In just under half an hour, the Netherlands will kick off their second round game against Mexico. Having already spectacularly written them off once this tournament, I'm very curious to see just how far they can go.
On the one hand, Van Gaal looks to have done enough to have Manchester United fans salivating at the prospect of resurrecting their fortunes and his team have been very impressive in winning all three games so far. Arjen Robben has been one of the stars of the world cup if not the outright best player and alongside him, Robin Van Persie can be relied upon to score when his team needs it most, as the Spain game will attest. So why then, do I have this feeling that they're about to go crashing out?
For one, Mexico are easily the most defensively sound team that they've come up against. The Spanish were a shambles at the back and having already held Brazil to a goalless draw, there will be confidence among the Mexican back four. Secondly, the Dutch haven't yet quite played in conditions like that which will meet them in Fortaleza with Van Gaal having pressed the need for drinks breaks during the game. The weather may not itself warrant a Dutch defeat, but it could level the playing field in terms of ability.
I also can't help but feel that it would be very typical for the Netherlands to lose, in keeping with this world cup for surprises and with their own proclivity for falling apart after a promising start. In Euro 2008, Holland breezed through a group also containing France and Italy and looked incredible in the process, only to lose to Russia in the first knockout round.
With Mexico, there is always a sense of unpredictability and in spite of the disparity between the quality of the two teams, this will be a very hard fought game. Giovanni Dos Santos could be key with his ability to unlock a defence because even Ochoa will have to be at his very best again to keep the score close.
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