Totally agree. Krul was a top class a-hole, and I am gobsmacked he didn't get a card.

Beyond what is acceptable.

Getting right in the oppositions' faces is totally unacceptable, whatever he was saying.

The overreactions in this thread....

"getting in someone's face"
"screaming obscenities"

Wot? Are we watching the same game?

Hardly an overreaction to say Krul was getting in people's faces.

Take your blinkers off.

You sound like a fan from Holland or something. Take of the orange tinted specs.

I knew these reactions would come, but Dutch or not one can still look at a game objectively.

Krul was right where he belonged and he just told them he knew their plan. Hardly getting in someone's face

He could have told them from further away? Why be so aggressive?

Bad sportsmanship is the answer. Disappointing to see.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...dation-tactics

You might wanna look at both sides

Ok you've gone full defensive now, clearly. I am commenting on what I have seen on the TV, not some journalist's "pitch side" view. If Navas was doing exactly the same then I would have said the same about him.

Even having not seen the footage, the guy is clearly saying that Navas was less aggressive, and the very fact that the debate is even happening shows that Krul went too far.

If this is full defensive to you already

It's clear that we will never agree. You think he's guilty, I think he's not and if he's guilty Costa Rica is just as guilty.

The debate is only happening on DS tho so I'm gonna let this pointless discussion rest

Evidence speaks for itself I'm afraid

Sportsmanship was dead in the water decades ago, apart from very few examples. Winners have a ruthless mentality that sadly is all too lacking in our wimpy players whatever the team sport. It's only individuals that rise above the average in England.

I actually just re-watched the penalty shootout on bbc player (because I have missed Krul's cruel ways last night ). The levels of exaggeration in this thread are ridiculous (and I'm not from Holland).

Ah so to be a winner you've got to be a d**k, gotchya.

Agreed - we don't know they were obscenities (if they were he should have been booked) and he certainly wasn't in the penalty takers face ...

I personally think Krul chose this approach just as much to psyche himself up as the opposition as you have to remember a minute ago he was sitting on the bench having played no part in the game - maybe he felt he had to get his adrenaline flowing somehow.

It was the ref's fault for not stepping in and telling Krul to back off, warning him if he did it again he'd get a yellow card - that would've stopped him in his tracks. If Navas was doing this, it didn't appear on tv (and certainly wasn't just as they were just about to take the penalty) - but still, the ref could've told him the same too.

It just looks really unpleasant and unsporting, and if he's that good a keeper he wouldn't need to resort to trying to intimidate the kicker.

Have to feel a bit of sympathy for the proper Dutch keeper though - not much of a vote of confidence in him that the manager doesn't feel he's good enough for a shootout.

If the semi or final goto extra time, and Holland have had to use up their three subs already, how's Cillesen(?) going to feel if it goes to penalties - knowing Van Gaal doesn't trust him?

I never said that and your vocabulary seems a little challenged

I think Krul is the better keeper anyway and I'm surprised he's not the Dutch no1. I don't think Cillesen has ever saved a penalty throughout his career, so you can't blame Van Gaal for doubting his penalty taking skills.

I'm quite shocked at the quality of the Dutch penalty takers though. It's a far cry from the disaster of Euro 2000 where an absolutely superb Dutch team missed 2 penalties during normal time and then another 3 (out of 4) in the shoot out. They must have really practised this time round.

LVG has said he put Krul in because of his height advantage

Since the penalty disasters of the 1990's and early 2000's they have always practised. At some point they even brought in a psychologist to analyse what went wrong and how to improve.

So whys he not in goal to start with?

They were top quality penalties, but you also have to look at who took them - Van Persie, Robben, Sneijder and Kuyt, whilst Huntelaar probably would have taken the 5th. All attacking players, and all vastly experienced.

Shouldn't England do the same?


Hmmm... Robben always misses penalties for Bayern Munich and I'm sure I have seen Van Persie miss a few. I think Huntelaar's record prior to the Mexico game was 2 (out of 7) successful penalties. I don't think the Dutch ever won in penalties in a World Cup, so for them to score 4 out of 4 was quite a spectacular achievement. LVG must really be a magician.

I'm not his spokesman.