Carlos Vela scored twice on his international comeback to help Mexico beat the Netherlands 3-2 in a friendly at The Amsterdam Arena tonight.
The Real Sociedad forward, whose last appearance came way back in 2011, opened the scoring with a fine curling effort after just eight minutes.
Wesley Sneijder equalised with an excellent volley early in the second half, before another from Vela and Javier Hernandez helped the visitors into a 3-1 lead.
Daley Blind reduced the arrears, but Miguel Herrera's side held on for their fifth straight win since being eliminated by the Dutch from the World Cup 137 days ago.
Ah, good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of the Netherlands' clash with Mexico at the Amsterdam ArenA. It may only be a friendly folks, but revenge is certainly on the agenda for the visitors following their heartbreaking World Cup defeat in the summer. This one will be tasty!
On June 29, Miguel Herrera's Mexico side dropped to their knees at full time in Fortaleza, anguished by what had happened minutes before the whistle. They were closing in on a first quarter-final spot in 28 years thanks to Giovanni Dos Santos's second-half strike, but Wesley Sneijder struck on 88 minutes to level up the match, before Klaas Jan Huntelaar converted a stoppage-time penalty to send the Dutch through to the last eight.
Has that wound closed? Not even close. El Tri supporters have worn t-shirts with the phrase "No era penal" - 'it wasn't a penalty' - emblazoned on them in their country's subsequent four internationals, in reference to Arjen Robben's perceived theatrics in winning the spot-kick that sent them out of the competition. It's still such a raw topic for Mexico.
However, nothing Herrera's side manage tonight will close those wounds permanently, but it is an opportunity for them to maybe pile further misery on Dutch boss Guus Hiddink, who replaced Louis van Gaal after the World Cup. Hiddink has endured a truly shocking start to his second spell in charge of the Netherlands, losing two of their three Euro 2016 qualifiers to sit six points behind co-leaders Iceland and Czech Republic. It's not looking good for them.
In fact, the veteran manager, 67, recently claimed that he would quit if his troops lost to Latvia in another qualifier next week. It's not looking good for the Netherlands, and a Mexico win here would certainly represent another blow to their confidence ahead of facing the Latvians.
Let's have a look at both teams then shall we? I'll have this very soon indeed.
NETHERLANDS XI: Krul; van Rhijn, Veltman, Vlaar, Willems; Afellay, Blind, Sneijder, Depay; Huntelaar, Robben
MEXICO XI: Ochoa; Reyes, Herrera, Alanis; Aguilar, Aldrete, Vazquez; Guardado, Herrera; Vela, Hernandez
We will start with the Dutch and the three players who conspired to eliminate Herrera's side 137 days ago - Sneijder, Huntelaar and Robben - all start! No Robin van Persie, who is seemingly injured, but his United teammate Daley Blind starts, as does Ibrahim Afellay and Memphis Depay. Ron Vlaar, so impressive in their defence during the World Cup, also finds himself in the first XI.
On to Mexico now and the big news for them is undoubtedly that of Carlos Vela's inclusion. The former Arsenal man has been absent from international duty since 2011, but he's back now and partners Real Madrid man - on loan from Manchester United - Javier Hernandez up top. Giovanni Dos Santos, who scored against the Oranje in Fortaleza that day, takes to the bench along with his former Jonathan tonight.
We spoke about the Netherlands' form coming into this one, but what about Mexico? Although their fans still feel aggrieved about what happened at the World Cup, the players themselves have certainly moved on; unbeaten in the four games since Brazil, winning three of them - and keeping four successive clean sheets in the process. Fair play to them.
We know about Sneijder, Huntelaar and Robben, but another Dutchman who might just come to the fore for his nation very soon could be Memphis Depay. The PSV man, 20, scored twice in the World Cup and here's a little graphic to illustrate why he may cause problems tonight, and in the future.
99 - Memphis Depay has created 99 chances in the Eredivisie since the start of 2013/14, 45 more than any other PSV player. Ingenious.
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) November 9, 2014
Who will Mexico look to for inspiration then? Probably Vela, who only did this at the weekend!
Carlos Vela with a brilliant goal against Atletico Madrid!
http://t.co/swY6wv7mfG
— Football Vines (@FootballVines) November 9, 2014
Right, both sets of players are out on the field and we should be getting underway very, very soon indeed. I fancy a decent game.
KICKOFF! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off in Amsterdam, my friends. The Oranje, playing from left to right, get us underway.
Ouch! That's a nasty one for Jetro Willems, as the Dutch defender takes a boot in the face from Javier Hernandez, whose foot was higher than most tourists in one of those famous coffee shops in Amsterdam. He's back up on his feet now.
It's been a fine start for Mexico, who have bossed the opening stages and Andres Guardado just swung in a decent ball from a free kick, but Ron Vlaar gets his head on it.
There's been plenty of purpose from Mexico here but yet to fashion a goalscoring opportunity. The Dutch look quite dangerous on the break, and their defence will need to be wary of Robben.
