The Oranje take on the Mexicans later tonight in the third round of sixteen game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The Mexicans had finished the second in their group behind Brazil, courtesy goal difference.   The Mexicans were a little defensive in their approach in the group stages and used the speed in their frontline to their advantage in counter attacks. The Dutch meanwhile have been all about attack. The Louis van Gaal setup wasn’t expected to be one of the top sides this world cup but after their roaring 5-1 victory over Spain, they’ve been billed as one of the favourites to win this tournament.

 

1

Robin van Persie vs Rafael Marquez : Manchester United man van Persie had scored 3 valuable goals in the two games he’s played so far. He comes back for this game after a one games suspension following yellow cards in the first two games of the group stages. He will be going up against the Mexican captain, veteran warhorse Rafael Marquez who is featuring in his fourth World Cup.  Marquez’s experience will be key to Mexico tonight. Going against van Persie will definitely be a challenging task even for a man of Marquez’s experience but it is definitely a contest worth waiting for.

 

 

2

Giovanni dos Santos vs Stefan de Vrij : Dos Santos will be a threat to the mostly young Dutch defense tonight. His pace can definitely cause them problem if they get caught playing with a high defensive line. De Vrij will be handed with the job of ensuring that Giovanni does not get through the Dutch defense. He has been impressive all tournament so far and will be expected to perform under pressure in tonight’s knockout game.

 

 

3

Arjen Robben vs Carlos Salicido : Probably amongst the best players so far this tournament, Arjen Robben has been a constant threat to any opposition defense. He’s been tearing through the wings with immense pace and scoring goals consistently. His compatriots will definitely be looking up to him to fire all guns today. Carlos Salicido, the experienced fullback will have to work his guts off to keep Robben under control. He has been in such situations before and will hope he gives Robben some great competition tonight.

 

Other stars to watch out for are guns like Daley Blind, Memphis Depay and Mexican midfield Hector Herrera. Here’s to a great fixture today ! My prediction is a 3-1 Dutch victory!

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