REVIEW: The Netherlands win Group B on the back of Arjen Robben
It was mission accomplished for the Netherlands as they avoided a potential titanic clash with Brazil in the round of 16 a they beat Chile 2-0 in a tightly contested affair. The match was certainly quite even throughout the 90minutes, but the Oranje would battle out to the desired result on the back of Arjen Robben. The Bayern Munich winger was influential yet again, and while he may not have scored, he was the difference throughout the course of the match.
The Netherlands now face a likely run-in against either Mexico or Croatia, two opponents that they will certainly fancy their chances agains, while Chile are the likely opponents of Brazil, who are a side they have recent knockout stage history against. Here is our review.
"Starting XI’sNetherlands (4-3-3): Cillessen; Blind, De Vrij, Vlaar, Janmaat; de Jong, Wijnaldum, Kuyt; Sneijder; Robben, LensChile (4-3-1-1): Bravo; Mena, Medel, Jara, Isla; Silva, Diaz, Aranguiz; Gutierrez; Sánchez, Vargas"
First Half
Two things were quite evident from the first fifteen minutes of the match; Chile was willing to work far harder than the Netherlands, and the Netherlands was afraid to commit too many men forward as they were weary of the ability Chile had on the counter. Chile’s usual high pressure off the ball meant that Arjen Robben and Jermaine Lens were often isolated going forward in the early goings. Sneijder often had to drop far deeper to find the ball as well as Chile was doing an excellent job pinning the Dutch in even when they were without possession – Chile was winning the midfield battle.
Francisco Silva (white) and the rest of Chile’s midfield did a fantastic job keeping the Dutch quiet in the first half
Thirty minutes on, Chile still had control of the midfield and were getting the better of the play comparatively. The Netherlands were offering little going forward, and were more likely to panic in possession than calmly find their way forward. That nearly changed in an instant when Nigel de Jong won a tackle in midfield that set Robben away, but his decision was poor and the chance amounted to nothing. Stefan de Vrij nearly headed home in the 34th minute when Robben delivered a good ball to the back post, but his header would flash wide – potential warning signs for Chile, as their weakness in the air was almost ruthlessly exploited the first time it was tested.
Arjen Robben did not start well, but in the later stages of the first-half he was back to his usual influential self
Another mazy brilliant run from Robben in the 39th minute that started in his own half saw him beat four Chilean players before his low effort to the far post flashed just wide – the Netherlands finally began to find a little more space in behind, as well as finding their footing in midfield. The pace of Lens came to the fore soon after, when he bursted into the final third, but his effort blazed over the bar. It was further warning signed for Chile, who up till that point had been so dominant in midfield and had been doing a wonderful job cutting off the forward players for the Netherlands, but it’s unreasonable to expect them to do it for 90minutes.
The match would go into half time 0-0, with very little scoring opportunities being carved out for either. There was still plenty of time for either side to find the opener, but as time ticks on, teams usually become more and more concerned about losing rather than winning.
Second Half
The second-half would see Chile make the first chance – Jean Beausejour would be introduced into the match at the expense of Felipe Gutierrez. Gutierrez was decent, but Beausejour offered more pace and directness from wide areas that Chile lacked in the first half.
Though the Netherlands began to create a little more, Chile re-established themselves in midfield, still limiting the influence of Wesley Sneijder in key areas. Sanchez and Robben still continued to impress at either end however, despite the midfield battle that continued to rage, and you just thought that if there was a goal, it would come from one of them surely.
Fer rose majestically and unmarked to head home with authority after Daryl Janmaat found him with an inch-perfect cross.
Both sides would make changes as they looked to find the potential winner in the final 20minutes. Memphis Depay was brought on for Lens, while Jorge Valdivia was brought on for Silva. The Netherlands would add further pace going forward, while Chile added extra creativity hoping to unlock the Netherlands back-line late on. Not long after, Leroy Fer came on for Sneijder, who was less than impressive, and would only need less than a minute to make an instant impact. Daryl Janmaat’s cross from deep found him unmarked in the box, and he headed home with conviction to put the Netherlands 1-0 up with less than 15minutes remaining.
Memphis Depay scored for the second match in a row after he tapped home from close range from an Arjen Robben cross
The final stages of the match saw Chile put the Netherlands under siege, but it was to be all for naught. The Netherlands defended the fourth corner in rapid succession well and the clearance fell to Nigel de Jong who released Robben down the left with a fantastic ball – Robben would rampage forward before slotting across the frame of the goal to Depay who broke his neck to get to the six yard box like a bat out of hell to slot home from close range. 2-0 Netherlands with the last kick of the ball – Robben and Depay had yet again proved that the Dutch, when on the counter, are the best team in the tournament..
