Penalty exploits not enough to earn Krul a starting place
NEWCASTLE goalkeeper Tim Krul will start on the bench for Holland’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday despite his penalty shoot-out heroics against Costa Rica.
Krul justified coach Louis van Gaal’s decision to send him on specifically for the spot-kicks with two crucial saves, but remains behind first-choice Jasper Cillessen in the pecking order.
“There is no question about who will start next game – it will be Cillessen – but we felt Krul was the better choice here,” said Van Gaal, who is set to take charge at Manchester United.
“We told Krul that he would be a possibility for the penalties, but we didn’t tell Cillessen, as we didn’t want to ruin his preparation. Tim is taller and has a longer reach. It worked out. That was beautiful. I’m a bit proud of that.”
Krul, who saved from Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana on Saturday night, admitted trying to “psyche out” his opponents before each kick.
He said: “You try everything you can without being too aggressive. I tried to get in their minds.”