Oranje captain, Robin van Persie will be suspended for the Netherlands’ final group game against Chile after having picked up his second yellow card of the tournament – an outcome he feels was unwarranted.
- By Adrian Bucher
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On Monday, Louis van Gaal’s men will take on Chile in their final Group B fixture to determine which of the two sides advances to the knockout stages as group winners. Though a draw will be enough to secure top spot for the Dutch, they will have to do so without the services of joint-top-scorer, Robin van Persie, whose yellow card against Australia was his second in the group stages.
After reviewing the incident that caused the referee to issue van Persie a yellow card, the Oranje captain maintains that the card was unjustified. ” I did not intend to hit him”, insisting that both players were pushing and pulling each other as they were jockeying for position: “I was looking at the ball, so I think that the decision to show the yellow card was an exaggerated one.”
However, upon further reflection, van Persie believes that being suspended for the tie against Chile is preferable to receiving a yellow card against Chile, and missing out on the game of the first knockout stage.
The Netherlands lock horns with Chile on Monday in São Paulo.