Man of the Match
Arjen Robben – He didn’t get himself a goal today, but that does not mean he played poorly by any means. He started slow, but finally found his stride in the last 15minutes of the first half and never looked back. Whenever the Netherlands looked threatening, it was through Robben. He got himself the assist on Depay’s goal to round off his display. Without question, he has been the player of the tournament thus far. Even when players like Sneijder and Blind are not as creative or influential, Robben never fails to disappoint.
"Player ratings for the NetherlandsCillessen (6.5) – He organized the defense well and looked confident in the box throughout the match, but was not called upon often.de Vrij (7.0) – He defended well throughout the match, a good habit he has developed in all three matches for the Netherlands.Vlaar (7.0) – Like dr Vrij, he was quite solid at the back for the duration of the match – he kept his positioning well, which is something he struggles with usually.Blind (7.0) – He did a very good job keeping Sanchez relatively quiet – the Chilean winger was largely kept on the fringes of the box and never sniffed out a top quality chance.Janmaat (7.0) – Defended well and got himself an assist on Leroy Fer’s opener as well. He and his fellow defenders have really adjusted well and look quite cohesive at the back.de Jong (7.5) – He countered Chile’s midfield dominance in the first half very well, and did even better in the second half. His ball to release Robben for their second was brilliant as well.Wijnaldum (6.5) – Yet again he was never more than a little bit above average. I’ll state again that I have no idea why he keeps being chosen ahead of Jordy Clasie.Kuyt (6.0) – He worked hard, and that’s something you can always expect from him, but he didn’t create much and was never a threat in any respect.Sneijder (5.5) – He was poor today it must be said. Did not influence the match at all and was in the defensive third more so than anywhere else – credit to Chile for keeping him quiet.Lens (6.5) – He was okay, but did not do much to give LvG a selection headache. Did decently to hold up the ball and make a nuisance of himself, but really didn’t get any quality sniffs.Robben (8.5) – No goals today from the winger, but he was still far and away the best player on the pitch. He made it happen going forward as usual, and got himself an assist as well.Depay (7.0) – Scored the second for the Dutch and nearly had one earlier from distance. He was quieter than his previous performance, but he was still very effective.Fer (7.0) – One of two second-half substitutes to get a goal, but beyond that, he played quite well in the midfield. His performance may push him up the selection ladder.Kongolo (6.0) – Came on and make a block or two and defended well, but his rating cannot be higher than a 6 simply for the amount of time he saw on the pitch.Player ratings for ChileBravo (7.0) – Made one or two excellent saves and did well in the box as well. The two goals were certainly not his fault by any means.Mena (6.5) – He started the first thirty minutes well in keeping Lens quiet, but as the match went on his wasn’t able to keep his positioning to the levels that it needed to be.Medel (7.0) – He did well, and not just in defense either. He did an excellent job getting forward to support the midfield and was a nuisance on attacking set-pieces as well.Jara (6.5) – He was not as effective at either side as Medel, but he wasn’t poor. His ineffectiveness in the air however was exposed, but is that his fault? He’s not a CB by trade.Isla (7.0) – He did a good job not allowing Blind or Kuyt to be effective on the left flank for the Dutch. He good performance by him certainly.Silva (6.5) – He did well but eventually he was exposed far more in the second half than in the first. Still, he was decent enough.Diaz (7.5) – He did an excellent job in midfield today, keeping Sneijder off the boil for much of the match as well as cutting the supply lines to Robben in the first half.Aranguiz (7.0) – Much like Diaz, his performance must be deemed a success. They did their job well in midfield, but unfortunately, quality always finds a way.Gutierrez (6.5) – His removal was not a reflection of his performance. He was pretty decent on the day, but being taken off was due to Chile needing more going forward.Vargas (6.0) – Far too quiet really. He did not create much or get himself into positions that would really threaten the back-line.Sanchez (7.5) – He was very good as usual, and was really the only threat which Chile could offer to the Netherlands consistently during the match.Beausejour (5.0) – He was brought on to change the shape of the midfield battle and bring his pace and direct play to bear – he really did neither.Valdivia (5.5) – Didn’t have nearly enough time to be the creative force for Chile that he is capable of being.Pinilla (5.0) – Came on and was more concerned about trying to win a penalty and being aggressive rather than trying to win a football match."