Depay Antar Belanda Tembus 16 Besar Piala Dunia
Depay Hits the Winner as Holland Close in on World Cup Last 16
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
Porto Allegre (B2B) - Pemain pengganti Memphis Depay membalikkan keadaan 3-2 untuk Belanda setelah melepaskan tendangan keras dari luar kotak penalti yang tak bisa dihadang kiper Maty Ryan pada menit 68.
Menerima umpan, Depay melelaskan bola dari jarak 25 yard ke lorong terbuka di antara bek Australia yang langsung mengarah agwang Ryan. Kiper Australia sempat menyentuh bola namun dengan cepat bola masuk ke gawangnya. Ini adalah gol pertama Depay untuk Belanda, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Mile Jedinak sempat membawa Australia unggul 2-1 pada menit 54 babak kedua laga kedua tim di Estadio Beira-Rio di Porto Alegre, setelah sukses mengeksekusi tendangan penalti menyusul hand ball bek Belanda di kotak penalti yang berusaha menghadang tendangan striker Tim Cahill.
Namun empat menit kemudian Robin van Persie menyamakan kedudukan menjadi 2-2 usai menerima umpan terusan Memphis Depay.
Jedinak melepaskan tendangan lewat kaki kanannya yang mengarah sudut kiri bawah gawang Belanda yang dijaga Jasper Cillessen. Tapi gol dari titik penalti ketujuh pada Piala Dunia 2014 ini hanya bertahan empat menit karena disamakan oleh Robin van Persie.
Australia nyaris menciptakan keunggulan ketika upaya Mathew Leckie usai menerima umpan Tommy Oar diblok barisan pertahanan Belanda.
Pada babak pertama, dua gol tercipta dalam kurun satu menit dari gelandang serang Belanda Arjen Robben dan striker Australia Tim Cahill sehingga kedua tim berbagi skor 1-1 pada babak pertama.
Robben mencetak gol lebih dulu pada menit 20 ketika dia menerima umpan sejak daerah pertahanan Belanda dari Daley Blind yang dibawanya melewati bek Alex Wilkinson dan sprint membawa bola melewati para bek Australia lainnya untuk diakhirinya dengan tembakan keras yang tak bisa ditahan kiper Australia Maty Ryan.
Ini adalah gol ketiga Robben pada Piala Dunia 2014 di Brasil setelah pekan lalu menciptakan dua gol ke gawang Spanyol.
Satu menit kemudian, Australia menyamakan kedudukan pada menit 21 lewat Tim Cahill yang melepaskan tendangan voli spektakuler melewati kiper Belanda Jasper Cillessen usai menerima umpan jauh dari Ryan McGowan di sektor kanan Australia.
Cahill yang merupakan pencetak gol terbanyak sepanjang masa timnas Australia, kini sudah menciptakan dua gol untuk Australia pada Piala Dunia kali ini setelah menciptakan satunya lagi saat melawan Chile.
Porto Allegre - Memphis Depay scored a late clincher as Netherlands withstood Australia's unsettling challenge in a 3-2 comeback win Wednesday to move to the verge of qualifying for the knockout rounds of the World Cup.
Netherlands followed up its 5-1 rout of defending champion Spain with a closer-than-expected win against Australia, which is almost surely out of contention after two straight defeats.
Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie, who each scored twice against Spain, added to their tallies before and after Australia's goals. Substitute Depay scored in the winner in the 68th.
After a quiet start the game burst into life on the 20th minute when Robben collected the ball near halfway, sped through a gaping hole in the Australian midfield and shot powerfully past the outstretched left foot of Maty Ryan.
But Australia equalized almost immediately, with Ryan McGowan sending a long, looping pass from the midfield to Tim Cahill, who volleyed over Jasper Cillessen onto the underside of the bar in one of the best goals of the tournament so far.
Cahill, Australia's all-time leading scorer, ran to the corner and punched the flag in celebration.
Mark Bresciano and Matthew Spiranovic missed chances that could have given Australia a halftime lead.
Just before the interval, Cahill needlessly clattered into the back of Bruno Martins Indi deep within the Dutch half. He got a yellow card, ensuring he can't play against Spain after also being booked in Australia's opening 3-1 loss to Chile. Martins Indi was helped off the field, and was replaced by Depay to start the second half.
After the break, Netherlands changed its formation from a 5-3-2 system that worked so well against Spain to a more traditional Dutch 4-3-3 style to incorporate Depay, but it was Australia which took the surprise lead with a penalty after Daryl Janmaat handled the ball in the area.
Mile Jedinak converted from the spot in the 54th to make it 2-1 but Van Persie leveled again four minutes later, collecting the ball in space on the edge of the penalty area and firing into the roof of the net.
Cahill came achingly close to giving Australia the lead when he met a cross from Mathew Leckie in the 68th, but could only chest it to the keeper.
It only took a matter of seconds before Depay fired a swerving low shot to the right of Ryan from around 25 yards to secure the three points. Netherlands leads the Group B with six points ahead of Chile's match later Wednesday against Spain.
