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Holland narrowly defeats Australia 3-2

Qualifies for second round with one game to spare.

Netherlands squeezed out a 3-2 win over Australia in their game on Thursday morning (June 19).

It took a long range strike from substitute Memphis Depay in the 68th minute for the Dutch to finally pull ahead and notch a win against an Australian side who was punching above their weight.

The Dutch had gained the lead in the 20th min, through an Arjen Robben special. He picked up the ball near the half way line before charging at the goal and eventually slamming it past Australian goalkeeper Mat Ryan.

Australia immediately replied via a spectacular Tim Cahill volley from 20 metres out in the 21th min - a beauty which will definitely be contending for the goal of the tournament.

The Australians came out after half-time with the same attitude as the first and won themselves a penalty in the 51st min.

Australian captain Mile Jedinak confidently took the shot, and gave the Australians a shock lead.

That lead did not last long, though, as Robin Van Persie replied quickly with a goal from within the penalty area in the 58th minute.

De Pay then stepped up with a sweet 20-metre match-winning strike that the Australian goalkeeper could only parry into the goal as it bounced in frontof him.

Robben paid tribute to the Aussies' pluck after the game: “They played really aggressive today, you really could see they played for their last chance. They were very aggressive, especially the first half, we didn’t come into our game and made a lot of mistakes"

The Netherlands now top Group B with six points. They face Chile next Tuesday (June 24) in what promises to be a crunching encounter between two powerful sides.  

Australia, playing in their third consecutive World Cup finals, will feel hard done by to have no points after a disappointing loss to Chile and their heroics against the Netherlands.​ 

They will play an abysmal Spain also on the same day. 

Source: Reuters, Vine

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