Holland 0 - Argentina 0 (2 - 4 pens.): Romero breaks Dutch hearts after Messi held at bay #TheElitePartyinJuly #IRepEntertain9jarBlog #TwitterTrendBlog via @myentertain9jar

JUST when the hosts believed matters could not get any worse, their nightmare threatens to become complete.

 

Sergio Romero was the hero for Argentina[EPA]

Argentina may have crawled into the World Cup final, requiring penalties to overcome Holland on an evening when the competition caught its breath and, at times, was left to check its pulse after events in Belo Horizonte.

Yet the prospect of the Maracana belonging to Lionel Messi and Co on Sunday still looms large even if Germany, interested onlookers after their 7-1 goal glut against Brazil, will not have been fazed by the tedium that unfolded here.

A repeat of the 1986 final when Argentina lifted the trophy for the last time and 1990 when Germany – West Germany as they were – cherished a fourth and last star now ensues.

And the neutrals, plus 200million Brazilians, will shout loudest for Joachim Low’s side, convinced, on the evidence witnessed last night, they will take the risks in pursuit of glory that Alex Sabella’s simply were not prepared to contemplate.

The drama absent in the previous 120 minutes, when Holland mustered one shot on target and the South Americans fared little better, was saved for the end.

Ron Vlaar, immense throughout, saw his spot-kick saved as Sergio Romero flung himself to his left. Messi, Arjen Robben and Ezequiel Garay all proved sound before the Argentine goalkeeper produced an even better save, this time diving to his right, to deny Wesley Sneijder.

As Sergio Aguero and Dirk Kuyt traded blows, it was left to Maxi Rodriguez to seal victory, 4-2, and spark the sort of celebrations Brazil were still hoping would be in full swing for them.

This was a semi-final that always looked destined for penalties. It was as if the Germans’ brutal destruction 24 hours earlier had used up all the goals and with it any semblance of goalmouth action, as the rivals played themselves to standstill.

Perhaps it was the realisation of just what was riding on the outcome, that precluded the majority of the players on the pitch from trying to make a hero of themselves.

Messi – man-marked throughout – and Robben could not lift themselves above the tedium on an evening when Javier Mascherano and Vlaar were the unlikely figures to catch the eye for their steadfast work purely in maintaining parity.

It was Mascherano’s super last- ditch tackle on Robben that prevented him winning it for the Dutch in the last seconds of normal time.

Argentina may relish revelling in Brazilian misfortune as their fans’ chant about the hosts being "bossed around in their own home" testified.

Yet this could not be enough for a country shorn of silverware since their Copa America success of 1993.

Louis van Gaal’s organised Holland ensured this was a proper, if uninspiring, contest as they made their opponents work for any openings.

Messi was shadowed by Nigel de Jong, restored to the line-up earlier than expected following a groin injury and who signed up to his task with all the zeal of a wide-jawed Alsatian just waiting to bite.

And so the emphasis fell on one of the Argentina skipper’s team-mates to accept more responsibility and unhinge the Oranje rearguard which Dirk Kuyt, not so long ago a centre-forward, impressed as a wing-back.

This was a semi-final that always looked destined for penalties.

Argentina had the first real chance when Vlaar’s clumsy challenge on Enzo Perez left Messi with a free-kick four yards outside the penalty area, central to goal.

There was relief from Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen that the maestro opted for power – rather than placement – and was in position to smother the effort.

That, plus a header from Garay that went over the crossbar from Ezequiel Lavezzi’s corner, amounted to the only meaningful goal attempts.

With Robben seeing so little of the ball it was impossible even for him to court controversy, while Robin van Persie was again a peripheral figure.

Daryl Janmaat replaced Bruno Martins Indi – who had been booked for the second of two nibbles at Messi – for the start of the second half and given Van Gaal’s success with his substitutions thus far there was an expectation the momentum might shift.

Robben threatened to have more of an influence and won a free-kick from a foul by Martin Demichellis. Sneijder wasted it, however, shooting horribly high and wide.

The sight of De Jong walking to the bench after an hour would have piqued Messi’s interest but nothing could puncture the stalemate.

Argentina had the two best chances to clinch it in extra-time but first Rodrigo Palacio headed straight at Cillessen from Messi’s clever chip, then Maxi Rodriguez was equally wasteful when Messi again created the opening.

The stage was thus set for Romero’s heroics.