FIFA14 Day 7 Report:Chile too hot for listless Spain (2,0)... Oranjes give the doughty Roos the proverbial slip (3-2)! And the Cameroonians get the Croat shock treatment (4,0) Two teams dreams of glory died, three players received cards that will keep them out of their next fixture and the early match was the crown jewel of the tournament so far. The goals continue to flow, unexpected challenges spring up for the big-name teams and the groups look very tight moving into the second round of games. 1) Australia vs the Netherlands (2,3): No one would have predicted the vice like dominance the Aussies would exert on the midfield play and that they would deploy pincer like incursions at will against the mighty redoubtable Oranjes. In what was one of the most riveting matches of the tournament so far, the Netherlands beat Australia 3-2 on Wednesday. Thanks to Robin van Persies equaliser and Memphis Depays winning goal, the Dutch managed to avoid an upset. But it certainly didnt come easy. Before the Dutch comeback, the Australians took the lead through a wondergoal scored by Tim Cahill and a—arguably harsh—penalty shortly after the half-time break. It was a difficult match for the Dutch—and very different from their 5-1 demolition job against Spain last week. Both teams held and surrendered the lead at least once in a thrilling, end-to-end match that witnessed a leading contender for goal of the tournament from Tim Cahill, who equalised for Australia in the first half moments after Arjen Robben had opened the scoring for the Dutch. The Socceroos took a shocking 2-1 lead early in the second half through Mile Jedinaks well-taken penalty, but the Netherlands fought back with goals from Robin van Persie and substitute Memphis Depay to take all three points. It turned out to be the winner, but the Dutch will escape Porto Alegre knowing they had to fight for the points against a determined Aussie side. 2) Spain vs Chile (0,2): What a party that was, the best one of my life. It lasted six years—spanning the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup in 2010—and allowed me to sing, dance and drink cava in places as far away as Vienna, Johannesburg and Kiev. And now it’s over following back-to-back losses to the Netherlands and Chile. And after we all get over the mother and father of all hangovers, we will hopefully start to send out invitations to the next one—only this time, it will be without old friends like Iker Casillas, Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, David Villa and possibly even Vicente del Bosque. Parties, like football teams, have a natural lifespan. People start to wind down, get tired, not enjoy the latest party as much as the last one. Remember France in 2002, Italy in 2010. The English have a phrase for it, which is “after the Lord Mayor’s show. Now, the time has come to sweep up the mess that all parties make, but before we do that, lets give a huge hug and our enduring thanks to all those magnificent entertainers who helped make the parties so much fun. And what about the next major do? Let’s talk about it. We need new solutions, new levels, but let’s at least plan the future without abandoning the past. What we need is the same positional passing game, with pressure high up the pitch. In party parlance, while we might need a new band, or certainly new members in the band, there’s nothing wrong with the style of music. Chile, who have adopted a style based on possession and pressure, only on this occasion with hungrier, fitter legs, are a warning that this type of football is far from dead (Chile conceded more possession than usual Wednesday). In fact, the South Americans were winning before a ball was even kicked. A cauldron-like atmosphere, with their fans breaking into an a cappella second verse of their anthem once the official music had stopped, stirred the heart and soul of all present and showed an appetite, a hunger, not unlike the one that Spain used to know. But now for the good news. Invitations will soon be going out for another major party and the guests of honour will be Iniesta, Javi Martinez, David Silva, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Sergio Ramos, Koke and a new selection of partygoers like Gerard Deulofeu, Jesé, Thiago, Isco, Alberto Moreno, Saúl, Oliver, Alvaro Morata and probably a few more who have yet to stick their heads above the parapet. But that’s for another day. Now to drown my sorrows! 3) Cameroon vs Croatia (0,4): Croatia responded from their controversial World Cup opening loss to hosts Brazil with a 4-0 Group A defeat of 10-man Cameroon to keep their hopes of a place in the round of 16 alive. The returning Mario Mandzukic scored twice -- and was struck by Cameroon midfielder Alex Song, who was sent off, late in the first half -- after earlier goals from Ivica Olic and Ivan Perisic. Croatia believed they were the victims of an injustice when referee Yuichi Nishimura awarded hosts Brazil a controversial penalty in the tournaments opening game. They swiftly put any lingering disappointment behind them in Manaus as Olic scored after 11 minutes against a Cameroon side previously beaten by Mexico and fighting to stay in the tournament. The Indomitable Lions task was soon tougher as Song was dismissed for lashing out at Mandzukic off the ball before the interval. Having made an assiste on the opener with a fine pass, Perisic scored Croatias second goal three minutes into the second half after a fine solo run and Mandzukic headed in a third before tapping in a fourth to complete a comfortable win. Croatia play Mexico on Monday, June 23, with a place in the knockout stages at stake, while Cameroon are out ahead of their clash with Brazil. Assou Ekotto and Moukandjo squabbled in the aftermath, with the former throwing his head towards his team-mate in the closing moments in an unsavoury conclusion to the contest.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 02:20:12 +0000
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