Arjen Robben: Mexico fans have to 'live with' fact of World Cup penalty
Dutch forward Arjen Robben has told Mexico fans to live with the fact that he won a late penalty against El Tri to send his side through to the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Brazil.
Robben appeared to make the most of contact with Mexico defender Rafa Marquez in the dying minutes of the June 29 game in Fortaleza with the score at 1-1, with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar stepping up to score the resulting penalty.
The incident spawned the "No era penal" (It wasn't a penalty) lament on social networks in Mexico after the game, and fans have continued with that mantra.
"It's one of the funny things in sport and in football, when you lose you are disappointed, angry, frustrated and it is completely normal, but sometimes people aren't objective," Robben told Mexican reporters in a mixed zone in the Dutch team's hotel on Monday, ahead of Wednesday's friendly in Amsterdam against El Tri.
Robben, however, was adamant he should've got two penalties during the match in Brazil.
"In the first half there was a clear penalty we didn't get and the one we did get at the end was also a penalty," the Bayern Munich player said. "People will have to live with that."
The Dutchman admitted that Mexico had the better of the first half of that game, but said that El Tri was undone by a tactical change by then coach Louis Van Gaal when his team was 1-0 down.
Asked if he'd like to visit Mexico one day, Robben joked that he would, but not immediately.
"It might be good to wait a few years, so people calm down and aren't angry at me, but I know that it is a beautiful country and that it'd be great to visit," he said.
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