please log in to view this image Porto Alegre 17:00 BST please log in to view this image The Netherlands will be eager to take a step nearer the last 16 following their stunning win over Spain when they take on Australia in Porto Alegre. Louis van Gaal's side shook the foootball world when they trounced the World Cup holders 5-1 in their first outing. Australia were on the canvas early in their meeting with Chile later the same night, but their plucky fightback from two goals down only went so far and they slipped to a 3-1 defeat that means they face the daunting task of having to get something from this game in the Estadio Beira-Rio, Van Gaal is in the happy position of having no injuries in his squad to contend with, so he may opt to stick with the side that started last Friday's demolition job. Any lingering question marks over the fitness of Robin van Persie following his troubles for Manchester United late last season disappeared against Spain, with the diving header for the first of his two goals providing one of the best moments of the tournament so far. Australia may have never lost in three friendly meetings with the Dutch, but this will be a very different test for Ange Postecoglou's side. He will be without the services of Brisbane Roar defender Ivan Franjic, who is out of the tournament with due to a torn hamstring and will probably be replaced by Ryan McGowan. The 24-year-old has played for Hearts, Ayr United and Partick Thistle in Scotland, and now plies his trade with Shandong Luneng Taishan in China, but will find van Persie and Arjen Robben a tough proposition if selected. Tim Cahill proved he is still a thorn in the side for the world's defenders when he scored in his third World Cup finals in the defeat by Chile, but the veteran and his team-mates will have to be at their very best to glean something from this match. please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Paul Merson's prediction For the first 20 minutes Chile were good against Australia but then I thought the Aussies gave a good account of themselves to be fair. At 1-0 down, if you’ve have said the Netherlands were going to win 5-1 against Spain, I’d have said ‘they’ll be lucky to score a goal’. They were that bad in the first 45 minutes. I expect them to win this game at a canter. Paul predicts: 0-3 Opta facts Following their goals against Spain, both Robben and van Persie became the first Netherlands players to score in three different World Cup tournaments (2006, 2010, 2014). Australia have won just two of their previous 11 World Cup matches (L6 D3) Robin van Persie has scored 10 goals in his last nine appearances for Netherlands. The Dutch are unbeaten in their last 11 World Cup group stage matches, winning eight and drawing three.
After their performance against Spain, the Dutch should put 3 or 4 away against the Australians. Therefore I am going for a 1 - 1 draw!
An OBZ, Tim Cahill moment to cancel out Robben's goal! Fantastic volley. Not sure why the Aussies didn't get stuck into Robben as he drifted past them.
Note sure if these qualify as Dutch, but I'm seeing double........ please log in to view this image "Giant Boobs! Admit it, we all love themâ¦why? Im not sure, we just do." http://danaux.wordpress.com/tag/bart-b-more/
With goalie errors yesterday, and apparently again today (not watching), I wonder if someone is taking your advice and rubbing some of that "white line" spray jungle juice onto the ball to make it more slippery. Bad luck for the Aussies - looks like they gave the Dutch quite a game today.
I think the goalies were just crap, they ball wasn't moving funny, he just went down slower than green on valium!
Reminds me of our 2-3 against city at home with Warnock, we matched them but they just had a but more quality, the keeper cost you big time.
Yes, I don't think Mark Schwarzer would have had any problems but ( without making any excuses ) this WC was always going to be our 'changeover' period of out with the old and in with the new. Cahill and Breshciano were the only two old stagers kept for the Cup .................. now they are finished. Get this though, I just saw on the TV that Cahill has scored more World Cup goals that Ronaldo, Messi and Rooney .......... COMBINED! Way to go, Tim.
