SAO PAULO, Brazil -- The World Cups second semifinal was supposed to put the silky skills of Lionel Messi and Arjen Robben in the spotlight. Keith Hernandez Jersey . Instead, a goalkeeper and two rock-solid defences stole the show. Argentina goalie Sergio Romero saved two penalties Wednesday to send Argentina into the World Cup final with a 4-2 shootout win over the Netherlands after tough defending and a lack of creative spark from either team consigned the match to a 0-0 stalemate. In a twist of fate, Romero credited Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal with helping launch his career when he arrived as an inexperienced youngster at AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch league. "I will be forever grateful to the coach for helping me out in a country that is so different from ours," Romero said. A day after Germany lit up the World Cup with its clinical 7-1 destruction of host Brazil, the Dutch and Argentines could not manage a goal between them in 120 minutes before the shootout. Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, will have to do play far better in Sundays final at Rio de Janeiros Maracana Stadium if he is to engineer a win over the powerful German team. The Barcelona star was muted throughout the match and extra time, rarely managing to shake off his markers. At the Itaquerao Stadium, he was overshadowed by his goalkeeper and the man he replaced as Argentina captain, Javier Mascherano, who bossed the midfield for his team the way surprise starter Nigel de Jong did for the Dutch. When Robben looked like deciding the match in stoppage time, Mascheranos perfectly timed sliding tackle blocked his shot at the near post. "I would say that he is an outstanding player," Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said. "He is an emblem within our national squad, on the field as well as off it." Romero -- thought to be a weak link for Argentina and not even a starter for his Monaco club most of last season -- had almost nothing to do during the match, but blocked penalties by Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder in the shootout. For Argentina, Messi, Ezequiel Garay, Sergio Aguero and Maxi Rodriguez all converted their spot kicks. "Its luck, thats the truth. You can dive (the right way) and not make it, like happened to their goalkeeper," Romero said. "I had confidence, thank God things turned out well." A Germany-Argentina final means an extra bitter end to the tournament for Brazilians, who will have to watch their fiercest rivals play for the world title in their most hallowed stadium against a team that humiliated their nation in the semifinals. "We have a final to play, but with one day less rest and against Germany," Sabella said. "Well do everything possible to make it all the way to the top." It was the second straight penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw for the Dutch. Against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, Van Gaal brought on substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul in the last seconds of extra time to replace Jasper Cillessen and Krul saved two spot kicks. This time, Van Gaal had used up all three substitutions by the end of extra time and Cillessen had to face the shootout. The young Ajax goalkeeper collapsed onto his knees and sank onto his back when Rodriguezs powerful strike ended the shootout. Krul walked across the pitch to console him. Van Gaal also said he had a hand in Romeros heroics from their time together at AZ Alkmaar. "Penalties are always a matter of luck," he said. "And I taught Romero how to stop penalties so that hurts." Many of Argentinas players stripped off their shirts in the rain at the Itaquerao Stadium and danced in front of their fans. Argentina reached its fifth final, and its first in 24 years. It won the title in 1978 -- beating the Dutch -- and in 1986. It lost the championship matches in 1930 and 1990. It played West Germany in both the 86 and 90 finals. The Netherlands, which has never won the World Cup, was seeking to reach its fourth final. After scoring 10 goals in three group matches, the Dutch scoring dried up in the knockout rounds. The team managed two late strikes against Mexico but failed to find the net before eliminating Costa Rica in the quarterfinal shootout. "The issue in a championship like this one is that you score one more goal than your opponent, which we didnt do," Van Gaal said, "We didnt create very much." ------ Lineups: Netherlands: Jasper Cillessen; Dirk Kuyt, Ron Vlaar, Stefan de Vrij, Bruno Martins Indi (Daryl Janmaat, 46), Daley Blind; Nigel de Jong (Jordy Clasie, 62), Georginio Wijnaldum, Wesley Sneijder; Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie (Klaas Jan Huntelaar). Argentina: Sergio Romero; Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis, Ezequiel Garay, Marcos Rojo; Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Enzo Perez (Rodrigo Palacio, 81); Ezequiel Lavezzi (Maxi Rodriguez, 101), Gonzalo Higuain (Sergio Aguero, 82), Lionel Messi. Adeiny Hechavarria Jersey .com) - Joe Pavelski scored twice to lead the San Jose Sharks in a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers to split a home-and-home set. Jeurys Familia Mets Jersey . The Mariners ace allowed just one hit over eight innings while striking out nine, and Robinson Cano backed him with a two-run homer as Seattle earned a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. http://www.metsbaseballauthentic.com/carlos-gomez-mets-jersey/ . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. VAL THORENS, France -- Canadas Marielle Thompson can rest easy knowing that she has locked up a spot for Sochi. Teammates Kelsey Serwa, Dave Duncan and Brady Leman are virtual locks to join her. As for the rest of the Canadians on the deep national skicross team, they have a long, anxious weekend of waiting ahead of them. The Olympic qualification window for skicross closes Sunday, so Fridays race served as the last chance for Canadians to qualify for nomination. The 26-athlete freestyle team roster for the Winter Games will be announced Monday. Skicross is one of five disciplines that fall under the freestyle umbrella so inclusion could be tough. There are several World Cup events scheduled for this weekend so it remains unclear who will make the cut. "Im sure a lot of (the athletes) will have empty stomachs depending on where they sit on that bubble," Canada Ski Cross director Dave Ellis said on a conference call. "Depending whos in the rankings behind them and how they perform, thats going to make a difference for sure." Thompson, from Whistler, B.C., won gold Friday at the FIS Audi Val Thorens World Cup to extend her lead atop the womens overall standings. "I didnt really feel anyone too close to me today," she said. Duncan, from London, Ont., moved back on top of the mens standings with a bronze medal. Leman, from Calgary, took fourth place and Montreal resident Chris Del Bosco was fifth. "The competition from within the team is what drives the succcess, so its fun," said head coach Eric Archer. Travis dArnaud Mets Jersey. Del Bosco won gold in the first of back-to-back races a day earlier. The race was cut short due to high winds so the veteran skier was given top spot due to his strong performance in the qualifications and first heat. Del Bosco, who finished fourth at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, has struggled this season. He had not cracked the top 10 until this week and it remains to be seen whether he has done enough to get a spot on the Sochi nomination list. "I did pretty much everything I could this weekend to give myself a shot," Del Bosco said. "At the end of the day thats all I can really do." Danielle Sundquist of Calgary and Georgia Simmerling of West Vancouver, B.C., are also on the bubble. Sundquist finished fifth on Friday and Simmerling was seventh. Serwa skipped Fridays race. The qualification process is very complicated. Athletes from slopestyle, aerials, moguls and halfpipe will also be included on the freestyle team and Canada is strong in all of those events. Of the 26 spots available in the five disciplines, there can be no more than 14 selections from either gender. The selection committee will look at results from previous years but performances this season have the biggest impact. The depth of the national skicross team and the Canadian freestyle team as a whole leaves athletes who are on the bubble in a tough spot. Some very talented competitors simply arent going to make the cut. ' ' '