Today's Outcome: Robin van Persie is a matchwinner but you expected more from his performance ...

Van Persie was quiet as Argentina's centre-back pairing of Martin Demichelis and Ezequiel Garay dealt with the forward well
Manchester City's Demichelis played well, despite being booked
Arjen Robben touched the ball just seven times in first half
He has excelled in earlier matches and has been poistive influence in camp
But more is expected of Van Persie in such a huge match on world stage
He never gave up but was substituted for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in extra time
Argentina won 4-2 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes of football
Argentina will face Germany in World Cup final on Sunday at the Maracana

By Neil Ashton In Sao Paulo

Published: 17:53 EST, 9 July 2014 | Updated: 08:30 EST, 10 July 2014

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On Wednesday Robin van Persie, spearheading Holland’s forward line, ran out of ideas. This was not his night.

At the end, after 120 desperate minutes here in Sao Paulo, they couldn’t even turn to him from the penalty spot in the shootout. He had been taken off in extra-time, replaced by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar at a time when Holland coach Louis van Gaal desperately needed a goal.

One chance was all Van Persie wanted, one opportunity to seal Holland’s place in the World Cup final against Germany on Sunday. It felt like it would never come and it never did.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Robin van Persie play beach tennis with Patrick Kluivert

Frustration: Robin van Persie could not produce a one of his trademark displays in semi-final with Argentina

Helpless: Van Persie and his team-mates could only watch on as Holland lost 4-2 on penalties

Miss: Ron Vlaar missed the first penalty as Holland were knocked out of the World Cup in the semi-finals

Quiet night: Van Persie did not produce a one of his best displays against Argentina

Bruised: Argentina defender Ezequiel Garay (left) was aggressive and resolute against Van Persie (centre)

Well-marshaled: Van Persie (right) could not get the better of Argentina defender Martin Demichelis

Stretching for it: Van Persie was trying to find his best form but he was unable to breakdown Argentina

VIDEO Argentina scrape through to final

No matter where he went, his path to glory was blocked by the bruising presence of Martin Demichelis and Ezequiel Garay.

The Argentina defence was on to the striker him, fully focused on keeping Van Persie quiet. They did a decent job of it.

Demichelis was eventually booked, cautioned for tripping Arjen Robben at the start of the second half. Well, it was always going to happen.

The City defender has a decent game in him at times and this, despite the caution, had the makings of one of them.

Van Persie is Van Gaal’s man, the striker who can turn games with those clinical finishes from his left boot.

Argentina fan celebrates with petrified looking baby

Rare sight: Holland's star man of the World Cup Arjen Robben touched the ball just seven times in the first half

Nowhere to go: Robben, like Van Persie, found himself hassled and hurried when he was on the ball

There were times when he perked up, but Argentina’s central defensive pairing kept him quiet for some long and lonely periods.

He got going midway through the first half when Robben set him free down the right but he couldn’t return the pass into his team-mate.

There is a menacing air to him and he always comes alive when there is a sniff of a scoring chance. He just didn’t get that chance here.

When he was replaced by Huntelaar he had taken just 23 touches of the ball and failed to have a single shot on goal. He had got off to a brilliant start at the tournament, scoring twice - one of them a magnificent diving header - in the 5-1 thumping of Spain in the opening group game. Here he lacked intensity, bouncing off defenders in the first half and struggling to find some friends up front in this Holland team.

Wesley Sneijder, the man cast in the supporting role in the No10 shirt, touched the ball a dozen times in the first half; Arjen Robben just seven. Not good enough.

Van Persie has been desperate to make up for the heartbreak of 2010, when he was in the Holland team beaten in extra-time by the brilliance of Spain.

Not this time: Louis van Gaal looks to Van Persie as his matchwinner but the striker could not deliver on Wednesday

Frustration: Wesley Sneijder dominated the 2010 World Cup but he could not shine against Argentina

In 2010 it was Sneijder’s year, guiding Inter Milan to Champions League glory and scoring five on the way to the World Cup final against Spain in Johannesburg.

Four years on and the main man is Robin van Persie, the man handed the captaincy when Sneijder wasn’t sure whether he would make Louis van Gaal’s tournament weigh-in.

Van Persie was part of the Holland team in Soccer City, a beaten finalist under Bert van Marwijk after Andres Iniesta settled it for Spain in the 116th minute.

Here in Brazil he has been a positive influence within the Dutch camp, taking his responsibilities of leading the country at a World Cup with dignity and a great degree of professionalism.

On the pitch he went on to score in the penalty shootout against Costa Rica, setting the tone for Holland’s dramatic victory with a ruthless finish from the spot.

Pointing the way: Van Gaal tried to get the most he could out of his players

Failing to meet expectation: Van Persie (centre) did not light up this match for Holland

Here, one of the grandest stages of all, more is expected of a player with his pedigree. This guy is a matchwinner, made for occasions like this and his subdued first half performance in Sao Paulo was a huge disappointment.

He was alone for long periods, unable to muster a single shot in a fruitless first half. To his credit, he never gave up.

There was always the temptation to throw on Huntelaar, an obvious threat to Argentina’s tiring legs as this tournament enters its final few days.

Something had to change in a game that was off the pace. We were spoiled by Germany’s extraordinary 7-1 victory over Germany.

These two were tighter, savvy in defence and unwilling to let anything get beyond Argentina keeper Sergio Romero or Holland’s first choice Jasper Cillessen.

In the end, they had to settle for the shootout.