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Michael Sohn
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Australia v Holland, World Cup Group B

After their dominant performance against world champions Spain, the Dutch took on the Socceroos in Porto Alegre.

LOUIS VAN GAAL’S men look to earn back-to-back victories in the first game of the day. 

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail sean@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_iepost a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

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Australia 2 – 3 Holland

Hello, hello. hello, hello….

No time to stop and chat, because the seventh day of the World Cup is upon and on that seventh day the god of fixture lists gave us Holland and Australia to feast upon first.

So with the teams awaiting their anthems and TheScore.ie running to keep pace with the mascots, here are the teams:

Australia: Ryan, Davidson, Cahill, Spiranovic, Leckie, Oar, Jedniak, McKay, McGowan, Wilkinson, Bresciano.

Netherlands: Cillessen, Vlaar, De Vrij, Martins Indi, Blind, De Jong, Janmaat, De Guzman, Van Persie, Sneijder, Robben

Right, Timmy Cahill and Robin Van Persie have exhanged their little flags and the Dutch have taken one last look at that Group B table that they’re currently sitting astride.

It’s time for kick-off.

2 min: The Netherlands spin into early possession, but they soon revert to the direct approach that suited them so well against Spain.

Martins- Indi  chipped ball was easily dealt with by the green and gold and the Australians have settled.

4 mins: Martins-Indi next chance to strike the ball brought him crashing to the deck. Nothing in the tackle from Cahill, though, and the defender looks like he’ll be able to shake it off.

cahill

6 mins:  Jim Beglin making the point that neither side has flown out of the traps, but Robben briefly looks ready to eat up some space in behind the defence. His touch lets him down, unfortunately.

It looks a beautiful day in Porto Allegre, almost as nice as it is in Ireland.

12 mins: Australia, as expected, are ‘letting Holland know they’re there’. First and foremost they’ll try to out-work and out-muscle Holland.

So far, the game has been at a stalemate without Louis Van Gaal’s side getting anywhere close to their full stride.

Paul Donnelly, in the comment section, has lost his TV feed at the worst (presuming you’re a massive fan of World Cup group games between mis-managed teams) possible time.

Keep us updated on whether or not your screen is blank, Paul.

15 mins: Promising stuff from Australia. Leckie raiding down the wing and pulling a cross back for Bresciano, but Vlaar gets a block in.

From the corner, Tim Cahill is being tightly wrapped up – almost literally – with Martins-Indi keeping a hold of him as De Vrij nudged him in the back.

GOAL! Holland 1 Australia 0 ( Robben ‘ 20)

Australia 1 Holland 1 (Cahill ’21)

Unbelievable scene in this game.

First Arjen Robben found himself with a ocean of space to invade and, Arjen being Arjen, he lapped up the opportunity by dribbling through the middle, shifting the ball to his left boot and drilling it across the ‘keeper.

Within seconds, the game was level, Tim Cahill. unleashing a brilliant volley with his left foot after a diagonal ball into the box.

It was an absolutely stunning effort.

Here’s that Robben goal.

Cahill’s equaliser. Very Woof.

31 mins: The Netherlands are properly rattled here. Australia keeping a good high tempo and and forcing another opening for Bresciano to shoot at go.

Seconds later a free-kick somehow bobble all the way to the Dutch penalty spot and Spiranovic doesn’t know how much time he was hand lunges at the chance, delivering it straight to the keeper.

36 mins: Australia were not able to capitalise on that period of dominance. The Netherlands haven’t hit back, but they have managed to steady the shopt to some extent.

Australia are still working very hard, Davidson chasing DeVrij down into the corner and giving away a cheap free-kick in the process.

If you can’t see any more dramatics coming before half-time, give this a whirl.

Over the past few weeks we’ve tracked down players and fans who were in Giants Stadium on this day in 1994 to see Ireland beat  Italy. With their words, we’ve compiled this oral history of that day and that goal.

42 mins: Holland just getting their foot on the ball, they’re happy to keep it among the back four now just to take some of the sting out of those lethal Soceroos.

Yellow Card: Tim Cahill is in the book and out of the next match. I was wondering how long it would take for the referee to show the end of his tether.

Cahill’s tackle was another uncompromising challenge on Martins-Indi and the defender is leaving on a stretcher.

It almost looked like he smashed his face off the turf after his legs were taken from under him.

mindi

Memphis Depay is on place of the Feyenoord man.

HALF-TIME: Australia 1 Holland 1

One stunning minute in 45 does not make a good half, especially not if you’re a Dutch fan anyway.

It’s not only on the field that this World Cup is becoming a treat for fans, here’s some stas before the second half.

46 mins: RVP’s had a quiet game so far, but he’s been given a yellow card after tangling (and possibly elbowing) Spiranovic tot he right of the Aussie area.

49 mins: Holland a little more comfortable, but they are relying far too much on angled balls to Van Persie in the hope that he can produce a wonder-goal.

Just as I say that, though, Wesley Sneijder makes a rare appearance in the game, left of the goals 30 yards out and unleashes  fine strike that’s tipped around the posts.

PENALTY TO AUSTRALIA!

That’s harsh in the extreme. Janmaat had his arms by his side and it was smashed against his palm from two feet away.

GOAL! Australia 2 Holland 1 (Jedinak ’54)

55 mins: A quite unbelievable decision, but there can’t be much arguing that Australia deserve their lead. Since that Cahill wonder-goal they’ve been mightily impressive.

GOAL! Australia 2 Holland 2 ( Van Persie ’57)

FOOTBALL! Bloody hell.

The Dutch are level and have a full half hour to try and win this game after hey followed the Aussie’s lead by immediately cancelling out a goal. Van Persie, smashing his finish in near post after a lovely through ball from Depay.

GOAL! Australia 2 Holland 3  (Depay ’68)

At first sight it looks a brilliant goal from Depay, but the swerving shot probably should have been dealt with by the keeper.

There was no probably about Australia’s chance moments before at the other end: After Holland lost possession in their own half Oar found himself in possession left of goal. He elected not to shoot and instead tried to pick out Leckie with a cross.

Inexplicably, Leckie met the cross not with a diving header, but with a cushioned touch off his chest and that was the beginning of the end for Oz.

Here’s that Depay goal. We’re up to five goals in this game. Can Holland match the tally of six on their last time in action?

They’re still attacking anyway, Nigel de Jong after being denied.

77 mins: Leckie dribbles at Vlaar and goes down pretty spectacularly. Vlaar confronts him when he pops up. The Dutch have been wronged already inside the area, so he’s making a big show of his contempt for pros who might dive.

79 mins: That talking to hasn’t deterred the lad Leckie. He collapses under pressure from Wijnaldum. The free kick from the edge of the area comes to nought.

86 mins: Right, the great entertainers, Holland, look like they’re content enough to kill this game off.

Van Persie has been called ashore. Jermaine Lens sent on to help see this one out.

90 mins: Three minutes to be added on to the end of this contest. It’s been a stop start affair, but when it’s come to life it’s been absolutely sensational.

Oof! Lens brilliantly checks inside and makes room for a shot, but it’s weak and batted away.

FULL TIME Australia 2 Holland 3

Thanks for joining in on the third game of group B.

Holland now have a foot in the last 16, while Spain are perilously close to going the way of France in 2002 and Italy in 2010 as Champions failing to make it out of the group.

spain

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