World Cup

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Attendance: 58,817

World Cup | Round of 16

Jun 29, 2014 at 5pm UK

Netherlands
2-1
Mexico

Sneijder (88'), Huntelaar (90+5' pen.)

FT(HT: 0-0)

dos Santos (48')

Dirk Kuyt: 'Louis van Gaal is world's best tactician'

By Steven Toplis, Reporter

Published: June 30 2014 | 09:14

Last updated: July 1 2014 | 00:07

Netherlands striker Dirk Kuyt hails Louis van Gaal as the most tactically adept coach in football after his side's 2-1 victory over Mexico at the World Cup.

Netherlands striker Dirk Kuyt has said that Louis van Gaal is the most tactically adept coach in football after masterminding a 2-1 victory over Mexico at the World Cup.

The Dutch were trailing 1-0 with three minutes remaining in Fortaleza, before strikes from Wesley Sneijder and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar saw them advance into the quarter-finals.

Van Gaal admitted that he used the tournament's first cooling breaks to help his side pull off their dramatic victory.

"He's maybe the best tactically there is in the world," Kuyt told Sport24.

"It doesn't matter what system we are playing the players know exactly what to do. He told us before the game already that we could switch system if we were 1-0 down.

"We switched to 4-3-3 then 15 minutes before the end of the game he decided to put an extra striker to play longer balls and looks for second balls and we managed to score a goal so his tactics were once again spot on."

Netherlands will play Costa Rica in the last eight on Saturday.