SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Ten of the most notable quotes from the Netherlands and Argentina at the World Cup ahead of their semi-final in Sao Paulo today: THE NETHERLANDS “It worked out.

That was beautiful.” — Coach Louis van Gaal basking in getting it right after daringly switching keepers and bringing on Newcastle’s Tim Krull for the penalty shoot-out win against Costa Rica on Saturday.

“Compared with the atmosphere at Euro 2012, it’s night and day.” — Wesley Sneijder talking about the lovey dovey atmosphere in the Dutch camp in Brazil, unlike the rift-ridden campaigns of years gone by.

“I really have to say and at the same time apologise in the first half I took a dive and I really shouldn’t do that.” — Serial diving offender Arjen Robben’s mea culpa after taking a plunge against Mexico.

“He’s maybe the best tactically there is in the world.” — Dirk Kuyt on van Gaal, after playing in three different positions in the quarter-final.

“It was five, but it could have been six, seven or eight goals, in my opinion.” — Robin van Persie, after the stunning carpet-bagging of defending champions Spain in the opening first round game.

ARGENTINA “It’s a catastrophe, nothing more, nothing less. There’s nothing worse than getting injured at a World Cup when your dream of lifting the trophy is still alive.” — Sabella reflecting on the tournamentending injury Neymar suffered.

“I understood his gesture as a positive gesture.” — Sabella commenting on Ezequiel Lavezzi splashing him with water while he was giving him instructions on the touchline during the group game with Nigeria. “He’s the water in the desert.

He finds solutions when we think there aren’t any.” — Sabella after the quarter-final win over Belgium and on what his captain and four-time world player of the year Lionel Messi brings to the team.

“Suffering, suffering that’s what I felt but now we know we can go through times like this.” — Messi after Argentina beat the Swiss in the last 16 with a goal two minutes from the end of extra-time.

“Argentina have gone a long time without doing this, and it was us who crossed the frontier.” — Messi on what it meant to have been part of the team that ended the 24-year drought at the finals by reaching the semi-finals.