The final round of group stage play at the 2014 FIFA World Cup was kicked off by Group B at this year’s tournament and offered an unexpected final round match-up for first place between Chile and Holland.
For the winner the prize would be finishing at the top of the group, and for the loser, the consolation would be (most likely) a match-up in the first knockout round against host nation Brazil. Certainly both teams would want to avoid losing the match and having to face Brazil in the knockout stage round of 16.
Chile would start the match with the appearance of having intentions to win. In the 13th minute a cross played in from the left wing towards Valencia CF forward Eduardo Vargas was headed just wide of the target.
In the 22nd minute the Chileans would threaten again, this time off of a near perfectly executed corner. FC Twente midfielder Felipe Gutierrez would run from the far post towards the near post to collect a pass whipped in along the ground. He would attempt a first time shot with his left boot that would go just a few feet wide of the left post.
At this point in the game the players all would appear to take a snooze as it looked as if both teams were content to see things out the way they were.
With only a few half chances by both teams to speak of, the game didn’t come back to life until the 77th minute when Dutch substitute Leroy Fer received an early cross played in near the six yard box and the Norwich FC man headed it home to put the Dutch up 1-0.
In the 92nd minute Robben would help secure the top spot in Group B for the Dutch as he ran down the left towards the goal line before squaring the ball across the face of goal to a chasing Memphis Depay who would tap it in to make the final score 2-0.
For the Dutch their 9 points earned have put them at the top of Group B and will likely mean a match-up in the Round of 16 with the winner of the Croatia v. Mexico match taking place later today. For the Chileans it will likely mean a match-up against host nation Brazil, but for the tiny team who wasn’t given a chance to beat Spain and advance it must feel great to know that they will play another game in this World Cup and they will have a chance to yet again shock the world.
