Goalkeeper Tim Krul called it a "dream come true" after he was boldly brought on as a penalty-kicks specialist and saved two against Costa Rica to put the Netherlands into the World Cup semi-finals.
Salvador, Brazil: Goalkeeper Tim Krul called it a "dream come true" after he was boldly brought on as a penalty-kicks specialist and saved two against Costa Rica to put the Netherlands into the World Cup semi-finals.
The towering Newcastle United custodian replaced Jasper Cillessen in the last minute of extra-time in an outlandish gambit by Manchester United-bound coach Louis van Gaal.
And the 1.93m (six feet three inches) Krul duly saved from Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana, both low and to the right-hand corner, to win it 4-3 and set up a meeting with Argentina.
It ended a woeful Dutch run in penalty shoot-outs which previously stood at only one victory in five attempts at World Cups and European Championships.
Krul said the switch, which was kept secret from Cillessen, had been in the works all week as the Netherlands built up to the game in Salvador.
"I knew before the game that the possibility was there. If we had one more substitution the manager said that he would consider putting me in goal and it happened," he said.
"It`s a dream come true for me. I watched the penalties. We`ve been preparing with all the goalkeepers and the goalkeeper coach."
Van Gaal, who has already redeployed forward Dirk Kuyt in defence and used a cooling break against Mexico to switch tactics, was proud of his latest "trick".
"We thought this through beforehand. Every player in my selection has certain skills and qualities," he told reporters.
"We felt, all of us that Tim was the most appropriate `keeper to stop penalties, because he has a long reach.
"We prepared Costa Rica`s penalties and they prepared our penalties as well and we`ve seen that Tim Krul dived into the right corner time and time again.
"So all of us are a little bit proud that this trick has helped us through."
Kuyt, who played his part by burying his spot-kick along with fellow veterans Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder hailed a "great job" by Krul.
"I was not too busy with Tim because I was expecting that we could kill the game beforehand," he said.
"But everything has been spoken in the team and we know that Tim is a very good penalty-saver. Let`s say that when he came in, I was not surprised."
The Dutch switch called Costa Rica`s bluff after they appeared to play for penalties, a strong suit after their 5-3 shoot-out win over Greece in the round of 16.
Krul`s leading role came after opposite number Keylor Navas was repeatedly Costa Rica`s hero as he kept out the scores goalless over 120 minutes.
But Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto denied his players were intimidated by the late introduction of the imposing Krul - and said shoot-outs often came down to "luck".
"Maybe he`s a (penalties) specialist and I respect that but we`ve never seen that before," said Pinto. "But we weren`t intimidated at all.
"Actually, I thought they were a little nervous because it wasn`t the same goalkeeper that played the rest of the game.
"But we weren`t intimated. He stopped two penalties but that`s the way it is - it depends on luck, very often."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.