Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez launched a furious tirade at the referee after his side's penalty shootout triumph over Netherlands in a spiteful World Cup quarter-final, and suggested that opposition manager Louis Van Gaal should "keep his mouth shut."
Leading 2-0 heading into the closing stages, Argentina were made to endure extra-time and penalties after two goals from Dutch substitute Wout Weghorst - the second coming ten minutes into injury-time after an ingeniously worked free-kick - brought the contest the full distance.
Martinez emerged as the decisive figure in the shootout, making two superb saves on the opening two Dutch penalties, parrying the attempts of Virgil Van Dijk and Steven Bergwijn.
Though Enzo Fernandez spurned a chance to end the shootout on Argentina's fourth effort, drilling it wide, Lautaro Martinez kept his cool on the fifth spot kick to send the the two-time winners to the semi-finals.
Otherwise, it was an enormously spiteful affair, marred by several fracas and melees, in which Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz dished eighteen yellow cards and one red card.
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Though it was hotly debated as to which team benefitted from the bulk of the calls - with many noting that Lionel Messi was lucky to avoid a yellow card for a plainly deliberate handball - Martinez, speaking afterwards to BeIN Sports, insisted that his team had received a raw deal and branded referee 'useless'
"It was a tricky game. I thought we controlled the game really well, we went 2-0 up," said Martinez.
"Basically we controlled the game, the ref was just giving everything for them. All of a sudden, they get a good header – a good flick – which I couldn't see.
"Then it just turned upside down. The ref was giving everything for them. He gave 10 minutes [of added time], for no reason, 10 minutes.
"He was giving free kicks outside the box for them, like two or three times. He just wanted them to score, that's basically it, so hopefully we don't have that ref anymore. He's useless."
Martinez also lobbed a grenade in Van Gaal's direction, concerning the Dutch manager's assertion that his side held the advantage on a penalty shootout.
"I heard [Louis] van Gaal saying, 'Ah, we've got an advantage in penalties. If we go to penalties, we win," he added. "I think he needs to keep his mouth shut."
Argentina captain Messi, who had a fiery exchange with the Dutch coaching staff immediately after the game, was more circumspect when questioned about the referee but argued that FIFA needed to pick a stronger official for the later stages.
"I think Fifa must take care of this, it cannot put a referee like that for a match of such magnitude, of such importance. The referee cannot fail to be up to the task.
"A lot of joy and relief. It wasn't to go to penalty kicks. We suffered too much for how it all happened.
"But it’s the quarter finals of the World Cup. Going through is the most beautiful and impressive thing.
"Argentina is among the top four, because we show game after game that we know how to play each game with the same intensity, with the same will."
Unlike his captain or goalkeeper, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni refused to discuss the performance of the official, describing the game as "heated".
The loss was the first experienced by Van Gaal since he returned for a third stint in charge of the Netherlands, with the 71-year-old now retiring from management for a second time.
"At the end of the day I think the score was quite right and in extra time we didn't really give away chances," he said, having also been in the dugout for the defeat in 2014.
"This was my very last match. My third term as a head coach. In that time I coached 20 matches but I didn't lose a single one. I think it is Google you can look that up on.
"I had a wonderful time and yes, it is incredibly painful to see how we have been eliminated. Particularly because I did everything to prevent this from happening."
With additional reporting: PA
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