Romero tells Argentines to savour the moment

“Enjoy the moment, we will enjoy it and tomorrow we will start working for the final,” he said in a televised interview.

“I feel immense happiness, I’m really happy with everything. (Penalties) are a question of luck, that is the reality. I had confidence in myself and, fortunately, everything turned out well.

“Hope has been intact since day one,” he added.

Romero, who was voted man of the match for his shootout heroics, had warm words for both coaches.

Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal was the keeper’s boss at Dutch club AZ Alkmaar, where he went in 2007, and Van Gaal joked after the match that he had taught Romero how to save penalties.

“I went to the dressing room to thank him (Van Gaal),” Romero told reporters.

“He is someone who helped me a lot when I arrived in Holland, in a completely different country, with different customs, where they spoke a completely different language.

“At the beginning I didn’t speak a word, and he spoke Spanish and he helped me a lot. So just as I am grateful to (Argentina coach) Alejandro (Sabella), I am also grateful to Van Gaal for everything he did for me.”- Reuters