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[PeskyToaster]

Good game. Well fought by both teams. Tough break for Australia but good on the Dutch for turning it around. BRING ON THE NEXT GAME

 

[Tragicomedy]

You mean third.

Debatable, but I'll go with it.

I'd even take the living legend Fat Ronaldo version over the current impostor.

 

[RoySFNR]

Thank you based Depay. We don't deserve your powers.

Most sympathetic team of the tournament award to Australia. They deserve far more than 0 points so far compared to some teams who've won their first match.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

no

What? lol

Come on.

 

[snaffles]

Great game, well done by the Dutch, took all their chances. Whoever that defender was that played Van Persie onside for the second goal needs to pay more attention at training. This Socceroos team has far exceeded what I thought they were capable of so hopefully they put in a good match against Spain to finish out the tournament.

 

[MetatronM]

Feel bad for Australia. What a fight they put up. Netherlands is just too good. Would be a shame if Australia are the first team eliminated given how much better they've been than many other teams.

 

[MrJustinius]

Hand wasn't in an unnatural position, was down by his side and hit it from two yards away. Shouldn't have been a penalty at all, shit decision.

It doesn't matter if it's intentional, you're right. But his arm or hand wasn't raised or anywhere weird.

That's another discussion altogether. It was a harsh call, but that's football sometimes.

Solid effort boys, got beaten by individual class today.

Next time we kill tiki taka dead.

 

[ActStriker]

wut

a handball like that is a 100% penalty

Not if your name is Thierry Henry

 

[gundamkyoukai]

great game to start the day .

 

[dr3upmushroom]

Goddamn Group overpowered man. We deserve better than 0 point.

Agreed. like other's have said, 2018 hopefully will be a better year. Maybe a good run at the Asian Cup.

 

[ShaoranWright]

You'll be remembered Aus

NSFW:

http://i.imgur.com/vSsQ0db.jpg

 

[twothunder]

Thank goodness that's over. Australia gave the Dutch lots of trouble. Well played Australia.
At least the Dutchies won.
Kinda sad that Australia goes home after two good matches ,but with zero points.

 

[Hrothgar]

Horrid first half by our team. Depay is our saviour, he opened up the Australian defence.

 

[macksplack]

I just wanna say props for Australia for playing a great game you deserved better.

 

[feel]

If he's "99.9%" fit as he said earlier in the week, he sure is making a hell of a big deal about that .1%.

You mean the media right? Because he insists he's fine.

 

[The Chosen One]

It's great to see a minnow play positive like that, instead of parking the bus for a 0-0 tie.

The downside is that while the game was wildly entertaining, they still ultimately lost. So most lower level teams will opt for an ugly tie to earn a point rather than a glorious defeat that earns nothing, standings-wise.

 

[markao]

second half shows why you should not play 5--3--3 with those 5 at the back. It's nice when your opponent dominates, as Spain did, and play purely counter football, but if you need to make play yourself, those 5 aren't good enough.

With 4-3-3 it is so much easier for the backs to find your wingers and football will come so much easier. In the end lucky our striker are slightly better than the Aussies, as we probably had the same amount of chances, just scored one more time and the Cahill one was brilliant.

Almost through to the next stage, hope we keep the 4-3-3 system and try to play more football, instead of relying on counters and the quality of Robin & Arjan.


Now bring on Spain vs Chile, could be epic like 4 years ago.

 

[Yonafunu]

Australia deserved this win, no question. Netherlands, we should be kissing Depay's ass. This was Straya's game.

 

[Wind's Howling]

Jesus...

What a nerve wrecking game. I am beat.

But we WON! It is good for us Dutch that we did not win that easily, though. Euphoria is a killer.

 

[Gentle Rodriguez]

Unlucky Australia. Wonder if there's any interest in your manager, you equipped yourselves very well in both matches.

Ref should have given you time to take that last throw since there was a reasonably long free kick preperation during the stoppage time.

Disallowed goal, wrong
Pelanty, wrong
Cancel eachother out innit bruv

You know the whistle blew like 5 seconds before his shot right? I don't know if that would have gone in if he let them play on.

 

[Spineker]

Take solace Australia, even in sports you don't care about, you still give the very best a hard time.

 

[FeD.nL]

Fuck this ref.

A decent match, van Gaal should not pay attention to where Robben feels comfortable and just play 433 when needed. Decent match, both Depay and de Jong were great.

 

[Lonely1]

Fuuu... Australia needed to at least tie the game so Netherlands didn't have an extra week of rest vs A's second place.

Now, go Chile!

 

[Hamlet]

Fantastic effort from Australia considering everyone was expecting them to get thrashed

 

[Oersted]

USA winning, Australia keeps losing. Football, y so ugly?

 

[sabertoothzombie]

That does not look 99% fit.

btw, his thigh muscle in the second picture looks crazy

 

[Dunkers92]

Fair play Australia. Well played, great game from both teams

Australia deserved something out of both games. Just needed to be a bit more clinical

Edit: and Cahill's goal was incredible. Easily goal of the tournament so far for me

 

[OgaKratos]

Netherlands! Wow!

