Netherlands vs Australia: End-to-end contest that had fans all over raving
If you missed this game then you will be sorry.
After destroying the Spanish team four days ago, the Dutch were expected to run riot over the plucky Australian side. Instead what unfolded in Porto Alegre was an end-to-end contest that had fans all over raving about the quality of the play, the goals and the players.
From the first whistle, the Dutch were pressed and harassed by an Australian side eager to prove they belonged in this game.
Their one lapse in the first half lead to Arjen Robben opening the scoring against the run of play. It highlighted the major difference between the two sides, players like Robben who can single handedly create a goal through sheer skill.
Of course Australia is more than capable of pulling off their own miracles and barely a minute later Tim Cahill scored the goal of the tournament. Ryan McGowan ran onto a loose ball and hit a long pass towards the back post where Cahill had peeled off his markers. The technique shown by Cahill to hit through the ball with his weaker left foot was flawless and it gave the Socceroos an instant reply as well as a replay that will be frequently shown for decades to come.
Getting the goal back instantly seemed to spur on the Socceroos as they pressed to take the lead for the first time in the tournament. Both sides were more than willing to go for it as half time approached and they had chances to take the lead.
Perhaps concerned by the pattern of play in the first half, Louis van Gaal switch the Dutch to a more attacking 4-3-3 system having played the 5-3-2 to start. It paid dividends as they began to look more fluid in attack with the extra man up front.
Australia still looked more than capable of holding their own and they earned a penalty when substitute Oliver Bozanic crossed the ball into a defender's arm. It was a harsh call but given the position of his arm, there cannot be many arguments had.
It had to be the captain Mile Jedinak stepping up and cooly slotting the ball into the left side of the net. For four minutes, a sleepy nation watching in the middle of the night was dreaming of the biggest upset in recent World Cup memory.
Sadly it was not to be as Robin van Persie beat the offside trap as left back Jason Davidson failed to step up in time and he drilled the ball into the roof of the net.
2-2 with just over half an hour to play, the action was far from finished yet.
Like many football games, this could have ended differently had a ball bounced differently. From out of nowhere, Depay put in a shot from over 30 yards out. A bounce at the worst spot combined with the swerve of the shot bamboozled Mat Ryan who could have saved it, now barely a minute after blowing a chance for the lead, Australia was once again chasing the game.
As time ran out, the Australians tired, but, despite failing to earn a point so far, they have announced themselves as an exciting team to get behind with a bright future ahead of them.
Meanwhile, the Dutch have secured their passage into the knockout stage and will be looking to cement top spot in the group to hopefully avoid an early meeting with Brazil.
Chile dethrone the champions in brutal fashion
Whoever could have envisioned the end of Spain's era of dominance would not have imagined a dethroning so brutal or a surrender so tame as this. La furia roja have won their last three international tournaments, but the current champions are now the first team to exit the tournament as Chile produced a brilliant display to earn a well-deserved 2-0 victory.
In a hostile atmosphere at the Maracana, with the vast majority of the crowd backing Chile, Spain were outplayed by their South American opponents and it was an earned goal when some magic from Alexis Sánchez helped to set up Eduardo Vargas to score Chile's opener.
Spain became frustrated as the first half progressed, and their frustration soon got a lot worse as Chile made it 2-0, with poor goalkeeping from Iker Casillas again responsible as Charles Aránguiz drilled in Chile's second.
Chile came flying out for kickoff and almost scored twice in quick succession within the first minute, with a tackle to deny Arturo Vidal almost rolling into the Spain net before Gonzalo Jara headed wide from the resultant corner. But Spain did not look too rattled for the opening spell, and perhaps ought to have taken the lead when Diego Costa's hesitation saw his shot stopped after he had been put through, with Xabi Alonso firing the rebound wide.
Chile were excellent, but this was wretched, miserable stuff from Spain.
Croatia crush 10-man Cameroon
Croatia sent 10-man Cameroon packing from the World Cup with a 4-0 thrashing of the Africans in Manaus on Wednesday (Thursday morning AEST).
Goals from Ivic Olic, Ivan Perisic and a Mario Mandzukic brace helped the Croatians coast to victory while Cameroon had Alex Song sent off in the first half for a wild punch.
The victory puts Croatia just a point behind Group A leaders Brazil and Mexico, leaving their destiny in their own hands when they face the Aztecs in Recife on Monday.
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