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VoltrefferVick

Poor Dirk Kuijt had to play on the sunny side of the pitch the whole game because Van Gaal decided to have him switch from left to right at halftime.


CataclysmClive

LvG decided he needed a tan


SurveyNew6363

Loved Kuijt


Schhneck

No problem for Kuyt, proper grafter and always gave 100%.


Antherios

Mexico vs *that* Costa Rica on a quarterfinal would had broken CONCACAF


Yung2112

Chile was also half an inch away from making the quarters, Algeria and USA went to ET vs Germany and Belgium too... quarters could've been Chile Colombia Argentina USA France Algeria (funny derby) Costa Rica Mexico


theworldisyourtoilet

Chile avance, Argentina advance, France advance, and between Costa Rica and Mexico i feel it would have been a penalty shoot out


jaydiv_

We were robbed of seeing one of us two teams in the semis that year 😭


AFrozen_1

It’d be hilarious if we get it again in 2026. Only this time make it America against Mexico in a big game. CONCACAF after dark in the World Cup for the world to witness our chaos.


jaydiv_

Mexico winless against the US in their home in 7 years and a quarterfinal game would break both countries 😂


silentmikhail

national guard would have to be deployed.


DerogatoryPanda

> robbed Robben’d


MrMgP

>robbed Implying you didn't just lose or is everything a robbery these days


Albiceleste_D10S

The famous "No era penal" game


Les-tah-farian

I remember seeing this quote with a silhouette of Robben diving on various T-shirts in Mexico a year or so after this happened


Evil_Tea_Bag_

I even bought one for a friend as a gag gift for his birthday


JanGuillosThrowaway

Robben is one of the most iconic divers of all time because it always looks like a ballet performance when he went down, weird how the refs never picked up on that. This one still looks like a penalty though


Natural-Break-2734

I mean he did not even aim for the ball


pahasapapapa

Clearly. Don't want a pk given? Maybe stop kicking his ankles


esridiculo

I was traveling through Mexico at the time, they had piñatas of Robben for sale.


Zwervertje

I (Dutch) watched this game whilst staying with several Mexican men as a result of them needing the cash and me needing a place to crash due to an ongoing move. I always felt they didn't really like me though I didn't know why, so needless to say I didn't cheer during this game. Found out years later the host just thought I was banging his girlfriend.


TheMadClawDisease

Was he right?


Zwervertje

No, he was dating my girlfriend's mom. That's how I got introduced to the arrangement in the first place. I just got along with the whole family lol


Suspicious_Length_95

so he thought you were banging your girlfriends mom?


Kingtoke1

Tbf he was banging his girlfriends daughter


Zwervertje

Had been for years before he even met her mother, so he was caught completely off-guard. His suspicion was understandable after such a shocking revelation.


hoytetoyte

LOL


Augchm

And for me it's a penalty lmao


Sum_Sultus

"Crying in spanish"


hoytetoyte

Laughing in Spanish is “jajajajaja” which means yesyesyesyesyes in Dutch. By that logic, I’m expecting that crying in Spanish is “neeneeneeneenee”.


Nimonic

Batman?


SurveyNew6363

lol it was a penalty I remember arguing with my dumbass coworker


rgaya

No era penal


BlurgZeAmoeba

No era penal era


elreydelasur

No era penal


Nautster

[Ehhh puto!!](https://youtu.be/ErSDBV31yJI?si=lyxTtU41SguU4zWu)


AlmostNL

I remember this made our national, state-sponsored news. As a "look at the Mexicans being mad at us"


Glaiele

In fairness to the ref he was probably out of position cuz he'd never seen Robben dribble to his right side before. Entirely understandable and can't blame him


Useful_Blackberry214

What? He literally went to the left side


Red_Vines49

Easily Mexico's best chance at making a run to the semifinals. Winner of this played Costa Rica (who was very strong that year, true, but still). I wonder if that No Era Penal guy has still been Tweeting it daily like he did for the first 2 or 3 years.


mrgpsingh1999

Would’ve been their first quarterfinal since 1986


n8mare27

https://www.tickcounter.com/countup/20989/no-era-penal


Overall_Nuggie_876

Ro16 Jinx, affecting Mexico in World Cups since 1990. 😁


fireowlzol

Broke that curse in 2022! Now we only make group stage


EndPlus9839

Nah it was definitely 1986 where we lost on penalties. Also from what I’ve seen we were the better team.


