mZuzek said:
So after a lifetime of Van Gaal being xenophobic against south american players, including some nasty episodes with Riquelme and Di Maria when he managed them, after he said Messi is like one player less when defending, after he said penalties was advantage Netherlands because they had a better keeper, after Weghorst came in to provoke the Argentina players and foul them nonstop, after the Dutch players continuously broke the rules in the penalty shootout by leaving the halfway line to block the path of the Argentine penalty takers and give them very nice words on the way... You expected the Argentine to give them a handshake and a hug? |
Give them a handshake and a hug? No
Not to behave in a crash, childish way? Yes.
Bit in italics I haven't seen referenced but if true I can understand there being bad blood.
The bit in bold, there's always trash talk before/during games. I guarantee you many involved in the Argentine squad will have said similar.
Bit underlined, I don't remember seeing that in the game but so many times one sides complains about the other getting away with fouls (England have said the same thing about the France match). If the Dutch players were blocking the Argentine players then why did the referee not get involved? Did either Croatia or Brazil do any of that to the other? Don't believe so. When they won, Croatia celebrated but didn't see the need to rub it Brazil's faces. There's a image of Mbappe after Kane missed his second penalty which has been twisted to imply he was mocking Kane, but really he was just celebrating a missed penalty like any opposing player (England one's included would).
