Thierry Henry
Former France and Arsenal striker

I'm speechless, we spoke previously of Louis van Gaal and Johan Crruyff taking 'total football' to Barcelona and it now being with the Spanish squad but tonight I think the Dutch got their style back. They wanted it more, there is nothing more to say, I am shocked."

Image source, Reuters

"This is a nice start, but we have nothing. If we do not win our next game against Australia we have made no progress.

"I certainly didn't expect this result, but I did expect us to score in the way we did. Spain were always going to come at us and we catch them on the counter. My players did it perfectly."

Alan Shearer
BBC Sport

"The Netherlands were sensational, it should have been seven or eight. Some of the performances - Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Daley Blind down that wing, they were absolutely brilliant. I have never seen that Spain back four pulled around as much as they were."

Opta facts

Following last night's extraordinary result our colleagues at Opta Sports have been crunching the numbers and coming up with some wonderful facts and stats from the game.

• A four goal margin is the biggest losing margin by a defending champion at a World Cup.

• Spain have conceded 5+ goals in an international for the first time since losing 6-2 to Scotland in June 1963.

• Only once before had Spain conceded 5+ goals in a World Cup game (1-6 vs Brazil in Brazil in 1950).

• The last team to beat Spain after conceding the first goal were Northern Ireland in September 2006 (3-2).

• This is only the third time the Netherlands have scored five goals in a World Cup game. Austria and South Korea were the previous victims.

Spain goalkeeer Iker Casillas

Image source, EPA

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas accepted blame for his side's defeat after conceding five goals in which he was at fault for at least a couple.

"I wasn't at the level I needed to be. I have to accept all criticism," admitted the Real Madrid player.

"I didn't do things like I should have, especially to start a World Cup, It wasn't one of my best games."

Image source, Reuters

"It's sport, we lost. It is necessary to accept defeat. We must recognise our mistakes, but everyone fought for a better result. I am aware that it is a very delicate time for us. Together we have to try to solve it for the next match against Chile and look for the win.

"I can't find words to explain five goals. We have never been a very defensive side but always coped well defending. Today we've been very weak."

Femi Ogunbodede:, external No tactic is foolproof. Tiki-taka has won much more matches than it has lost. You don't throw that away 'coz of a few losses.

Bart Chan:, external Spain still ooze quality, it's because of shocking defending and keeper howlers that Netherlands ran amok.

Nate:, external Watched last night's game live, just watched the highlights to check it wasn't a dream. Still in shock!

Netherlands captain Robin Van Persie

Robin Van Persie scored the Netherlands equaliser last night, he as ever, was understated and humble about both his goal and the result.

"We told each other at half-time to keep going," Van Persie told BBC Sport. "When we scored at 2-1, again we didn't stop and went for the third one and in my opinion in the end it could have been eight,

"It was a brilliant goal to be fair. It was a bit of a gamble but before I received the ball I saw Iker Casillas off his line. It was sort of a header but a lob. A lobbed header and a great goal."

We may not have been here before, but some of the landscape looks familiar.

In their first match of the last World Cup Spain came a cropper against Switzerland with Gelson Fernandes getting the game's only goal in the 52nd minute.

There was a different feel to that encounter with Spain wasting a hatful of chance and Xabi Alonso hitting the crossbar.

And this time there is no way the defeat can be blamed on the presence of Iker Casillas's girlfriend Sara Carbonero behind the goal as in 2010.

Image source, Getty Images

"Starting off against the previous runners-up is not easy," said Spain midfielder Xavi on Thursday.

"But we got here by remaining faithful to our style and so it will continue. Hopefully our style of play will bring us more success."

After successive European Championships triumphs and landing their nation's first World Cup in South Africa four years ago, is it the end for Spain's golden age?

We want your thoughts on #bbcworldcup on Twitter,, external on 81111 on text and the BBC Sport Facebook page., external

Image source, EPA

In case you are still wondering whether it was all a slightly surreal dream, you can watch the highlights from last night's match at the top of this page by clicking on the 'Highlights' tab.

It's well worth another viewing.

Just two days in and have we already had the result that the 2014 World Cup will be remembered for?

In an extraordinary night in Salvador, defending champions Spain were routed by the pace and assured finishing of the Netherlands.

Spain had taken the lead through a Xabi Alonso penalty after 27 minutes and David Silva missed a fine chance to double their advantage.

But they were left chasing a lost cause as they pressed forward and were repeatedly caught on the counter.

The scoreline at the final whistle was a scarcely credible 5-1 to the Dutch.

Image source, Marca

The Spanish press have not quite gone as far as the Sporting Times' famous lament for the state of English cricket, but it has not been far off.

Marca's, external front page is funereal black with the headline "Fix this".

"Chile and Australia, two games to demonstrate the talent and football that made us champions. Believe," it adds.

Image source, Getty Images

In Affectionate Remembrance

of

SPANISH FOOTBALL,

which died at Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

on

13 June 2014,

Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing

friends and acquaintances

R.I.P.

N.B.—The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Amsterdam.