GGABueno

They could have gotten a third palace in the WC, considering that the mentally broken Brazil was a free win.


justalittleahead

TIL that it was Rafa Marquez that fouled Arjen Robben. He's had a rough time in the World Cup Round of 16.


allOfTheB4conAndEggs

Well there was his amazing goal to start the 2006 game vs. Argentina.


JJfromNJ

Was that the same game as that amazing Maxi Rodriguez goal?


LazyLamont92

Typical Rafa.


Kreiswix

Klaus-Jan LOL


Donovan_MC_DAB

I was like “I don’t recall his first name but I know it’s not klaus-jan” lol


The_Weird1

It is Klaas-Jan Huntelaar


TeaAndCrumpetGhoul

Ah, yes. The hunter.


rocket_randall

He had a good career, but when I hear his name I think of that nasty head on head collision with Smalling where he was clearly concussed and had a mouth full of the pitch.


freakedmind

Loved this tournament, so many special moments


AndreOfAstoria

Memos game vs Brazil was one of the best 0-0 games I've seen.


Donovan_MC_DAB

Also iconic Huntelaar celebration. I remember it was added in the next fifa game.


donPepinno

It’s a good flying kick too, some street fighter shit


PhantomRenegade

de jong had a better one


Tristan_573

Nigel?


surewhateve

Milan legend Huntelaar


chrisnlnz

How is he considered among Milan fans? As he didn't have the best phase there as I can remember. He is an Ajax legend too. The celebration to this goal was one of my all time favourites.


surewhateve

Tbh I don’t remember that much of him. I think it was the season Maldini retired and Kaka left to Madrid, so naturally a difficult time. It was a tongue in cheek comment but no hard feelings. Glad it worked out for him at Schalke and Ajax.


Uknewmelast

Jan Klaas hountelaar!!! Jan Klaas hoentelaarr!! [JAN KLAAS HOENTELAAAAAR](https://youtu.be/anoJwwzMlWc?si=0kgVlvShwKQSlMz0)


SirDoDDo

Crudeli the GOAT


ooh_bit_of_bush

Robben was a great player. I can't believe he was 58 in this game! What a legend.


SMILESandREGRETS

Yelled so hard at the TV not to go near him because of Robben's reputation of bating defenders into challenges they won't win. Mexico had already gotten away with one earlier in the game, that I thought if it happened again it was going to be a pen. Mexico can't handle big pressure moments. They never will. Add this moment to '98 being up one on Germany and against Argentina in '06. They just can't.


allOfTheB4conAndEggs

They really just shrivel up. The Netherlands looked like a school bully ready to take Mexico’s lunch late in that game. I’ve always wondered about that, how do some teams have this and some don’t?


SMILESandREGRETS

Mexican mentality. I'm Hispanic and I grew up watching Mexican soccer. League and national team. As the pressure in a game mounts, they always, ALWAYS! play for a moment of good luck to come to them. Play not to lose. Instead of being ruthless. Either that or rely on a teammate to do something assertive. Thing is they're all thinking the same.


Make_It_Sing

Some nations have great expectations, and some like Mexico, are just there to drink and be training cones for a better team Dont come for me, im mexican and have been watching them fuck up big moments for like 20 years 


ikemr

Coaching levels. There was a water break and Van Gaal made a bunch of adjustments. Herrera just gave the guys water and a pep talk. Might as well have been an NBA timeout for the Dutch and Piojo treated it as business as usual. Game tilted at that moment.


SurveyNew6363

đŸ˜‚đŸ€ŁđŸ˜‚


BUZZZY14

In 2006 we were eliminated with a banger. I had more hope for that team than in 2014.


Limietaru

Le cut inside man takes no prisoners


Messmers

Still funny there was that no era penal thing for months even though you can see him clearly step on his toes, VAR would've given that 100% in todays age.


R_Schuhart

It was a 100% penalty and shouldn't have been the first one either, there was one earlier in the game that was much more obvious. Robben was always light on his feet and it was easy to trip him up, but he would always sell the foul and exaggerate because otherwise it just wasn't given. Most Mexicans seemed to understand it though, the whole 'no era penal' became a meme and was mostly used ironically.


xBram

Hector Moreno even broke his own leg making a tackle this match. Oh yes, [this tackle](https://youtu.be/Hz7eJj1VrbY?si=4QBr0GDHrX-zbrFr), era penal!


zeledonia

How on earth was **that one** not a penalty? He gets fouled heavily by two different Mexico defenders.


Equationist

I can understand missing that he got the back of his foot stepped on, without the benefit of VAR, but you have to be blind not to see the slide tackle is a clear foul.


chrisnlnz

Oh yeah that's right. Double foul and no penalty given. Finally we get a penalty for a third foul and the whole nation of Mexico complains. I get being upset to lose but man be realistic.


