A 1pm kick-off in Fortaleza was always likely to produce a slow-burning contest. The temperature was so high, reaching more than 38C at one point, that it caused supporters, let alone players, problems before half-time. By electing to seek shade, the fans were not missing much action, with the conditions forcing both sides into slow football, with little pressing and few penetrative runs.

The tactical battle contributed to the sluggishness. So far at this World Cup three-man defences have been extremely successful, with these two sides and Costa Rica demonstrating the value of playing this way. Their success has generally come against sides playing a back four, however, and when there have been contests between two sides playing a three-man defence, the result is often a very flat match.

At 1-0 down, Louis van Gaal switched from 3-4-1-2 to more of a 4-2-1-3, with two natural wingers, and Holland built pressure down the Mexico flanks. Photograph: Graphic

This was 3-5-2 against 3-5-2, with predictable consequences – both teams had a spare man at the back, the midfield battle was even and the wing-backs spent the duration of the game chasing one another up and down the touchlines. Neither had an advantage in a particular zone and none of the attacking players could find space.

Mexico were the dominant side. Their strategy was simple – they know the Holland defenders concentrate on man-marking very tightly, so Giovani dos Santos and Oribe Peralta made decoy runs into deep positions, opening up space for midfield runners.

Héctor Herrera and Andrés Guardado obliged – sporadically, considering the heat. Holland defended in numbers, and always had someone sweeping, sometimes the goalkeeper, Jasper Cillessen, who started very high up the pitch. He looked nervous throughout, and seemed slow to get down to Dos Santos’ long-range opener.

Then, however, we saw Louis van Gaal’s tactical genius, switching from a three-man defence to a back four, as he had done against Australia in the group stage. Soon after Holland went 1-0 down he summoned another attacker, Memphis Depay, with the right wing-back Paul Verhaegh sacrificed and Dirk Kuyt switching flanks. Holland were now 4-2-3-1, with width on both flanks and Arjen Robben pushed to the right.

Immediately the situation was different. The Mexico wing-backs, who had concentrated on tracking their opposite numbers, were now forced back against out-and-out wingers, and formed a five-man defence. This opened up space for the Holland full-backs to bring the ball forward and, while Kuyt and Bruno Martins Indi are hardly the most dangerous full-back pairing, they helped increase the pressure on the Mexico backline.

The key, however, was Robben’s new position on the right. He was involved in everything – dribbling with the ball at speed, crossing for a fine Wesley Sneijder headed chance and forcing Guillermo Ochoa into an excellent one-on-one save as Holland mounted their fightback.

Following Sneijder’s late equaliser from a corner, it was again Robben who wreaked havoc in the Mexico defence, forcing Rafael Marquez into a clumsy challenge for his third penalty appeal of the game – this time successful. On this form Holland’s tactics should be obvious – get the ball to Robben.