Yes, it’s been 1,817 days, but still #Noerapenal
It’s been 5 years since that unforgettable Sunday afternoon in Fortaleza, Brazil, but it still feels like it was yesterday.
After having once again performed exceptionally well in the group stage, El Tri seemed to be destined to make it to El Quinto Partido finally. Despite finishing undefeated and in the first place of their group, the Dutch knew the showdown with the Mexicans wasn’t going to be an easy one. Mexico and Holland typically played in toe-to-toe games, and this round-of-16 was going to just as tough for the team from the Netherlands.
Their only prior match in World Cup history was in 1998 when Luis Hernandez scored in the last minute of stoppage to tie the game and make it 2-2 which allowed Mexico to move on to the knockout stage. If you’ve never seen this game do yourself a favor and watch it!
In 2014, both teams entered the game with great momentum, Netherlands had just finished beating Chile and winning their group and Mexico was coming off a convincing victory over Croatia.
The game was an entertaining one, and it turned more exciting after Giovani dos Santos gave Mexico a 1-0 with a strike from outside the box early in the second half.
As it got later in the game, it appeared as though El Tri was finally going to make past the fourth game in a World Cup for the first time since 1986. Then Wesley Sneijder’s strike in the 88th minute dropped the hearts of millions of Mexico’s fans. Despite the game tied at 1-1, the tide and momentum turned in favor of the Dutch.
There were only two minutes left in regulation and all Mexico needed to do was hold on and regroup for extra-time.
Then, it happen……
In stoppage time, Arjen Robben’s infamous dive inside the box over a Rafael Marquez planted foot turned into a penalty kick. This play was obviously before the VAR had been introduced to the World Cup and therefore could not be reviewed. I’ve spoken to several retired referee’s and asked them about the play and most have said that the play would have been overturned, however when judging the play in real time, most have also said they would have called a penalty.
In any case, the play went on to become a viral sensation, and every year, it’s one of the hashtags that trend the most on social media. Because of this play, Robben has become of one the most vilified players in all of Mexican football. The proof is that once again, this year, #noerapenal and Robben’s meme created some buzz around the internet.
Next year, we’ll celebrate the sixth year anniversary.
