Netherlands clinches top spot in Group B

Netherlands displayed a professional performance and emerged victorious against Chile in their third and final game in the group stage. It was a clinical 2-0 victory for the Dutchmen as the substitutes scored with very less left on the clock.

The first half went goalless and was totally dominated by Chile. There were few penalty appeals by the Chileans to which the referee paid no heed. Otherwise it was more of a midfield battle which somewhat disappointed the spectators watching the match. Netherlands also got a couple of chances when Arjen Robben burst forward but failed to provide any through pass that would have resulted in a goal. At times Robben was the culprit for being a bit selfish otherwise Netherlands could have got the lead in the first half despite Chile’s constant attacks.

The second half was much more balanced as both teams were finally looking to score. Still we had to wait till the 77^th minute for the first. Substitute Fer coming on for Wesley Sneijder put the Men in Orange in the 77^th minute with a soaring header after Jaanmat had whipped in the cross from a short corner. Chile pressed for ward for the equalizer and left their defense completely open. Robben took advantage of that as he received a clearance from the defense and ran down with great pace and sent in a cross that substitute Memphis Depay tapped in for the second with minutes to go. It was a defeat for the Chileans that they could have avoided had they been a bit more cautious in the defense and a bit lucky. Alexis Sanchez had a great outing as he was found toying with Dutch defenders but unfortunately finished on the losing side.

The Netherlands go into the next round as group champions. That was a known fact after the first two matches. The only expectation was from the Chileans who having a promising line-up can upset any big names in the tournament. But they failed. Never-the-less they into the second round and will be facing the topper of Group A within few days time. Netherlands will be up against the Group A runner-up.

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About Argha Ghosh

An ardent follower of sports and die-hard Manchester United fan, Argha's ultimate dream is to watch a Manchester derby from the Stretford End at the Old Trafford.