 

[Az]

Congrats Netherlands. Australia great showing, both games.

 

[FootballFan]

Rvp's English isn't very good.

Can't even understand this interview.

 

[joesmokey]

Great match to watch, even if Netherlands didn't play their best in the first half. Good showing Australia.

 

[Horseress]

Is this VOLVO ad airing world wide? Zlatan's english is hilarious

 

[snaffles]

Take solace Australia, even in sports you don't care about, you still give the very best a hard time.

Soccer is the most played sport in Australia, what are you talking about?

 

[Neo C.]

Respect for Australia. The match was good.

 

[Hoya Destroyer]

Even though we have lost both games, I think Australia has done a good job this tourney.

 

[Carbonox]

That was a brilliant match. Holland games are the best ones so far this tournament.

 

[criesofthepast]

Good fight Aussies.

 

[Don't Laugh]

unlucky, australia

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

You mean the media right? Because he insists he's fine.

His words say he's fine, but everything about his actions has said that he's not. The media ain't strapping 5 lbs. of ice to his knee every time he's not actively playing.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

You know the whistle blew like 5 seconds before his shot right? I don't know if that would have gone in if he let them play on.

Oh, only saw the replay

 

[Pachael]

Aussies shit the bed, should've won.

Maybe, the lads were gassed, skill levels individually are still a level below what's needed to be Top 16 and the defense is still fairly vulnerable and leaky - the goals came through turnovers or poor marking.

That said, the game was live-as-all-heck for all of 90 minutes so far, and there were many passages of great play. That show was far, far better than what Osieck would have dished out after those double 6-0 whackings from Brazil/France, so there's at least some foundation going into the Asian Cup next year.

 

[Probity]

Please show me those rules, because last time the rules changed, i'm pretty sure it was when the arm is not against the body and it touches the ball, gaining advantage even if unintentional, is enough to warrant a penalty.

I am pretty sure the rule associates more with natural position rather than against the body. It would be vitally unfair to make players glue their arms to their torso, really, since it messes up balance and motion. A lot of times it is up for interpretation by the ref. In this case, it was a complete accident, and the placement was completely natural for his arm. However, I say it can still warrant a penalty because it stopped a high percentage shot attempt with the lack of defenders in the box.

 

[Gentle Rodriguez]

It's great to see a minnow play positive like that, instead of parking the bus for a 0-0 tie.

The downside is that while the game was wildly entertaining, they still ultimately lost. So most lower level teams will opt for an ugly tie to earn a point rather than a glorious defeat that earns nothing, standings-wise.

Everything will change in the second and third games as you can't qualify with just draws, smaller teams will probably change it up. Sadly some teams just come to the WC to not get embarrassed and never really play football.

 

[chicko1983]

I am gutted.

We had a chance to go three to one up but a bad cross by oar was too low for Lexie to header and then the opposite attack Netherlands score.

I am disappointed that we are now effectively out but I can pray that Spain now win then we beat Spain by heaps and can go through with goal difference......

We have a lot to look forward to in Australia. Finally a manager who knows what he is doing and wants us to take the opposition on.

I am proud of these boys. Some of them will have some good clubs knocking on their door (leckie, oar and Davidson already play in Europe but bigger clubs will come for them after their performances here).

We are getting more and more youngsters on the books of the clubs in the big four leagues (all under the age of 20) and there were some certain starters in this team who missed the World Cup due to injury (good, Williams and kruse).

I am crying but happy looking forward.

Let's hope we can get something in our last match. These kids deserve a result.

 

[SargerusBR]

Doing some bad math here, Australia still has a chance if they win against Spain in the next round and Chile lose against Spain and Netherlands

 

[Overdoziz]

At least now we'll be less overhyped.

 

[cube444]

Even though we have lost both games, I think Australia has done a good job this tourney.

Team has heart man. You Aussie fans should be proud.

 

[pulga]

Maybe spain should use isco, Pulga will let us know what position he plays in, should know by now.

moon.png

Same as Xavi and Pique

Bench lololololol

 

[operon]

Australia played real well. But that was no penalty.

 

[SkylineRKR]

second half shows why you should not play 5--3--3 with those 5 at the back. It's nice when your opponent dominates, as Spain did, and play purely counter football, but if you need to make play yourself, those 5 aren't good enough.

With 4-3-3 it is so much easier for the backs to find your wingers and football will come so much easier. In the end lucky our striker are slightly better than the Aussies, as we probably had the same amount of chances, just scored one more time and the Cahill one was brilliant.

Almost through to the next stage, hope we keep the 4-3-3 system and try to play more football, instead of relying on counters and the quality of Robin & Arjan.


Now bring on Spain vs Chile, could be epic like 4 years ago.

Against Spain it worked because they avoid battles and keep the pitch wide themselves. Everyone expected 4-3-3 against Australia but its Van Gaal trying to troll the journalist nobodies once again.