Belanda Tundukkan Chili, Pimpin Grup B dengan Poin Sempurna
Holland See Off Chile to Top Group B
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
Curitiba (B2B) - Belanda mengakhiri babak penyisihan grup dengan poin sempurna, sembilan, setelah memenangkan laga pamungkas di Grup B dengan skor 2-0 atas Chile.
Dengan memenangi seluruhnya tiga pertandingan tanpa terkalahkan, berarti Belanda menjadi tim Piala Dunia 2014 pertama yang lolos memimpin grup dengan poin sempurna, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Dalam hal mencetak gol, sejauh ini Belanda juga masih paling produktif dengan memasukkan 10 gol ke gawang lawan, dan hanya kemasukan tiga gol saja.
The Oranje yang sudah memastikan tempat pada babak 16 besar, pada pertandingan berikutnya akan menghadapi runner up Grup A yang kemungkinan Brasil, Meksiko, atau Kroasia pada 29 Juni mendatang.
Tim-tim lain yang berpeluang untuk mengikuti Belanda, menjuarai grup tanpa kalah adalah Brasil (Grup A), Kolombia (Grup C), Kosta Rika (Grup D), Prancis (Grup E), Argentina (Grup F), Jerman (Grup G), dan Belgia (Grup H).
Namun, hanya Kolombia, Kosta Rika, Prancis, Argentina, dan Belgia yang masih mungkin untuk memenangi seluruhnya tiga laga grup tanpa hasil imbang (draw), sementara Brasil dan Jerman pernah bermain imbang masing-masing satu kali, demikian mengutip data FIFA.
Curitiba - Holland claimed top spot in Group B as substitutes Leroy Fer and Memphis Depay found the net in a 2-0 win over Chile at Sao Paulo’s Arena Corinthians.
Chile saw more of the ball in the opening 45 minutes and Felipe Gutierrez twice came close to opening the scoring, blazing a low Alexis Sanchez corner over the bar before heading Marcelo Diaz’s free-kick wide from close range.
Stefan de Vrij squandered Holland’s best first-half chance as he put Arjen Robben’s inviting free-kick wide with a flying header, while Robben himself also threatened as he fired wide following a surging run forward.
Proceedings started slowly after the break but Chile almost worked an opening when Sanchez tricked his way beyond Jeremain Lens and forced Jasper Cillessen to palm his effort away, while Claudio Bravo had to push clear a Robben striker at the opposite end.
The introduction of Depay appeared to open things up for Holland and he forced Bravo into tipping his long-range effort over the bar for the corner which led to the opening goal.
The deadlock was eventually broken by Fer, who had replaced Wesley Sneijder moments earlier, when he rose to meet Daryl Janmaat’s cross from deep with a towering header.
Holland then wrapped things up in added time when Robben broke from a Chile corner and he found Depay unmarked at the back post to tap in from close range.
