GROUP - B
Spain >>>1 5<<<Netherlands
Scoring summary
Spain
Xabi Alonso 27 Pen
Holland
Robin van Persie 44,
Arjen Robben 53,
Stefan De Vrij 64,
Robin van Persie 72,
Arjen Robben 80
GOAL! Spain 1-0 Holland (Alonso pen, 27 min)
Xabi Alonso wasn't going to miss this. He steps up and hammers a perfect penalty low into the bottom-right corner with his right foot. Cillessen guessed correctly but he was never going to reach that - it was struck too firmly. Now Holland really will be rueing that Sneijder chance.
WHAT A GOAL!!!! Spain 1-1 Holland (Van Persie, 44 min)
What a cracking moment of improvisation from Robin van Persie! He's been so quiet, he's barely had a touch but he only needs a second to make a difference. It all started with Daley Blind on the left flank. He raked a gorgeous diagonal pass from left to right, the ball looping over Sergio Ramos and through to Van Persie. Suddenly thoughts were turning back to 1998, Frank de Boer and Dennis Bergkamp. Van Persie could have brought it down. Instead he spotted Casillas half-a-yard too far forward and he embarrassed the Spain goalkeeper by lobbing him with a wonderful diving header from 15 yards that dropped perfectly into the net! Superb. Casillas could only watch helplessly.
Half-time emails
"The penalty decision was woeful," says Geoff James. "Yet again officials are determining the outcome of games. Why not automatically do instant replay for penalty decisions?"
"That was a good goal and congratulations RVP, but that run over to celebrate with Van Gaal really did demonstrate how slow he is these days," says Marie Meyer.
"That was a magnificent execution of a header - incredible," says Fraser Thomas.
"Glad you took another look," says David Marriott. "The refereeing is rubbish, probably deliberately favouring the marquee teams. England don’t stand a chance. Mind you they probably didn’t anyway."
"Let me be the first: Van Persie - The Flying Dutchman!" says Victor Lacken.
GOAL! Spain 1-2 Holland (Robben, 52 min)
Arjen Robben has his 2010 redemption and the world champions are behind! Once again, it's Blind with the assist. What a player this guy might be. He was found by Sneijder on the left and he clipped a fine pass into the centre for Robben, who was in acres of space, Pique and Ramos both having taken a leave of absence. Robben plucked the ball out of the sky - that's great control - and then smuggled it past a soft challenge from Pique, who was hurtling back desperately to try to salvage the situation. Robben missed when he was through in 2010, but not this time - Casillas was given no chance with a belting finish from Robben's left foot!
GOAL! Spain 1-3 Holland (De Vrij, 64 min)
A free-kick to Holland on the left flank. Wesley Sneijder trots over to take it and swings a high cross towards the far post, tempting Iker Casillas off his line. He's challenged by Van Persie, forcefully, and that's enough to send the cross over him and past his flap and on to the head of the unwitting De Vrij, all of two yards out! He somehow heads against the post but he's so close to goal that the rebound hits him on the shin and trickles over the line! De Vrij, who gave away the penalty, isn't feeling so sore now. But Spain are. They're furious. They want a free-kick for a foul on Casillas. They're not getting one! Casillas is booked for his protests.
HUMILIATION!!!!! Spain 1-4 Holland (Van Persie, 72 min)
Iker Casillas had a nightmare in the Champions League final and he's had a nightmare here! A harmless backpass was rolled back to him. He had loads of time. Or that's what he thought. Casillas took an abysmal first touch, the ball spinning a few yards away from him, and Van Persie was on him in a flash, nicking it away and then poking into the empty net before the covering defender could get back in time! Spain have fallen to pieces! Even Holland can't believe what's happened!
GOAL!!!!!!!!!! Spain 1-5 Holland (Robben, 80 min)
It's total, utter, unanswerable humiliation for Spain! Have you ever seen anything like this? Holland were defending. Then they were attacking. A long ball was sprayed up the right and there was Robben speeding away from a wheezing Sergio Ramos, who never had a hope of catching him. Robben's touch looked like it had got away from him, Casillas racing off his line, but he simply completed an 180 degrees spin - what skill! - to dribble away from the goalkeeper, who was scrabbling after him on the deck like a man trying to clamber out of a ditch, before hammering the ball past the two Spain defenders on the line! Oh my. Oh wow. Spain are a shambles. Is this Total Football?
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