On June 29, 2014, a robbery was committed in Fortaleza, Brazil by a man named Arjen Robben. It was the 92nd minute of the round of 16 matchup between Mexico and Netherlands during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Robben won a controversial game-winning penalty by flopping inside the penalty area. This ended Mexico’s tournament with a 2-1 defeat, but losing by a horrible call still haunts the fans to this day.
It has been six years, since this occurred and I for one can never forget how upset I was. Prior to the game, my dad and I discussed the chances of Mexico winning, even though they were not considered favorites. In the 48th minute , Giovanni Dos Santos scored an unlikely goal, and from then on, I believed they were going to pull off the upset. My dad and I jumped and screamed with pure excitement because no one but Mexico fans believed the team was capable of beating the Dutch. Little did I know, that was soon going to change.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe end of the game was near, and the Dutch were making a late push on a tired Mexican team. Dutchman Wesley Sneijder scored a rocket volley to tie the game in the 87th minute. To be fair, it was a miscommunication between the defenders, because the shot had pace that goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa could not have saved. Nevertheless, the game continued, and the most disgusting play I have ever seen was on the verge of happening.
Embed from Getty ImagesRobben’s dive was not a huge surprise because his style of play is really simple. He is fast and cuts inside, but he was always known for falling quite easily. After the call was made, I quickly shouted, “NO ERA PENAL!” The replay had a clear shot that it was not a penalty, but the referee gave the penalty in spite of the players protests. The Dutch scored and won the game, and I fell to the floor in utter disappointment. I lost all respect for Robben after what he did, and I will never forgive him. It is a World Cup moment that will haunt Mexico fans for the rest of time because everyone who watched the game realized that Mexico was robbed.
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