Holland 0-0 Costa Rica (4-3 pens): Super sub Tim Krul the hero as Louis van Gaal's side progress to World Cup semi-finals

Maybe Louis van Gaal is the genius he often purports himself to be after all.

Here at a rapturous Arena Fonte Nova, Van Gaal made one of the biggest calls of this World Cup and saw it take his team in to a semi-final with Argentina on Wednesday.

Having seen his team pour all over Costa Rica for 120 minutes but fail to score, Van Gaal sent on Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul to face the penalties.

Krul had barely had time warm up and the man he replaced, Jasper Cillessen, had made a save in the 118th minute to keep his country in the competition.

But Van Gaal is a coach who always seems to know what he is doing and Krul saved the second Costa Rica penalty from Fulham’s Bryan Ruiz, and then the fourth from Michael Umana, to take Holland through.

It was all that the Dutch deserved, too. Not only did they produce a nerveless shootout performance to score through Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt, they were relentless all night in the face of some remarkable misfortune.

Super sub: Holland's Tim Krul makes the decisive save to deny Costa Rica's Michael Umana in the shoot-out

Ecstatic: Holland's players celebrate after Krul's heroics sent Louis van Gaal's side through to the semi-finals

Jumping for joy: Holland's Dirk Kuyt was the first Dutch player to congratulate goalkeeper Krul

Delight and despair: Goalkeeper Tim Krul celebrates after saving a penalty from Costa Rica's Bryan Ruiz (left)

Talking tactics: Holland boss Louis van Gaal and assisstant Patrick Kluivert speak with Krul on the touchline

Bold move: Goalkeeper Tim Krul replaced Jasper Cillessen ahead of the dramatic penalty-shootout

So close: Robin van Persie saw his late shot strike the bar after deflecting off Yeltsin Tejeda on the line

Flying Dutchman: Arjen Robben theatrically goes to ground following a challenge from Cristian Gamboa

Grounded: Robben falls to the floor as Junior Diaz and Michael Umana stop the Dutchman in his tracks

Referee! Robben appeals for a free-kick during the first half of Holland's match with Costa Rica

Come on, ref: Ravshan Irmatov from Uzbekistan shares a laugh with Robben after the half-time whistle

MATCH FACTS

Holland: Cillessen 6 (Krul, 120, 8), De Vrij 6, Vlaar 7, Martins 6 (Huntelaar 105), Kuyt 6, Wijnaldum 7, Sneijder 7, Blind 6, Robben 8, van Persie 6, Depay 6 (Lens 76 6).
Subs not used: Vorm, De Jong, Janmaat, de Guzman, Verhaegh, Veltman, Kongolo, Clasie, Fer.
Booked: Martins, Huntelaar.
Penalty scorers: van Persie, Robben, Sneijder, Kuyt.
Manager: Louis van Gaal, 7.
Costa Rica: Navas 8, Gamboa 7 (Myrie 78 6), Acosta 6, Diaz 6, Gonzalez 7, Ruiz 6, Borges 7, Tejeda 7 (Cubero 97 6), Bolanos 6, Campbell 6 (Urena 66 6), Umana 6.
Subs not used: Pemberton, Duarte, Barrantes, Francis, Granados, Brenes, Miller,
Calvo, Cambronero.
Booked: Umana, Diaz, Gonzalez.
Penalty scorers: Borges, Gonzalez, Bolanos.
Manager: Jorge Pinto, 7.
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan) 8.
Attendance: 51,179
*Player ratings by Joe Bernstein*

Robben was the star of the 120 minutes. Four of the Costa Rica back five were booked for fouling him. Not once did he dive.

Sneijder, meanwhile, hit the frame of the goal twice - once in the 119th minute - while Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas made a string of great saves.

This World Cup has another great story to add to the list and another great game. This one had the right ending, though. This tournament has a semi-final to savour.

Van Gaal’s team were superior in the first half, too. They dominated possession and, with Sneijder perhaps playing his best football of the World Cup to date, they created enough promising positions to have taken a firm grip on the game.

What was missing was good decision-making and timing. All too often the Dutch managed to break on the Costa Rica backline only to let themselves down when it mattered.

It was unlike them as, on the whole, they have shown a clinical edge in front of goal.

Van Persie was guilty early on. Having started the tournament so brightly with his explosive performance against Spain, the Manchester United striker looked frustrated after failing to take an opportunity fashioned beautifully by the industry of Dirk Kuyt and the vision of Memphis Depay.

Depay’s pass found Van Persie with only the keeper to beat but he could not manage it. The impressive Navas blocked to keep Costa Rica level.

Navas also saved Sneijder’s follow up from the edge of the area and, later, was equal to a free-kick from the same player.

Flying high: Robin van Persie is forced to jump over Keylor Navas as the goalkeeper claims the ball

Aerial duel: Holland defender Stefan de Vrij feels the full force of the ball as he beats Christian Bolanos in the air

Fall to the floor: Bryan Ruiz takes a tumble under Memphis Depay as Bruno Martins Indi watches on

Bend it like Sneijder: The Holland frontman unleashes a curling effort at goal which evades Yeltsin Tejeda

Battle: Daley Blind challenges Costa Rica's Arsenal frontman Joel Campbell on the edge of the area

PENALTY SHOOT-OUT

Borges scores 0-1

Van persie scores 1-1

Ruiz misses - Krul saves 1-1

Robben scores 2-1

Gonzalez scores 2-2

Sneijder scores 3-2

Bolanos scores 3-3

Kuyt scores 4-3

Umana misses Krul saves

That apart, Navas did not have to excel but Holland really should have worked him more.

An early run by Robben looked dangerous but was ended by a tackle from Giancarlo Gonzalez. Robben did not go to ground.

The Bayern Munich player remained dangerous and whenever Holland advanced it was Robben who was at the heart of things.

More than once he seemed about to make a decisive intervention only for things to break down or an offside flag to go up.

Navas did make one more save of note in the first half, blocking from Depay.

Costa Rica seemed happy to wait for chances. They looked dangerous at set-pieces and came close after the half-hour when Celso Borges headed down a free-kick and an overhead kick from Johnny Acosta forced Van Persie to hack clear.

Eyes on the prize: Bryan Ruiz brings the ball down on his chest under the challenge of Daley Blind

Under pressure: Marco Urena makes a pass as Holland frontman Wesley Sneijder chases the ball down

One for the cameras: Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas stretches through the air to make a save

Costa Rican confidence was growing and who could blame them? Since the interval, Holland had threatened only sporadically.

Van Persie and Robben combined midway through the half but the centre-forward’s return into Robben’s path was underhit and Costa Rica cleared.

Van Persie was having a poor night. Van Gaal then brought on Jeremain Lens. He was offside when bringing a save from Navas before Sneijder smacked a post with a free-kick.

Van Persie then brought a low save from Navas. On both occasions, Costa Rica were fortunate to see the ball rebound to safety.

Even Van Persie could not be blamed deep in added time, when his far-post shot from a Daley Blind cross rolled up Yeltsin Tejeda’s shin and on to the bar.

It was an astonishing end to a 90-minute period that belonged to the Dutch. Into extra time and Ron Vlaar saw a header saved then Acosta had to hack clear from his own line.

Nothing they could do, it seemed, could save them from the ordeal of a penalty shootout. And even then Costa Rica almost won it at the death, Marcos Urena weaving through to shoot against Cillessen, before Sneijder struck the bar with two minutes left.