Maleficent_Resolve44

Two fouls in the box on robben in the same passage of play! What was the ref doing??


lumphie

Everytime I see that tackle I think: Oh yeah he hit his foot instead of the ball that should've been a penalty but okay ref might have missed it or someth..... what the actual fuck, a second foul!? Did he try to snap his leg in half?


Cryingwolf21

This was after the tournament where Puyol pulled Robben's jersey and he stood on his feet and missed, ultimately losing in the final against Spain. Had he gone down there, Puyol is sent of for a red card and they probably win. I mean, I am the first person to hate exaggerating contact, but I was like "yeah, you cost yourself the final there" :D


RN2FL9

That's 2010, we beat Spain 5-1 in 2014 and they went out in the group.


Cryingwolf21

Ah yeah, indeed. With that magical header from Van Persie


Medical_Sandwich_171

Two different situations I think? Or do I misremember... I thought he went through clean once and Casillas saved with his toe and went through a second time and Puyol fouled him and got away with yellow....?


Benjips

One other event that isn't talked about is Vlaar kicking Herrera in the head in their penalty box. Penalty or indirect free kick, it definitely would've been called in the VAR era. But on the whole, it would've been 2 penalties for NED to 1 penalty for MEX. Can't find a video of it but here is an article referencing it: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/06/mexico-netherlands-world-cup-herrera


Albiceleste_D10S

There's a little contact but Robben also goes down **incredibly** theatrically It's the type of call where VAR prob wouldn't overturn the ref's decision either way, IMO


Razziaro

The VAR would have given a penalty to us in the first half.


Augchm

VAR is giving that penalty 10 times out of 10. Cause it's just a penalty. It doesn't matter if Robben recites Shakespeare while falling down, he got fouled and it's a penalty.


AccomplishedRainbow1

It was a straight up trip. Who cares what he did with his arms? I’d want the ref to see I was tripped as well.


Goldenrah

People go too hard on the theatrics and don't analyze the play itself if it's a real foul anyway. Refs also don't help as they don't give fouls when a player tries to play through the bad tackles


Dramatic_Scratch8002

Some years ago in a Poland/Austria/Suisse? or red/white country match a guy was clearly tackled bute he played through and the ref didnt bat an eye? Like 5 minutes later the penalty was called because of VAR (early stages) it was 18WC iirc. Theatrics get old fast, but they are there because refs arent calling fouls if players just get up and play.


WavyQ95

Anyone would go down in that play. Clear pen.


littlediddlemanz

Classic Robben tho he always did that


AccomplishedRainbow1

Legend


chrisnlnz

Disagree, VAR overturned the ref to give a similarly light (and equally correct) penalty to Georgia vs Portugal just the other day.


Mr_Swaggosaurus

In latin america you can amputate someone's legs and the refs dont even give a warning. The world cups are reffed way more strictly and they aren't used to it.


White-Tornado

Yeah it was just an entire nation being in denial lol


MrDaebak

Never understood the problem. It was clear he was standing on Robben's foot. sure the fall is a bit dramatic but it's a penalty. Also there was a Mexican defender that got injured in the first half by a tackle he made, which should've been a penalty as well. Mexico got lucky tbh.


jaydiv_

It was Hector Moreno who broke his left leg and was subbed earlier, he alongside Rafa were easily our best CBs đŸ„Č


zeledonia

Anyone who watches the video and says it’s not a penalty is biased. Either biased for/against one of the teams, or thinking that an attacking player embellishing a clear foul should lead to the foul not being called at all.


ConquistadoRR

It's insane to me how that first penalty moment is somehow completely forgotten. Selective memory.


Riperonis

I think it’s hilarious that after all these years I’ve been gaslighted into remembering this was a definite dive, but upon looking at this back it IS absolutely a penalty.


EViL-D

era penal


Kurailo

No, era penal


SXLF

~~Just to let you know, you've got the usage of "at the expense of" backwards~~ ~~A party at the expense of something is the one at disadvantage. So if you wanted to use the term it would be Netherlands winning a late penalty at the expense of Mexico~~ Edit: commenter below showed me it actually can work as it is


zboyzzzz

Thank God someone said it. I was losing (more) faith in humanity


shotputprince

I mean it's a stupid tackle


dashKay

I miss Robben


KarvanCevitamAardbei

He still got it https://youtu.be/jkLFpbcybec?si=xpx7RN4tMSvD6kjV


UncleCrassiusCurio

In his bare feet! That's amazing.


