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Sao Paulo - Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal admitted he wanted to use substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul in the penalty shootout defeat to Argentina on Wednesday.
Van Gaal said he would have taken off goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen for Krul - in a repeat of the gambit which won the quarter-final with Costa Rica - but had run out of substitutes.
As it happened: Netherlands v Argentina
"I would have done it by I had already used my three substitutes so I couldn't do it," Van Gaal said when asked if he'd thought about bringing on Krul.
It meant that Krul, who saved two spot-kicks against Costa Rica, was a frustrated spectator on the bench as Argentina prevailed in the shootout 4-2.
The defeat had an extra twist for Van Gaal because Argentina 'keeper Sergio Romero saved two Dutch spot-kicks.
Van Gaal worked with Romero during the player's four-year stint at AZ Alkmaar.
"I taught Romero to stop penalties, so that hurts," Van Gaal joked.
