The second round of Group B play kicks off with Australia, losers Friday against Chile, taking on Holland, who crushed defending champions Spain. The Dutch were unstoppable that day, scoring five, while the Australians were fortunate to escape with only a 3-1 defeat.
This is only the second game I’ve expected a real thrashing, after Argentina vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina. That match was fairly even and ended only 2-1 in favor of the South Americans, but Australia don’t seem to have the firepower to make me eat my words again today.
What’s At Stake
For Holland, place in the second round. For Australia, nothing but (maybe) staying mathematically alive one more week. Chile dominated Australia last Friday for three points, but might not earn any more in two games against Spain and Holland. It doesn’t matter. Australia can pick up an absolute maximum of two points in their games against the same two sides, and that’s only if all the Australians decide to just stand in front of the goal on piggybacks for 180 minutes and nobody falls down. If Australia lose today and Chile don’t, the boys from Down Under are officially down and out.
Holland want to dust the Oceanians so they can take six points and an unbeatable goal difference into the final match with Chile. Qualifying first is huge in this group, as the runners-up will likely face Brazil next.
The Dutch won’t have the benefit of all the space Spain offered them on Friday. Whereas the Spaniards are excellent in possession and willing to play high because they don’t expect to lose the ball, Australia can’t compete with the Netherlands in midfield. The Australian 4-2-3-1 will be squished back into a defensive 4-4-2 or 4-5-1, depending on Mark Bresciano, the center of the “3” in 4-2-3-1. It’ll be Australia with the counterattacking chances today, but the young, mobile Dutch defense should be able to cope.
Because the Dutch should dominate possession, Holland’s Arjen Robben won’t be able to use his pace on the counterattack the way he did Friday. But he can also be excellent in confined spaces, and his combination play with Wesley Schneijder and Robin van Persie should be able to break down the packed Aussie defense. If all else fails, the Dutch may have some luck crossing the ball the way Belgium did when they couldn’t play through Algeria on the ground. van Persie is great in the air, as his Flying Dutchman finish (pictured above) proved Friday.
Jon Champion and Stewart Robson. I’ll stop abusing Robson for being a Manliness Nazi today. (Although I do want to drown myself whenever I hear him say, “That’s one where maybe he should have gone down and got the foul,” after ninety minutes of “No excuse for diving.”) I expect this team to be one of two (hint: not Australia) that do a great job today.
Match-specific Drinking Games
Pinned: Take a shot whenever Australia’s eleven men are all inside their own half for more than thirty seconds. How drunk? Strong, consistent buzz.
Twist: Take a shot whenever Robben goes to his right as he takes on a defender. How drunk? He’s been mixing it up a bit more, but you’ll still need to play the other games if you want to have any fun.
Classic: Drink whenever Stewart Robson applauds a violent tackle. How drunk? If you’ve watched his other matches, you’ll know better than to play this game.
Australia: Beer. Hooray, beer! I guess it ought to be Foster’s, right? Isn’t that “beer” in Australian? Drink up. This is going to hurt.
Holland: Genever. Noon. Perfect time for a gin and tonic. There are no beer goggles strong enough to make Arjen Robben’s face palatable, but you can try.
For more:
– Read my general World Cup watching guide.
– Check out Zonal Marking, my favorite tactics website.
– See a commentary schedule or a review of each commentator.
– See where I’m getting my national drink recommendations.
– Check out other match previews from this group: Spain vs. Holland, Chile vs. Australia
Picture credit: sportsworldreport.com
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