Argentina vs Netherlands - World Cup 2014 Semi Final - Stats and Facts

• Argentina have reached their first World Cup semi-final since 1990, when they went on to finish runners-up to West Germany.
• La Albiceleste have progressed from all three of their World Cup semi-finals.
• These teams have met four times in the World Cup, with Netherlands winning twice and Argentina once, with one draw.
• Argentina’s victory, in the 1978 final, is their only win against Netherlands in eight meetings overall (L4 D3).
• Argentina have lost just one of their last 16 World Cup games (W12 D3, not including penalty shoot-outs).
• Netherlands have lost two of their 12 World Cup games against South American teams, not including penalty shoot-outs (1978 final v Argentina and 1994 quarter-final v Brazil).
• 10 of the Netherlands’ 12 goals in this tournament have come after half-time.
• Netherlands’ last four goals in this tournament have come after the 75th minute.
• Netherlands made 692 passes against Costa Rica, the most they’ve recorded in a single World Cup match (1966-2014).
• Lionel Messi (29), Arjen Robben and Angel Di María (both 25) are the players with most completed dribbles in this tournament.
• Messi has also created the most goalscoring chances in this World Cup: 19.
• Against Costa Rica Wesley Sneijder recorded the 10th instance of a player hitting the woodwork twice in a World Cup match (1966 – 2014). He is the first Dutchman to do so.
• Against Costa Rica, Netherlands recorded the 11th instance of a team hitting the woodwork three times in a World Cup match (1966 – 2014).
• Argentina have won both their knockout stage games in this tournament 1-0; they have twice before won by this scoreline in the knock out stages of the World Cup (1986 and 1990).
• Netherlands’ 0-0 draw against Costa Rica was their first goalless draw in World Cup knockout stages. This ended a run of 11 World Cup knockout stage matches for the Dutch without a clean sheet.
• This is the first time Argentina have reached a World Cup semi-final in a tournament when great rivals Brazil have also done so.
• Argentina are yet to trail for a single minute of the 2014 World Cup.
• Argentina have scored with 11% of their shots from outside the box, the best rate at the 2014 World Cup.
• Argentina have made 86 unsuccessful crosses, more than any other side.
• Netherlands are the only team to concede more than one penalty at the 2014 World Cup.