By the time Klaas-Jan Huntelaar came on as a substitute in the Netherlands’ last-16 clash with Mexico at the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, the striker was like a caged animal.
Huntelaar hadn’t had a single minute of playing time at the tournament, with first-choice centre-forward Robin van Persie in scintillating form during the group phase. The Manchester United man had scored three times as the Dutch eased through to the knockouts with a 100-per-cent record.
While Huntelaar had remained on the bench in Brazil, Louis van Gaal had spoken enthusiastically of his qualities. And with his team 1-0 down against Mexico, the Netherlands coach finally turned to a man he described as the world’s best player in the penalty box “bar none”.
Huntelaar replaced Van Persie with 14 minutes to go and immediately set about making his presence felt. His strength, link-up play and intelligent movement unsettled the Mexican backline, and the Dutch piled on the pressure in the dying embers of the game.
They eventually made the breakthrough two minutes from the end of regulation time, with Huntelaar playing a key role. He rose high to meet an Arjen Robben corner and headed the ball into the path of Wesley Sneijder, who lashed home from the edge of the box.
Huntelaar wasn’t done. When a penalty was awarded for a foul on Robben in stoppage time, the substitute was entrusted with taking it. The suspense was palpable as he began his run-up, but that tension turned to ecstasy for Huntelaar and team-mates when he emphatically converted to send his team into the quarter-finals.
Huntelaar then provided the enduring image from a dramatic encounter as he celebrated with an acrobatic kung-fu kick on the corner flag.
As well as displaying his exceptional athleticism, the celebration also represented an outpouring of emotion from Huntelaar, who had waited patiently to showcase his worth on the game’s biggest stage.
“I felt the sensation in all my bones,” said Huntelaar, as he basked in the glow of a thrilling victory. “It was difficult for me to sit on the bench and watch others going on to play. You can’t do much more than wait and work towards such moments. Then it’s extra sweet when you give an assist and score the winning goal
“As the ball hits the net, you get an enormous adrenaline rush. The best drug there is. This is what you dream about as a little boy. To see it come true is amazing.”
