Argentina–Netherlands football rivalry

Argentina–Netherlands football rivalry
Johan Cruyff and Roberto Perfumo greeting before playing the 1974 FIFA World Cup match
LocationArgentina (CONMEBOL)
Netherlands (UEFA)
Teams Argentina
 Netherlands
First meeting26 May 1974
Netherlands 4–1 Argentina
Latest meeting9 December 2022
Argentina 2–2 Netherlands; Argentina won 4-3 on penalties
Statistics
Meetings total10
Most winsNetherlands (4)
Largest victory
  • Netherlands 4–0 Argentina
    (26 June 1974)
Largest goal scoringNetherlands 4–1 Argentina
(26 May 1974)
Argentina–Netherlands football rivalry is located in Earth
Argentina
Argentina
Netherlands
Netherlands

The Argentina–Netherlands football rivalry is a highly competitive sports rivalry that exists between the national football teams of the two countries, as well as their respective sets of fans.

Unlike many football rivalries, this one is intercontinental, pairing the Argentine team from South America with the Dutch team from Europe.

First meeting in an international friendly in May 1974, the two teams met just one month later in the group stage of the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Since then, the matchup has become one of the most common in the World Cup, with the two teams meeting a total of six times during the tournament.

In total, the Netherlands have won four games to Argentina's one, with the other five other matches ending in a draw, including two victories for Argentina in the World Cup knockout stages via penalty shootouts (2014 and 2022). [n 1]

History

Considered by sports media to be two historically great teams,[3] the Argentines and Dutch have developed an intense rivalry.[4][5] They have met ten times in total, and six times during the FIFA World Cup tournament.[1][4][5]

First matches

The two teams first met on 26 May 1974 in an international friendly, won by the Netherlands 4–1.[6] The following month, the two teams were drawn into Group A of the second round of the 1974 FIFA World Cup held in West Germany. Their first FIFA World Cup matchup took place on 26 June; Johan Cruyff scored two goals in a victory for the Netherlands, which saw the Dutch defeat Argentina 4–0.[5][7]

1978 FIFA World Cup final and 1979 friendly

Argentine captain Daniel Passarella raising the 1978 FIFA World Cup trophy

The two teams met again in the 1978 FIFA World Cup final, with Argentina avenging their 1974 loss, defeating the Netherlands 3–1, after extra time.[7] Argentina hosted the 1978 tournament which was marred by controversy, with political pressure allegedly favoring Argentina on the pitch.[8] Held under the backdrop of Jorge Rafael Videla's dictatorship, the tournament was seen as a tool for Argentine nationalist propaganda.[9] The Peruvian national team were allegedly bribed to throw their match against Argentina, which sent the latter to the final over Brazil.[10][11] In the final, Mario Kempes and Dick Nanninga scored during regulation, for Argentina and the Netherlands, respectively. Tied at 1–1, the match went into extra time. Kempes scored again and Daniel Bertoni added another goal for the Argentines, securing them a 3–1 victory.[12]

The two teams met again the following year for a friendly game organized by FIFA to celebrate the organization's 75th anniversary.[13][14] The game was documented by Sports Illustrated writer Clive Gammon to be hotly contested, ending in a 0–0 draw; FIFA opted to stage a penalty shootout, which ended 8–7 in Argentina's favor.[13] The game was also notable for featuring an 18-year-old Diego Maradona, who joined Argentina's roster due to a leg injury to Kempes.[13]

1998 FIFA World Cup match and subsequent friendlies

After not meeting during the 1980s, the two teams met during the quarter-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The Netherlands' Patrick Kluivert and Argentina's Claudio López traded goals early in the match. Tied at 1–1, Dennis Bergkamp scored a late goal in the game's 90th-minute to give the Dutch a 2–1 victory. Bergkamp's goal would become regarded as one of the more iconic goals in FIFA World Cup history.[4][15]

The two teams met for a friendly in March 1999, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[16] Another friendly between the two sides took place in February 2003; it saw Giovanni van Bronckhorst score a late goal in the 87th minute to give the Dutch a 1–0 victory.[17]