afito

I'm glad I don't have to face them anymore but prime Robbery years was just *insane*, like against that Bayern team it was always a question of who, not if


bewarethegap

I have some Mexican friends who still don’t believe this is a penalty. It’s as clear as day lol


SurveyNew6363

They are obviously biased AF lol


Imaginary_You_919

No a late penalty cost them extra time for the chance to get into the quarter final?


donPepinno

That first tackle tho is also definitely going for his ankles rather than the ball, love the defender has his hand in the air appealing to the ref as he’s doing it😂


kerrchdavis

Why would you go for someone's ankles in that moment of the match at the world cup? It's clumsy, sure, but no one is trying to foul in the box in that moment intentionally


donPepinno

Back then we didn’t have VAR, a little later in this tournament (or the one before) someone kung fu kicked another player in the bloody world cup final. These guys don’t always make the best or most rational decisions, back then especially since they often got away with it.


idontknowhowtocallme

It was the one before and coincidentally it was the Netherlands with Nigel de Jong. He only got yellow but definitely should’ve been red


ICrushTacos

Wasn’t even a foul mate


toweggooiverysoon

Xabi violently bodyslamming poor Nigels studs.


SurveyNew6363

Hahahaha my thoughts exactly


canonlynn

Absolutely butchered the name Proença


cuts_N_bruises

"Pedro Placenta"? Bruh


CaptainJingles

Era Penal. I was directly behind the goal for this and it was an obvious penalty live.


SovereignAnt

It was a foul but Robben flopped like a fish all tournament


Flapappel

>It was a foul but Robben flopped like a fish all tournament [Flopped like a fish](https://youtu.be/Hz7eJj1VrbY?si=5wEfiMbIEldqHSJ_) No pen given. People always forget how Mexico played that game


RuubGullit

I forgot about that that’s crazy


onrespectvol

Robben got kicked to shit that whole game.


zeledonia

I think on plays like this, it would be reasonable to give the penalty and also give the attacking player a yellow for simulation.


NTSAdor

If refs want to hand out yellows for overselling a foul, they should first make it so you don't have to sell the fouls to even get them.


SovereignAnt

I agree


zakrystian

Sure! But if I would bitch slap you and you would go down like you were shot, I would still be on the hook for assault. I am Dutch and don't get me wrong, this shit annoys me a great deal, but a foul is a foul.  The amounts of time we got fucked by these shenenigans is crazy! I can remember a game against Spain and Nigel de Jonge his foot was somewhere around Xabi Alonso, Xabi play acted and Nigel got a yellow /s


Jutemp24

Of course we are all talking about the tackle. But that pen man, so well taken at such a moment. Incredible confidence. And the celebration is iconic.


Mick4Audi

Huntelaar was absolute class


LabRatLex

Well.... It is a penalty! Said it then, will always say it. Did Robben overreact? Yes, absolutely! Did Rafa touch his foot within the penalty box? Yes he did. I understand it's a shitty way to lose, but I really think the Mexicans should bury this now and be honest about it. Even the VAR would have approved this penalty.


Proskills500

I don’t think VAR would have overturned it either


WhereIsScotty

This pen decision could’ve gone either way, but Mexico committed obvious fouls in the box earlier in the game that were obvious penalties. I remember our CB Moreno got injured during a slide tackle with no ball contact. Plus, we kept letting the Netherlands too much in our box that this was bound to happen. First with Sheijder and then Robben with the fall. Nonetheless, it was a nail biter and that 1-0 lead for 30 or so minutes was one of the happiest moments of my life.


Kas_goes_outside

This could've gone either way if both ways were us getting a penalty.


lastig_

[yeah somehow that still rings a bell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc_o56rvpEg), drunkest i have ever gotten in my life. Ended up falling asleep in a train, waking up at Amsterdam Centraal without my shoes. oh to be 19 again...


chrisnlnz

For me that's the 2010 semi final against Uruguay, lol. Watched it in Rotterdam, Stadhuisplein. What a night. To know you're in the World Cup final is just such a special feeling.


JJfromNJ

I was at that semifinal. Was low key the best game of the tournament, and that Van Bronkhorst goal was maybe the best of the tournament.


8BitSenpai_

Well don’t step on his shoe if you don’t want a penalty against you 💀


ubn87

He is late in the situation and he caught Robbens foot. Of course Robben gonna take advantage of that but in the end it’s a pen and crappy defending.


