Salvador: Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben both scored twice as The Netherlands avenged their 2010 World Cup final defeat by routing holders Spain 5-1 on Friday in a record-breaking humiliation.
As well as it being the worst ever mauling inflicted at a World Cup on the reigning champions, it was the worst defeat suffered by Spain in more than half a century, coming 51 years after a 2-6 defeat to Scotland in 1963.
Manchester United striker van Persie produced a stunning first-half header and slotted home a fourth goal for the ‘Oranje,’ as the Dutch football team is called. Not to be outdone, Bayern Munich star Robben scored two second-half goals with Stefan De Vrij compounding the misery for Vicente del Bosque’s world and European champions.
Veteran midfielder Xabi Alonso gave the Spanish a first-half lead when he drilled home a penalty after a foul on Brazilian-born striker Diego Costa, who was jeered constantly by local fans. But Van Persie’s diving header 90 seconds from the break put the Dutch level before goals by Robben, centre-back de Vrij and Persie again completed the rout.
The Netherlands triumvirate of Robben, Van Persie and Wesley Sneijder caused the Spanish defence all manner of problems, but it was Daley Blind’s superb long passes which created their two opening goals. The best chance of the opening exchanges fell to The Netherlands when a Robben pass put Sneijder in behind the defence, but Ilker Casillas blocked the Galatasaray star’s shot.
Spanish left winger Andres Iniesta fired over for La Roja while Costa was barracked again when he mistimed two early shots. Spain went ahead when Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli judged Costa had been fouled by De Vrij and Alonso drilled the 27th-minute penalty past Netherlands goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.
Soon after, David Silva squandered a great chance to put the world champions 2-0 up when Cillessen managed to get a glove to the star’s chipped shot. Van Persie levelled on 44 minutes when Blind’s pin-point pass from the left wing found the Manchester United star in space to loop his header over the stranded Casillas.
The Netherlands took control soon after the break when Ajax’s Blind again provided a superb pass to Robben in the area. The winger got the better of both Spain centre-backs Gerald Pique and Sergio Ramos to fire the Oranje into a 2-1 lead on 53 minutes.
Van Persie then rattled the crossbar with an hour gone before De Vrij grabbed the Netherlands third on 64 minutes when he headed home at the back post. Spain looked to have pulled a goal back when Silva stabbed home a Cillessen save with 67 minutes gone, but he was shown to be offside.
Van Persie claimed his second and The Netherlands’ fourth when he beat Casillas to a loose ball and, aided by a helpful bounce, he tapped home on 72 minutes. The Dutch delight was clear as Van Persie handed the captain’s armband to Robben in the dying stages as the striker was replaced with his work finished.
Robben, who could have finished with a hat-trick, netted his second on 80 minutes by again dancing around Spanish defenders to claim his team’s fifth goal of a stunning night. “We didn’t react well to Van Persie’s second goal — they were euphoric and they hammered us,” said Spain coach Vicente del Bosque. In a group that was always expected to be hotly contested and liable to be settled by goal difference, Spain now have little margin for error if they are to avoid a stunning first round elimination.”