Scoreless draws in the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups

The two teams played in three consecutive draws in FIFA World Cup matches in 2006, 2014, and 2022. The 2006 match occurred during the tournament's group stage, as the Dutch and the Argentines were both drawn into Group C. The final group stage game for both squads, they entered the game having both already secured a trip to the tournament's knockout stage.[18] The match was a scoreless affair. Argentina finished ahead of the Netherlands in the group, due to winning the tie-breaker based on goal differential.[19]

Argentina and the Netherlands met again in the semi-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Described as "tedious" by BBC writer Phil McNulty,[20] the game provided little offense, as both defenses remained in control throughout the 0–0 draw.[5][21] Deadlocked after extra time, Argentina prevailed 4–2 on penalties. They converted all four of their penalty attempts, while the Dutch's Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder had their attempts saved by Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero.[21]

2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals

Two teams met in the 2022 tournament's quarter-finals. The game was noted for its contentious nature prior to, during, and after the match. Prior to the match, Dutch manager Louis van Gaal stated "we've got a score to settle with Argentina for what happened two World Cups ago".[1] The match saw Argentina take a 2–0 lead after Lionel Messi assisted Nahuel Molina on a goal in the first half, before scoring on a penalty goal in the second.[22] Wout Weghorst, a late-game substitution for the Netherlands scored 2 goals, including one in the eleventh and final minute of stoppage time to help the Dutch even the game at 2–2.[22] Between Weghorst's two goals, both benches cleared and players from both teams engaged in a scuffle due to a harsh foul from Leandro Paredes and the ball being kicked toward the Dutch sideline.[23][24] The game remained tied after extra time, sending the two teams to a penalty shootout. Argentina prevailed 4–3, with both teams attempting five shots. Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made two saves and was notably animated during the shootout.[24] Lautaro Martínez converted on Argentina's fifth attempt to send them to the semi-finals en route to their third FIFA World Cup victory.[23]

The game was noted by many football writers to be dramatic and hotly contested.[n 2] This match is referred to as the Battle of Lusail (Spanish: Batalla de Lusail, Dutch: Slag bij Lusail) according to reports and fans.[28][29]

Match history

Legend

List of matches played between Argentina and Netherlands[30]
No. Date Venue Winner Score Netherlands scorers Argentina scorers Competition Ref.
1 26 May 1974 Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands Netherlands 4–1 Neeskens (29'‡), Rensenbrink (31'), Strik (74'), Haan (77') Ayala (34') Friendly [31]
2 26 June 1974 Parkstadion, Gelsenkirchen, Germany Netherlands 4–0 Cruyff (12', 88'), Krol (25'), Rep (73') — 1974 FIFA World Cup [32]
3 25 June 1978 Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina Argentina 3–1 (a.e.t.) Nanninga (81') Kempes (37', 104'), Bertoni (114') 1978 FIFA World Cup [33]
4 22 May 1979 Stadion Wankdorf, Bern, Switzerland Draw 0–0 (a.e.t.) (ARG won 8–7 p.) — — Friendly [34]
5 4 July 1998 Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France Netherlands 2–1 Kluivert (12'), Bergkamp (90') López (17') 1998 FIFA World Cup [35]
6 31 March 1999 Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands Draw 1–1 Davids (10') Batistuta (84') Friendly [36]
7 12 February 2003 Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands Netherlands 1–0 Van Bronckhorst (87') — Friendly [37]
8 21 June 2006 Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany Draw 0–0 — — 2006 FIFA World Cup [38]
9 9 July 2014 Arena Corinthians, São Paulo, Brazil Draw 0–0 (a.e.t.) (ARG won 4–2 p.) — — 2014 FIFA World Cup [39]
10 9 December 2022 Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar Draw 2–2 (a.e.t.) (ARG won 4–3 p.) Weghorst (83', 90+10') Molina (35'), Messi (73'‡) 2022 FIFA World Cup [40]

