Miguel Herrera blasts refs after Mexico World Cup exit
By Josh Sanchez
It was a great run for Mexico in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but they ultimately fell short in the Round of 16 on Sunday afternoon thanks to two late goals fro the Netherlands.
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The Dutch were able to score the equalizer off of a set piece from the corner when Wesley Sneijder rocketed a ball past Guillermo Ochoa, but the game-winning goal was very controversial.
Netherlands star Arjen Robben went on a run deep into the box, when he made a theatrical dive as soon as feeling slight contact from El Tri captain Rafa Marquez.
That dive set up the game-winning penalty kick for the Dutch and now they are through to the quarterfinals.
After the game, Mexico manager Miguel Herrera was not shy about sharing his thoughts on the referees calls throughout the game.
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“Three times Robben dove,” Herrera said in a post-game interview on ESPN immediately following the match. “This was a world cup where everyone was against Mexico.”
Herrera expanded on those comments when speaking to the media at the post-game press conference.
“If the ref is fair, the second goal isn’t scored and Arjen Robben is sent off for his second yellow card,” he added.
The unfortunate calls for Mexico weren’t exclusive to today’s game against the Dutch.
In their World Cup opener against Croatia, Giovani dos Santos had two goals disallowed on terrible calls. Had those goals counted, Mexico would have faced Chile in the Round of 16 instead of the Netherlands.
Mexico may feel like everyone was against them in Brazil, but they should be proud of how far they made it. Despite being ousted, Mexico was one of the most impressive sides in the tournament.
Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com throughout the next few weeks for the latest news and results from the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.