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Attendance: 58,817
Netherlands national football team
World Cup | Round of 16
Jun 29, 2014 at 5pm UK
 
Mexico national football team

2-1

Sneijder (88'), Huntelaar (90+5' pen.)
FT(HT: 0-0)

Louis van Gaal hails Netherlands character

Louis van Gaal praises his Netherlands players for showing the "faith and belief" needed to bounce back and record a World Cup last-16 victory over Mexico.

Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has praised his players for showing the "faith and belief" needed to come from behind to secure their spot in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

A late Wesley Sneijder strike, followed by a successfully converted penalty by substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, saw Oranje recover from a goal down against Mexico in Fortaleza.

"The players showed they had faith and belief until the very end," the 62-year-old is quoted as saying by BBC Sport following the game.

"The humidity was not in our favour so when you see that until the very last minute we were fresher and fitter than the Mexicans that is a big compliment to my players.

"Not only did they have belief but physically they prepared so well to play this match. That of course gives us enormous confidence going forward."

Van Gaal also admitted that he used the World Cup's first 'cooling break' to help his side pull off the comeback.

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Head coach Louis van Gaal of the Netherlands reacts during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group B match between Australia and Netherlands at Estadio Beira-Rio on June 18, 2014
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Van Gaal: 'We benefited from break'
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Netherlands Netherlands32107
Q Senegal flag Senegal32016
3 Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
4 Qatar Qatar30030

Group B

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Q England flag England32107
Q United States USA31205
3 Iran Iran31023
4 Wales flag Wales30121

Group C

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Q Argentina Argentina32016
Q Poland Poland31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia31023

Group D

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Q France France32016
Q Australia Australia32016
3 Tunisia Tunisia31114
4 Denmark Denmark30121

Group E

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Q Japan Japan32016
Q Spain Spain31114
3 Germany Germany31114
4 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31023

Group F

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Q Morocco Morocco32107
Q Croatia Croatia31205
3 Belgium Belgium31114
4 Canada Canada30030

Group G

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Q Brazil Brazil32016
Q Switzerland Switzerland32016
3 Cameroon flag Cameroon31114
4 Serbia Serbia30121

Group H

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Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31114
3 Uruguay flag Uruguay31114
4 Ghana flag Ghana31023


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