Late goals give Holland victory over Mexico

The Netherlands scored two goals in the last five minutes to beat Mexico 2-1 and advance into the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Mexico had one foot in the last eight, as they were 1-0 up after 88 minutes, thanks to a Giovani Dos Santos goal at the start of the second half, but Wesley Sneijder levelled with two minutes remaining, then substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar blasted home the winner from the penalty spot in injury time.

Dos Santos fired home in the 48th minute from 30 yards to give Mexico the lead. The Villarreal forward held off Daley Blind and Georginio Wijnaldum before shooting a half-volley into the bottom corner of Jasper Cillessen’s goal.

Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made a number of superb second-half saves as the Dutch sought an equaliser.

The best was in the 58th minute, when Arjen Robben’s corner from the right was met by Stefan de Vrij, but the goalkeeper tipped his close-range effort onto the bar.

He was finally beaten two minutes before the end, when Sneijder drilled home from the edge of the box after Huntelaar’s misplaced header ran into the Galatasaray midfielder’s path.

Incredibly, the Dutch scored again as Mexico defender Rafael Marquez mistimed a tackle on Robben in the box in injury-time to concede the penalty.

Huntelaar, on as a second-half substitute for captain Robin van Persie, drove home the spot-kick to set up a last-eight meeting with Costa Rica or Greece.