Notes

  1. ^ Three of the five draws were won by Argentina during penalty shoot-outs.[1][2]
  2. ^ Sources that share such an opinion include:[22][24][25][26][27]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Netherlands v Argentina: Team news, preview and how to watch". FIFA. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Argentina vs. Netherlands Historical Head-to-Head". FBRef.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Argentina v Netherlands at FIFA World Cup 2022: Head-to-head record, schedule and time". Olympics.com. 8 December 2022. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Lupo, John (9 December 2022). "Netherlands vs Argentina: A World Cup rivalry renewed". Vavel. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d McLaughlin, Luke (8 December 2022). "Netherlands v Argentina: their previous World Cup meetings". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Netherlands v Argentina: What time, what channel, team news and all you need to know". Independent.ie. 9 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Netherlands-Argentina: four fascinating facts". FIFA. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Netherlands v Argentina: Four World Cup classics". MSN. 7 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  9. ^ Hennigan, Tom (14 June 2018). "Argentina's shameful World Cup 40 years on". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  10. ^ Aeberhard, Benson & Phillips 2000, p. 57.
  11. ^ Shephard, Alex (2 December 2022). "It's So Hard to Hate the Dutch. For the Sake of the World Cup, I'm Trying". The New Republic. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  12. ^ "1978 FIFA World Cup: Argentina – Netherlands match report". FIFA. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  13. ^ a b c Gammon, Clive (4 June 1979). "World Cup: once more, with feeling". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  14. ^ Sanders, Ryan (9 December 2022). "When Netherlands and Argentina last faced off, World Cup history". DraftKings. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  15. ^ Smyth, Rob (17 April 2018). "World Cup stunning moments: Dennis Bergkamp's wonder goal". TheGuardian.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  16. ^ "Netherlands 1-1 Argentina - March 31, 1999 / Friendlies 1999". Football Database. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Matchday 18 Live Blog: Argentina and Croatia advance to semis". sbs.com.au. 10 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  18. ^ Turner, Georgina (21 June 2006). "Holland 0 - 0 Argentina". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  19. ^ Farley, Richard (8 July 2014). "From 1974 to 2006: History of Argentina and the Netherlands at World Cups". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  20. ^ McNulty, Phil (9 July 2014). "Netherlands 0-0 Argentina (2-4 on pens)". BBC. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  21. ^ a b Das, Andrew (9 July 2014). "World Cup 2014: Argentina Defeats Netherlands in Shootout, Advancing to Final". New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  22. ^ a b c Burt, Jason (9 December 2022). "Emiliano Martinez the penalty hero as Messi's Argentina edge past Netherlands in grudge match". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Argentina Survives the Netherlands' Comeback to Keep Messi's World Cup Alive". New York Times. 18 December 2022 [9 December 2022]. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  24. ^ a b c Damms, Colin M. (10 December 2022). "Argentina's shootout win over Netherlands was World Cup perfection". SB Nation. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  25. ^ Chisnall, Craig; Brown, Luke (10 December 2022). "How Argentina vs Netherlands descended into chaos – taunts, tantrums and tears". The Athletic. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  26. ^ Sangal, Aditi; Meyer, Matt (9 December 2022). "December 9, 2022 World Cup news and highlights". CNN. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  27. ^ Douglas, Steve (10 December 2022). "Messi snarls, taunts and thrills in World Cup classic". AP News. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  28. ^ Storey, Daniel (9 December 2022). "Lionel Messi moves a step closer to World Cup immortality after Argentina win the 'Battle of Lusail'". i. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  29. ^ "Netherlands vs. Argentina World Cup quarterfinal sees record 18 yellow cards in Battle of Lusail". ESPN. 10 December 2022. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  30. ^ "Netherlands national football team: record v Argentina". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  31. ^ "Netherlands v Argentina, 26 May 1974". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  32. ^ "Argentina v Netherlands, 26 June 1974". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  33. ^ "Argentina v Netherlands, 25 June 1978". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  34. ^ "Argentina v Netherlands, 22 May 1979". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  35. ^ "Netherlands v Argentina, 04 July 1998". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  36. ^ "Netherlands v Argentina, 31 March 1999". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  37. ^ "Netherlands v Argentina, 12 February 2003". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  38. ^ "Netherlands v Argentina, 21 June 2006". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  39. ^ "Argentina v Netherlands, 09 July 2014". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  40. ^ "Netherlands v Argentina, 09 December 2022". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
Sources
  • Aeberhard, Danny; Benson, Andrew; Phillips, Lucy (2000). The Rough Guide to Argentina. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781858285696. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
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