The Netherlands will potentially face its biggest test in the FIFA World Cup 2022 on Friday night when it takes on two-time world champion Argentina at the Lusail Stadium. The game will kick off at 12:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Louis van Gaal’s team has been unbeaten so far and has conceded just one goal en route to the quarterfinals. The Netherlands topped its group with wins over Senegal and Qatar and a draw against Ecuador. In the pre-quarterfinal, it beat the USA 3-1 to advance to the next round.
Argentina has had a contrasting campaign so far, with Lionel Scaloni’s side suffering a 0-2 shock loss to Saudi Arabia in the opener before bouncing back with wins over Poland and Mexico. These wins helped Argentina top its group. In the round of 16 clash, it beat Australia 2-1.
Netherlands and Argentina are on level grounds in the head-head record in FIFA World Cup, with two wins each and a draw in five games.
Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz will be in charge of the proceedings tonight.
Who is Lahoz?
Lahoz has experience officiating FIFA World Cup, La Liga, and UEFA Champions League matches.
One of the highlights of his career was the 2021 Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea when the Blues emerged as the winner.
In the Qatar World Cup, Lahoz officiated two matches so far. He was in charge of the Qatar vs Senegal and USA vs Iran clashes, respectively. In two games, he issued a total of eight yellow cards.
Friday night’s game will be Lahoz’s fifth in a World Cup after the two he officiated in the 2018 Russia World Cup. He also acted as the fourth referee in three games in Russia.
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All of Lahoz’s matches came on the group stage. He made his World Cup debut on June 21, 2018, officiating Australia vs Denmark game that ended in a 1-1 draw. In his second game, eventual runner-up Croatia beat Iceland 2-1.
A regular in La Liga, Lahoz has officiated matches involving Athletico Bilbao and Real Madrid. In this UEFA Champions League, he has officiated Juventus-Maccabi Haifa and AC Milan-Salzburg games. While he issued two cards in the first game, the second UCL game saw him booking four players, including Olivier Giroud.
During the Netherlands vs Argentina game, he will be assisted by compatriots Pau Cebrian Devis and Roberto Diaz Perez Del Palomar on the pitch, with Victor Gomes of South Africa being the fourth official. Alejandro Hernandez of Spain will be Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
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