GOAL!!!! NETHERLANDS 0-1 MEXICO (VELA)
What a way to mark your return to international duty!!! Carlos Vela, whose last Mexico appearance came way back in 2011, has curled a sublime strike past Tim Krul from outside the box. It was a lovely goal, but there's plenty of questions over how he got into the position in the first place. When it rains it pours for the Oranje.
Hiddink sits ashen-faced on the bench. This is was absolute not what they wanted ahead of a key Euro 2016 qualifier against Latvia at the weekend.
Good response by the Dutch, who whip in a corner through Memphis Depay but Vlaar's header fires well over. Still, promising for the hosts.
Good work from Robben on the left wing, cutting inside before clipping a ball over to Huntelaar but Reyes stabs the ball clear of danger. Good work from the visitors.
It has to be said that Mexico are looking very, very comfortable; perhaps too comfortable. There's such little urgency from the hosts. We know it's only a friendly, but Guus Hiddink needs to reinvigorate his troops after a shocking start to Euro 2016 qualifying and, well, it's hardly been inspiring so far.
OFF THE LINE! Much better from the Netherlands, who nearly get back on level terms. Depay does well to beat his marker and fizz a fine, low cross which Ochoa palms away to Robben, who thinks he's got an easy task of tapping home but Adrian Aldrete is there to clear away.
Louis van Gaal is probably watching this from behind a sofa as if it was The Exorcist. The Manchester United boss, who already has plenty of injuries to contend with, would've seen Daley Blind go to ground there under a challenge from Vela, but thankfully the Dutch midfielder is back on his feet.
Worrying signs for Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert now as Ron Vlaar looks like he might heading off. The team doctor is treating the big defender, who sits on the turf, not in pain but with that kind of expression that suggests his night is over.
SUBSTITUTION: And it is, as Vlaar is now replaced by Lazio centre-half Stefan De Vrij.
CLOSE! The Dutch haven't really taken heed of these warning signs and Mexico go close again, with Oswaldo Alanis heading narrowly wide from a Guardado corner. They're living a charmed life out there.
CHANCE! This is great work from Robben, who unselfishly (the first time that word has been used in reference to the bloke) clips it over Mexico's defence to Depay, who tries to be a bit too clever and lob Ochoa but it drops on the roof of the net.
SAVE! Worryingly for the visitors, Robben is growing into this one far more in recent minutes and the Bayern man sees his strike punched away by Ochoa. Good effort.
Good work from Vela as he races past Veltman before being taken down by the Dutch left-back. It came about after Depay needlessly conceded possession. He's been a bit hit and miss so far.
SHOT! Oh dear it definitely should be 1-1 here, but Sneijder misses another chance for the hosts; running around a few defender before scuffing his shot at the vital moment.
Yep, the Netherlands are certainly playing like one of the world's elite teams now, as Robben plays in Huntelaar who, for some reason, cuts back inside on to his right before swinging a foot at the ball, but his shot is comfortably blocked. Take it on your left pal!
OFF THE BAR! It came from a Netherlands boot but it would've been a Mexico goal, as Joel Veltman slices his clearance and it ends up looping backwards and bouncing off the woodwork. Mexico are by no means comfortable anymore, but there is enough evidence to suggest that there's more goals for them in this one, my friends.
CHANCE! Yet another really good chance for the Dutch as Huntelaar heads a pinpoint Robben cross into the arms of Ochoa from close range - left or right of him and it's 1-1. For a striker of his calibre you expect more.
OPEN GOAL! I don't believe it. The Netherlands have missed an open goal, and it's only Huntelaar again, who finds himself on the end of De Vrij's flick-on from a corner but the Schalke striker, with the goal at his mercy, stabs an instinctive effort wide! Are they trying to get Hiddink sacked or are these honest misses? Madness.
HALF TIME: NETHERLANDS 0-1 MEXICO
Well, what can we say about that? Mexico took a deserved one-goal lead, courtesy of Carlos Vela's wonder goal early on, but it's one-way traffic since and the Dutch should most definitely be back on level terms.
Huntelaar, among several others, is guilty of missing easily the best chance, screwing a shot wide of an open goal late in the half for what was at least his third clear-cut chance of the half. He's usually as cold blooded as they come in front of goal but he's looking a bit poor thus far.
Robben's probably the only Dutch player in that forward not to miss a clear-cut chance. He saw one or two decent shots saved by Ochoa, but they'll go down as decent saves rather than bad misses. They'll need to keep him quiet in the second half because he's far too good to ignore him.
Incidentally, here's that Vela goal from earlier. What a stunning strike.
Carlos Vela made his return to Mexico ... and scored inside of eight minutes. VELA BACK. http://t.co/W3XnvK7eGZ https://t.co/eSmPzrkpbr
— SB Nation Soccer (@SBNationSoccer) November 12, 2014
Can Mexico hang on then? I think they can. How often have we seen a team pepper the opposition goal without finding a breakthrough, before their persistence later wanes? It's common, and this is the type of game where the Netherlands could eventually run out of ideas. The Dutch have also a huge game against Latvia on the horizon, so Hiddink would be wise to withdraw the likes of Robben incase an injury or something - and without Robben they'd be nowhere near equalising. It's intriguing.
