Netherlands vs. Mexico: A Preview

After the high excitement of the Brazil v. Chile game, which went right down to the wire, tonight sees the winners of Group B, the Netherlands, take on Mexico, the runners up of Group A. Both teams turned in some strong performances in the group stages, remaining unbeaten in all their fixtures. But today one of these teams will go home, and the other will move ever closer to the ultimate prize in football.

Netherlands cruised through their group, scoring 10 goals in their three fixtures and picking up all nine points. After dispatching world champions Spain 5-1 in a display of ruthless attacking intent, they won a thoroughly entertaining fixture with Australia 3-2 and also beat Chile by 2 goals to secure the top spot. They are in sensational form, and under the able leadership of veteran coach Louis van Gaal, they are one of the favourites of this tournament.

The key players for the Netherlands are captain Robin van Persie and winger Arjen Robben. Both have score three goals each so far, and look hungry for more. Persie is also returning from a one game suspension, and he will undoubtedly be the focal point for any attack mounted by his team. Arjen Robben is unpredictable, but his pace and skill on the ball make him a constant threat for the opposition. The Mexico defence will be hard pressed to contain this versatile Dutch attack and this is what makes the Netherlands favourites in this game.

The Mexico team however are not a weak team. They won two of their games in the group stages, beating Croatia and Cameroon, and also held hosts Brazil to a goalless draw in a game they were widely expected to lose. With their strong performances, they may cause another upset today. Their team is young and hungry for success, and will definitely give a fight to their more illustrious opponents.

Their key man is their goalkeeper, Guillermo Ochoa. In a tournament dominated by talk of star forwards and high scoring games, he has stood out with his confident performances in goal for Mexico, and especially in the game against Brazil, he was instrumental in helping his team secure a point by keeping a clean sheet. Currently out of contract, teams like Atletico Madrid and Arsenal are rumoured to be interested in his securing his services. Expect to see another strong performance from him today.

With both teams strong going forward, it is probably going to be an open end to end game, with lots of chances on goal for both teams. While the Netherlands are widely expected to win, whether they live up to expectations is something that remains to be seen.