History was made in the Netherlands vs. Spain matchup today, as Robin Van Persie became the first Dutch player to score goals in three straight World Cups. In a rematch of the 2010 final, the Netherlands exacted a measure of revenge against the Spaniards in a humiliating 5-1 loss.
In addition to Van Persie reaching the record books, this match marked the worst loss by a defending World Cup champion in the history of the tournament. It also was the most goals a Dutch team has scored in World Cup play.
Arjen Robben added two goals himself and Stefan de Vrij scored as well on Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas, a major name in the sport whose performance was as shocking as any in recent memory. The feel-good storyline from this match however was Robben, who had a bad miss in the 2010 final that has “haunted” him ever since.
“It is part of sport, just a moment, a snapshot,” Robben said ahead of today’s game. “But it will be part of me and part of my career for all of my life. But it is the past and we are focused on this game, so it doesn’t count anymore.”
The Dutch were confident as they took the pitch, with Robben’s comments prior to the match proving prophetic. “Look, we start against the world champions, so it will show how good we are. We will prepare very well for the game. I don’t think we should explain how we plan to beat Spain, but we have trained and prepared well.”
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