Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul famously entered the pitch as a 120th-minute substitute against Costa Rica during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The tournament in Brazil featured numerous unforgettable moments — from Germany’s crushing semi-final victory over the hosts to England’s disappointing group-stage exit.

Yet, one of the most unique highlights came during the Netherlands’ quarter-final clash with Costa Rica, when coach Louis van Gaal made an unexpected goalkeeping change in the dying moments of extra-time.

After 120 minutes without a goal in Salvador, Van Gaal decided to replace first-choice goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen with Tim Krul for the impending penalty shootout.

Van Gaal’s faith in Krul’s penalty-saving abilities paid off immediately. The former Newcastle shot-stopper denied two Costa Rican penalties, securing a 4-3 shootout win for the Netherlands and propelling them into the semi-finals.

It was the first instance in World Cup history where a manager made a substitution specifically for a penalty shootout, and Krul’s heroics instantly made him a national hero, etching his name into Dutch football folklore.

Reflecting on the experience in an interview with FourFourTwo, Krul said, “My international debut away to Brazil in 2011, where I kept a clean sheet, was a dream come true. Then obviously, the World Cup in Brazil three years later was even better.”

“Only the manager, the goalkeeping coach, and I knew about the plan before the Costa Rica match. Louis van Gaal pulled me aside just before we boarded the bus to the stadium and told me to be ready if the game went into extra-time and penalties.”

He added, “Honestly, I didn’t think it would go to penalties, but we kept hitting the crossbar and the post. Once extra-time came, I started warming up and told Van Gaal I was ready with two minutes to spare, as I had to get onto the pitch before the final whistle.”

“I had studied their penalty takers, but I didn’t carry notes. Everything was in my head — it was about reading the moment. The pressure was immense, but the joy of seeing my teammates rush towards me after we won was beyond words.”

“As a kid, I dreamt of moments like that. I was fortunate to represent my country 15 times and to be part of a World Cup and two European Championships.”

However, Van Gaal and Krul couldn’t repeat the strategy in the semi-final against Argentina since all substitutions had been used when the match headed to a shootout.

Krul admitted, “Apparently, after my heroics in the quarter-final, that’s Van Gaal’s biggest regret — that he didn’t bring me on instead of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.”

“But Robin van Persie was injured, and there was still a large portion of extra-time left, so I understand why he wanted to add a fresh player. Saving Lionel Messi’s penalty in the semi-final would have topped the quarter-final memories. It wasn’t meant to be, but I’m proud of what I achieved.”