41 NEDIRL Mikkelsen

 
Netherlands defeated the Republic of Ireland by a relatively comfortable two goals to nothing to progress to the last eight of the World Cup. Irish underdogs were undone by two mistakes in the first half, and despite playing a pretty good match, never really looked like toppling their superior orange-shirted opponents.

Peter Mikkelsen, thus far the favourite for the final, was handling his third match of the tournament after ambivalent showings in the Spain - Korea and Switzerland - Colombia ties. The lenient Danish referee was a good appointment for this match, which he refereed with the minimum fuss. 

He managed the physical match well, kept everybody relatively calm, and allowed the teams to play without much interference. Only caution was of the darker variety - though never a red card as the actual contact was not dangerous at all (if it has been on the shin though...). Definitely correct to disallow an Ireland 'goal' at the end - contact or not - he probably should have awarded the boys in green a penalty for a handling in the penalty area at 82', even if it was more involuntary and stupid than really deliberate.

Netherlands' offside trap in the first half gave quite a challenging task for Eugene Brazzale, who seemed to do as his compatriot on the camera side, Gordon Dunster, a good job.

Peter Mikkelsen - 8,4 Gordon Dunster - 8,4 Eugene Brazzale - 8,4 Fabio Baldas DEN, AUS, AUS	Netherlands 2-0 Republic of Ireland Round of Sixteen
Koeman (72') - Tackle

The last World Cup match of a distinguished career - rest in peace, Peter Mikkelsen.