WORLD CUP SOCCER roundup
Wednesday’s results
Chile eliminates defending champions
RIO DE JANEIRO
Defending champion Spain, the dominant global football power for the past six years, was eliminated from World Cup contention Wednesday with a 2-0 loss to Chile.
Spain’s famed passing game failed against a high-tempo, tenacious Chile team, its era ending in the storied Maracana Stadium filled mostly with noisy Chilean supporters.
Eduardo Vargas tricked goalkeeper Iker Casillas into diving the wrong way, then shot into an unguarded goal in the 20th minute. Charles Aranguiz scored in the 43rd when the ball landed at his feet after Casillas punched out a free kick.
“I only ask fans for forgiveness, we did everything we could,” said Casillas, who lifted the World Cup trophy four years ago.
Spain’s second loss, after a 5-1 rout by the Netherlands, ended any hope of advancing. Chile and the Netherlands will both make it to the knockout stage regardless of who wins the game between them Monday, which will only decide the Group B winner.
Spain won the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, in addition to the 2010 World Cup.
Perhaps the Euro 2012 final was the footballing high point of the era: A 4-0 dismantling of Italy on a similarly balmy evening in Kiev, Ukraine
Spain came to Brazil with a very similar — but older — team to the one that won those titles. They added Brazilian-born striker Diego Costa, but he failed to score a goal and was substituted in both matches.
“We have no excuses,” said Spain coach Vicente del Bosque. “We were too slow, timid from the start today. It’s a sad day for all of the players. Time to think about the future.”
Spain’s “tiki-taka” style of play — keeping the ball for long stretches with short passes, and only shooting when you had a clear opening — had not been working as well in recent years. Brazil defeated Spain 3-0 in last summer’s Confederations Cup, a warm-up for the World Cup.
The stars who had made the system go are still on the team, but they’ve clearly lost some speed and their connections haven’t been as sharp. Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez, who often delivered the key pass, didn’t play Wednesday.
Spain became the third straight European defending World Cup champion to flop in the group stage. France in 2002 and Italy four years ago also failed to advance, or even win a match.
Badly needing a win, del Bosque stayed loyal to captain Casillas despite the veteran goalkeeper’s errors against the Dutch.
But two pillars of Spain’s title runs, Hernandez and Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique were left out, despite 194 combined appearances.
Xabi Alonso probably should have joined them. His agonizing first half typified Spain’s problems and his errors led to both goals.
Dutch struggle, but edge Australia
PORTO ALEGRE, brazil
The Netherlands had to work much harder for victory over the World Cup’s lowest-ranked team than it did against the defending world and European champion.
A goalkeeping blunder by Maty Ryan handed substitute Memphis Depay his first international goal and the Netherlands the winner Wednesday after a spirited Australia had brought the Dutch back down to earth with a bump following their 5-1 thrashing of Spain in their Group B opener.
“In a tournament you can’t play every game fantastically from beginning to end,” striker Robin van Persie said.
Arjen Robben opened the scoring with a break-away goal before Tim Cahill’s stunning volley brought the sides level just a minute later. Mile Jedinak then converted a 54th minute penalty and Van Persie equalized with his third goal of the tournament four minutes after that.
Depay’s speculative long-range shot beat Ryan in the 68th to give the Dutch a 3-2 victory.
It was a tactical change by coach Louis van Gaal that may have helped turn the game for the Dutch, who gave away the ball too often in the first half under pressure from Australia.
After starting with the same 5-3-2 formation that tore apart Spain, Van Gaal switched to the traditional Dutch system of 4-3-3 at half time — a change forced on him in part by an injury to Bruno Martins Indi and in part to switch the way his players were approaching the match.
Mandzukic scores twice in Croatia’s win
MANAUS, BRAZIL
Mario Mandzukic scored two goals Wednesday to keep Croatia in the mix at the World Cup with a 4-0 win over 10-man Cameroon, which will be going home after the group stage.
Mandzukic, who returned to the team at the Arena da Amazonia after sitting out the opening loss to Brazil through suspension, headed in a corner from Danijel Pranjic in the 61st minute and then knocked in a rebound in the 73rd of the Group A game.
Ivan Perisic also scored one goal and made another for Ivica Olic.
Cameroon was reduced to 10 men after midfielder Alex Song was given a red card for elbowing Mandzukic in the back in an off-the-ball incident in the 40th minute.
The team started without the injured Samuel Eto’o, the team’s best player.
Associated Press