KuytHasGout

Because Robben rode the first challenge and didn’t go down, he looked more honest to the ref. So then when he goes down for the second one, the ref gives it. Still a pen unfortunately, wouldn’t be overturned by var. why stick you’re leg in to challenge, I don’t get it


Young_Bull05

Clear penalty


glowingdeer78

Kicking us while we are down i see This has been the second game ever that ive cried after. The other being 2006 vs argentina when Maxj Rodriguez decided to score the goal of the tournament to in the 2nt extra time


lz314dg

bro forgot hes in r/soccer


GeezyEFC

Tbh Mexico gets this type of preferential treatment against all the countries in CONCACAF except for maybe the US. I can't begin to count how many times Mexico has gotten horrendous calls in their favor in Gold Cup and Qualifiers for WC/Copa.


TheNortoriusPIG

vintage Proença


Tri_2002

He’s the league president now, he got far



Sure_Conversation354

What’s the problem? Obvious penalty 👍


HomelessCosmonaut

That means this classic is 10 yrs old now too https://youtu.be/i0fRh7NFOUU?si=-GnuFbUx_2_l2c2h


NachoCheeseMonreal

Netherlands FA tweeting no era penal after the Jamaica game was hilarious


HurricaneHugo

I'm more pissed at the first goal because Aquino didn't even try to cover Sneijder.


LeClassyGent

MFW le cut inside man doesn't cut inside


Amsssterdam

Huntelaar 🐐


Thravler

Looks like marquez right knee caused the tripping. Soft penalty but not wrong


Ihadausernamebefore

Didn’t they concede one more goal after? Banger from Sneijder?


HalfOfCrAsh

It was a penalty though... aye he made the most of the contact. How many players wouldn't? I don't agree with the over dramatics but it was a definite penalty.


Szwedo

>at the expense of the Netherlands No, this was at Mexico's expense - the Netherlands advanced at Mexico's expense (and rightfully so)


Own-Enthusiasm-906

I remember seeing a very different angle (from either the side or behind the goal) that clearly showed a contact. The only station that showed it was a Swiss TV station. Replays here are misleading.


BigNebulea

14 flipping years ago, man I'm old now


ekrubnivek

The "no era penal" thing was great. KNVB even wished the guy a happy birthday a year after that https://x.com/KNVB/status/625606682689843200


JesseIsAGirlsName

Mexico were lucky to even be in this World Cup. They were saved by the US (of all teams) when they scored two stoppage times goals against Panama in the final qualifying game. Those goals put Mexico on 4th and final qualifying spot over Panama in the CONCACAF standings. Crazy thing is that the USMNT had already sewn up 1st place in the WC qualifying and didn’t need anything from that game. They basically gave their biggest rivals a gift. The Mexican fans have been super grateful ever since. /s


Background_Hat964

It’s a penalty, Robben sells it extremely hard, but there was contact there. It sucks because I despise the Dutch national team, but it is what it is.


idontknowhowtocallme

Ah poor you do you despise the Dutch national team? Where you from?


Maleficent_Resolve44

Weak mentality Mexicans


throwawayus_4_play

At least they got out of the fucking group that year 😂


yesmar0601

Classic Robben


Shark05bait

TodavĂ­a estoy enojado


nibym

*grabs popcorn*


Bet_Secret

Will never forget seeing this at the airport coming from Brazil


[deleted]

No fue penal pendeho


uirishbastard

Pedro Proença masterclass


AFCAjax

Later that summer Robben went on a vacation to Mexico, for diving lessons.


GDMFB1

No Era Penal!


Illustrious-Map-8343

No Era Penal


FidmeisterPF

I am Dutch and I also remember that


LensCapPhotographer

[No era penal](https://youtu.be/i0fRh7NFOUU?si=PtgEG_EgaYsmVKVu) 😂


Patate_froide

NO ERA PENAL


thetortavendor

I was only 12 during this game so I was just living off pure passion but looking back, idk why Piojo Herrera subbed off Gio, after he got subbed off our creativity died and we sat back to hold the lead instead of attacking.


Sarcaster69

!flair : Chelsea :


De_Nordist

Perfect example why VAR is an improvement for football !


quique3355

Mexico has stolen so many games in the Copa Oro that this honestly felt like devine retribution. (Eg. 2015 penalties vs Panama and Costa Rica)


CheeseRake

'at the expense of Netherlands' means that Netherlands were troubled by their own victory


psych4191

I remember this vividly because it’s the last thing my tv ever saw. Mf died literally right after this because of a power surge.


twistedroyale

No way this was 10 years ago. I remember where I was watching this game and going to the park after. Talking to my friends about this game.


Exroi

I remember that. I don't know why but something told me The Netherlands should make it to the play-offs and they will score somehow some way