Disgusting and Unsporting behaviour from some of the Argentina players. Now I wish that the Croats will beat them in the semi-final. edit: Croats? Sounds a bit like Krauts. So this will be my team to "support" now for the rest of the World Cup after Germany is out. It's ok to be happy after you won a game but mocking the opponent is an absolute no-go. Did we mock the Argentines after we won the final in 1990 (when Maradona was in tears) or 2014 (when Messi was)? NO! Because that's something that doesn't belong to a football match. Respect for the opponent. **** off Argentina (and that from me who normally wants the Netherlands to lose but they simply didn't deserve this behaviour from some of the Argie players.) btw: The free kick goal in the 100th minute from Wout Weghorst was a beauty (like Messi's no looker in the first half). Weghorst has scored from a similar free kick 2 years ago while playing for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. They showed it after the match in German TV. So this was exactly so planned by him.
Not that I particularly like Argentina or have any urge to defend them, but there's a lot more to it. In the run-up to the match Van Gaal gave his analysis of Argentina's team and Messi in public/to the media. He didn't say anything particularly disrespectful tbh, but since Van Gaal has had bad blood with Riquelme and Di Maria in the past his comments were instead taken as slights by the Argentinians and that's why Argentinian players are taunting the Dutch players in the picture. It's also why Messi used and directed Riquelme's celebration to the Dutch bench after his goal. The only reason I know any of this in the first place is since I do recall seeing a lot of comments from Van Gaal in the run-up to the match and thinking that he was tempting fate way too much by making so many statements before the match. I didn't think they were disrespectful and I like Van Gaal's directness but there's a reason why you always leave such remarks and statements for only after you get a good result.
**** that. Croatia are so so boring how they've managed to sneak another world cup run is embarrassing for the competition.
There's always "a lot more to it", like Brazil's extensive dancing celebrations or the "hand to mouth" gesture of the German team before the Japan match. Often these gestures are firing back and "bite you in the arse" afterwards (like in Brazil's case the elimination in penalty shootout the next game or for the German team that the Qatari TV channel mocked the team with this gesture after we went out after the group stages and flying home). That's why I hope that this unsportsmanlike behaviour of some (not all) Argentine players fires back right in the next game and hopefully Croatia wins (if it is in penalty shootout I hope they don't imitate this behaviour. Celebrations are fully ok but taunting the opponent not) And for everyone who dislikes such behaviour of taunting an opponent (like me) after such a devastating loss there's always one who likes it, see the post above mine from njm. Maybe I'm a relic but I'm one for fairplay and respecting the opponent, especially when they lose in such a manner. No need for Schadenfreude here. Don't get me wrong I'm all for Schadenfreude (it's an origin german word that made it even in the english language) but not on the playing field and directly after the match by taunting the players who have just endured such a loss. Argentina becomes more and more a nemesis for the Netherlands even more than Germany. They lost the WC final 1978 against them and now in 2014 and 2022 going out after penalty shootout against them That's even more than we have "done" to England. At least they could win the WC 1966 against us
Are we all forgetting the fact that Netherlands were being absolute c*nts during the shootout? It was shown pretty clearly on TV before the penalty Argentina missed Literally half their team going and circling the penalty taker whilst he’s walking up. Fair f*cking play to the Argies.