For some reason 'Samba De Janiero' is playing at The Amsterdam Arena. Are the Netherlands trying to rub it in that they knocked Mexico out of the World Cup? It's winter, and we're in Europe, so it seems an odd song choice.
RESTART: Aaaaaaaaaaaaand we are officially back underway in Amsterdam.
Tim Krul is another one of the Dutch players trying to get poor Guus Hiddink sacked, it seems. The Newcastle keeper plays a shocking pass to Afellay, as Hector Herrera nips in and surges toward goal but he's taken out of it legitimately by De Vrij.
GOAL!!! NETHERLANDS 1-1 MEXICO (SNEIJDER)
I swear this is probably the best goal you'll see for the rest of the year, as Sneijder volleys a bouncing ball into the corner of the net from well outside the box. What a fantastic strike. It was well better than Vela's - and that says something.
CHANCE! Oh no. It should be 2-1 to Mexico but Hernandez, who evaded his marker, got on the end of Guardado's free kick but screwed a close-range header over the bar.
Sneijder has been fantastic in this half. He has just fizzed two inch-perfect crosses into the Mexico box but both were eventually thrashed away before Robben could reach them.
SAVE! Absolutely ridiculous save from Tim Krul, who somehow manages to prevent Hernandez from scoring. It was Vela who poked the ball toward Chicharito, who looked certain to score but the Mapies keeper came out of nowhere to palm away. Hernandez tried to appeal for handball but goalkeepers are allowed handle the ball pal. I think he tried to deflect attention away from his own miss to be honest.
SUBSTITUTION: Quincy Promes replaces Memphis Depay for the hosts, while Jesus Manuel Corona replaces Miguel Angel Herrera.
GOAL!!!! NETHERLANDS 1-2 MEXICO (VELA)
Corona is involved instantly, playing a fine over-the-top ball for Vela, whose volley flew underneath the body of Tim Krul. What a magical night this is turning out to be for the former Arsenal ace on his return to the Mexican national team after a three-year exile.
BOOKING! Stefan de Vrij earns the first yellow of this friendly by hauling down Vela, who was about to show him a clean pair of heels.
SUBSTITUTION: Netherlands make their third sub now as Georginio Wijnaldum replaces Ibrahim Afellay, who hadn't done much in this half. It's been a poor half overall from the Dutch in fairness. They've taken their foot off the pedal.
GOAL!!!! NETHERLANDS 1-3 MEXICO (HERNANDEZ)
Incredible. Mexico might have just sealed this as Hernandez beats the offside trap, before rounding Krul and slotting home his 38th international goal. He could've squared to Vela for his hat-trick, but he's never going to pass up a chance like that Hernandez, is he?
GOAL!!! NETHERLANDS 2-3 MEXICO (BLIND)
I said it'd be "tasty", didn't I? Daley Blind makes sure it'll be a nervy last 15 minutes or so by taking aim from 30 yards, before watching his deflected effort deceive Mexico goalkeeper Ochoa. There's plenty of life left in the Dutch by the looks of things.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Raul Jiminez and Giovanni Dos Santos replace Carlos Vela and Javier Hernandez for the last 15 minutes. Vela didn't look the happiest of people, considering he was on a hat-trick, but he'll have no complaints. What a fine return to Mexico's national team.
Can the Dutch crowbar their way back into this then? I think they'll get one or two more chances, but with the way they've been finishing it seems unlikely. They've been really poor overall.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Hector Herrera makes way for Jonathan Dos Santos - Giovanni's brother - while QPR's Leroy Fer replaces the impressive Wesley Sneijder. What a goal that was. YouTube it later.
Robben has literally just dived to win a free kick here. Shameless, considering all of Mexico would like to do very bad things to him for doing just that in the World Cup. He was excellent in the first half but he's barely had a kick in this second half, which we have to credit Mexico boss Miguel Herrera for.
WHAT A SAVE! Goalkeeper Ochoa has done his side a huge favour here by denying Wijnaldum's goal-bound header from a corner, before Promes fired the rebound out of the stadium most probably. It was a shocking shot that's en route to Rotterdam.
SUBSTITUTION: Miguel Angel Ponce (make up your own jokes) comes on for the last few minutes for Guardado, who had a very good game it has to be said.
We're into stoppage time now and Mexico, dare I say it, look like hanging on - but only just. Netherlands are still flooding forward.
BOOKING: Ochoa booked for time wasting now, but that should be that.
FULL TIME: NETHERLANDS 2-3 MEXICO
That's all she wrote in Amsterdam, folks. It won't make up for what happened in Fortaleza 137 days ago, but it might help them get over what happened at the World Cup a little quicker. Deserved victory in the end for Miguel Herrera's side, who rode their luck a little in the first half, but the Netherlands were truly poor after the break and got what they deserved.
Anyways, that's all from us. We hope you've enjoyed our coverage and see you next time.
Written by
Shane Callaghan
Shane Callaghan
