick we had, was coming and saying things to one of our players. The picture was taken out of context, and we celebrated in response to it."
It would also kick off between Dumfries and Dybala in the aftermath of the game.
Dybala diciéndole a tu casa a Dumfries JAJAJAJA pic.twitter.com/qIzhq8k23m
— Gero (@geroo_maidana) December 10, 2022
For all the shithousing, it must be said the Emi Martinez's reaction to the final penalty going in was truly beautiful.
El Dibu fuimos todos #Argentina pic.twitter.com/l0wfVx8xGF
— Toro © (@ToroCabron_) December 9, 2022
Of course, the tensions continued after the penalties with van Gaal and Messi getting in a row. Friday was a brilliant day of football and it's hard to imagine anything topping Netherlands v Argentina for drama.
