Spain 1-5 Holland: Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben score twice as Dutch stun world champions in Salvador

Spain v Holland Match Zone

Three games in to this World Cup and already the champions have a weaker grip on their trophy. Spain lost the first game four years ago, too, but defeat by Switzerland back then cannot compare psychologically to the stunning events of Friday night.
Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque will ask himself quite how his team lost from a winning position. A goal up on the cusp of half-time, Spain were cruising.
What will have kept him awake, though, is the manner in which his team lose all semblance of discipline, confidence and organisation once they went behind.
For the final half an hour the world champions were an absolute shambles as Holland went on to exploit some surprising leaden-footedness in the Spain defence to score the goals that have threatened to turn this tournament on its head before it’s even properly got going.

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Dutch destroyers: Robin van Persie embraces Arjen Robben on a superb night for Holland

Heading into the net: Robin van Persie hurls himself through the air to score a superb equaliser

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Aerial ultra: Van Persie hangs as he watches his header go into the Spain net

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Calamitous error: Van Persie robs Iker Casillas to poke home Holland's fourth goal

Can't believe it: Casillas looks downcast as the Holland players celebrate Van Persie's goal

Match facts

Spain: Casillas 5, Azpilicueta 6.5, Sergio Ramos 5.5, Pique 5.5, Jordi Alba 7, Alonso 7.5 (Pedro 63), Xavi 7, Busquets 6, Silva 7.5, Diego Costa 7 (Torres 62), Iniesta 7.
Subs: De Gea, Albiol, Javi Martinez, Juanfran, Villa, Fabregas, Mata, Koke, Cazorla, Reina.
Holland: Cillessen 7, Janmaat 6, Vlaar 7.5, De Vrij 7, Martins Indi 6.5, Blind 7, de Guzman 6, Sneijder 6, De Jong 6.5, Van Persie 8, Robben 8.
Subs: Vorm, Verhaegh, Veltman, Kongolo, Kuyt, Clasie, Lens, Fer, Huntelaar, Wijnaldum, Depay, Krul.
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
Attendance:
Man of the match: Robin van Persie
Ratings by JOE CALLAGHAN in Sao Paulo

Perhaps it was a sense of injustice – allied to a desire to avenge their final defeat of 2010 – that drove Holland on here. Spain had taken the lead through a penalty that shouldn’t have been given and this time Louis van Gaal’s team were simply not going to succumb.
Both the first two Dutch goals were wonderful. Both were created by astute passes from left wing-back Daley Blind and both were finished exquisitely, if in contrasting ways, by Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben.
Goals three and four, meanwhile, were down to calamitous goalkeeping from Iker Casillas. Ahead of Spain’s second game next week – a match they now have to win – there is an increasing argument for Manchester United’s David de Gea to replace the great Spanish ‘keeper.
As for the victors, who scored again through the irrepressible Robben, once again a team from the Netherlands has arrived at a major finals with attacking talent others would die for. Whether they remain solid and focussed enough to prosper in the long-term remains open to question but this was an incredible way to start.
After all the discussion beforehand about 2010 final, it was perhaps fitting that the early stages provided a couple of throwback moments.
In just the eighth minute, Holland found themselves with the opportunity to take the lead courtesy of a clean break on goal. Just as they did on two occasions at Soccer City, they failed to take it.

Bunch of fives: Robben (left) slams home Holland's fifth goal in their stunning victory

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Stefan de Vrij (left) bundles the ball in at the back post for Holland's third goal

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Turning him inside out: Arjen Robben gets past Gerard Pique after taking the ball down superbly

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Finish: Sergio Ramos can't close down Robben, who strikes the ball with his left foot

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Net gain: Iker Casillas (right) is sent the wrong way as the ball goes into the goal

The best 11: Robben holds out his arms in celebration after scoring Holland's second

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Pointing the finger: Nigel de Jong tells Fernando Torres to get up

