Romero Hails Van Gaal After Penalty Heroics
Argentina’s World Cup semi-final hero Sergio Romero has paid tribute to Dutch manager Louis van Gaal, despite eliminating his former coach’s team in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Romero, 27, saved two penalties in Argentina’s 4-2 shootout victory over the Netherlands after a goalless draw in São Paulo, securing his nation a place in the World Cup final for the first time since 1990.
While much of the post-match discussion focused on Van Gaal’s inability to repeat his quarter-final strategy of substituting goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen before the shootout — having used all three changes earlier — Romero turned attention to the personal impact the Dutch manager had on his career.
“Louis van Gaal is not only a great coach, he is also a great man,” said Romero, who played under Van Gaal at Dutch club AZ Alkmaar between 2007 and 2009. “He brought me to AZ and was key in helping me settle in. He speaks Spanish, which made a huge difference because I didn’t speak Dutch. Off the pitch, he was very important to me. I will be eternally grateful to him.”
Romero, who spent the last season on loan at AS Monaco from Sampdoria, has faced criticism in the past for inconsistent performances, but has grown into one of Argentina’s most reliable players during this World Cup campaign.
Interestingly, Van Gaal revealed after the match that Romero’s penalty-saving ability wasn’t a surprise. “He stopped penalties for us in training when we were at AZ,” Van Gaal noted.
Romero’s performance continues a World Cup trend of goalkeepers stepping up in key moments, and his composure helped Argentina secure a place in Sunday’s final against Germany.