Arjen Robben was the villain four years ago but here he played a perfect pass behind the Spanish defence to release Wesley Sneijder. The Galatasaray midfielder – making his 100th international appearance - had some distance to go to goal, but he was clear and should have done better than bring a relatively straight forward save from Iker Casillas, who had decided to stand tall.
Soon after, the Dutch were reminiscing again, this time through the brutality of their challenges.
Louis van Gaal had said on Thursday that there was nothing wrong with the way the Dutch approached the 2010 final but two challenges in quick succession by Nigel de Jong and Sneijder were thuggish in the extreme. That they chose to pick on Sergio Busquets – the most formidable man in the Spanish team – was indicative of bravery or stupidity.
Certainly the game had plenty in it during the opening exchanges. Often opening group games can be nervous, cautious affairs but here both teams wanted to get on the front foot and it made for some entertaining football.
Diego Costa was booed at every turn by Brazilian fans irritated at his decision to choose Spain over Brazil and for some time it appeared as though the occasion was proving too much for him.
He was stopped in his tracks by a well-timed Ron Vlaar tackle in the 13th minute and then blazed wildly wide with his right foot after Manchester City’s David Silva played him clear down the right.
As the game settled down, Silva and Barcelona playmaker Xavi were having the greatest influence for Spain and it was Xavi’s pass to Costa that provided the game with a moment of genuine controversy just before the half hour.

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Happy Holland: Louis van Gaal high fives Van Persie after the forward's brilliant equaliser

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Shut up: Diego Costa gestures to the Salvador crowd, who barracked him throughout the match

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Trip: Costa is caught by De Vrij inside the area in Salvador

On the way down: Costa is tripped by Stefan de Vrij and the referee pointed to the spot

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Spot on: Xabi Alonso rolls his penalty to the right of Jasper Cillessen and into the corner

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Not too Xabi: Alonso celebrates putting Spain a goal up from the spot

HELL SALVADOR FOR SPAIN

It was Spain’s heaviest defeat since Scotland beat them 6-2 in 1963.
Portugal beat them 4-0 in 2010.
Spain last conceded three in Brazil in the Confederations Cup final last June (lost 3-0 to Brazil (Fred 2, Neymar).
They last conceded two to Group B rivals Chile in a friendly in September.
They lost WC opener to Switzerland in 2010 (0-1, Gelson Fernandes).
The Dutch have scored as many goals against the World Champions as they did in both their qualifying games against Andorra combined (5)

At first glance Costa did seem to be brought down by Stefan de Vrij as he turned back inside on to his right foot but replays showed that he clearly placed his foot on top of de Vrj’s leg and, as such, no penalty should have been awarded.
Nevertheless, Spain had the chance to strike a real blow and Alonso did so, driving the penalty low to Jasper Cillessen’s right with his right foot. For a while the world champions seems set to assume total control. Certainly the game may well have been over had Silva done better after moving in to Andres Iniesta’s stunning reverse pass just before the interval.
As it was, Cillessen was able to stand tall and touch Silva’s chip round the post and within a couple of minutes Holland were level.
In truth they hadn’t looked much of an attacking threat in the minutes that followed Spain’s goal but that changed once left wing-back Daley Blind delivered a beautiful crossfield ball in to the path of Van Persie.
The Manchester Uniyed centre forward looked at first as though he would seek to control the ball on his chest but at the last moment he propelled himself forward and diverted a sensational header over Casillas, who had advanced in an attempt to narrow the angle.
At a stroke the Dutch were level and the wild celebrations that followed – including an untidy attempt at a high five between Van Persie and Van Gaal – showed how much it meant.

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Thwarted: David Silva sees his chip comfortably saved by Cillessen

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Waste: Wesley Sneijder hits his shot straight at the keeper when through on goal

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Proceed with caution: De Vrij (second right) is shown the yellow card by Nicola Rizzoli

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Clash of the titans: Alonso and Arjen Robben compete for a ball in the air as the Dutchman goes flying

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Stop right there: Holland defender Bruno Martins Indi (left) grabs hold of Spain midfielder David Silva

With the rain pouring at the start of the second half, mistakes were to be expected. Even so, it was astonishing to see Xavi conceded possession so cheaply as Holland sprang forward to take the lead.
Again it was Blind who swept the ball in from the left and when Robben pulled it down, the Bayern Munich player eased inside Gerard Pique and then lashed his shot past Casillas before Sergio Ramos could close him down.
It was a quite stunning goal and one that shook Spain. A few minutes later Daryl Janmaat supplied Van Persie with a pass and the United striker shook the bar with a crushing right foot volley.
By now, however, Holland were not to denied and in the 64th minute Casillas made a mess of a free-kick allowing Stefan de Vrij to bundle the third in virtually on the goal line.
Van Persie capitalised on another Casillas mistake for No 4 and Robben rounded off the rout.