Saturday Nov 16, 2024
Saturday Nov 16, 2024
Monday, 30 June 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Netherlands vs. Chile at Arena de São Paulo, which is located in Itaquera about 27 km from city centre.
The game was fabulous. It had an attendance of 62,996 people from all over the world, including Sri Lanka.
A header with his first touch from Leroy Fer, and a late Memphis Depay goal, secured the Netherlands a 2-0 win over Chile that sends them through to the Round of 16 as Group B winners. Louis van Gaal’s side will now face the Group A runners-up.
The Dutch were without Robin van Persie, with Jeremain Lens leading the attack, while Dirk Kuyt took to the field for his 99th cap. However, the free-scoring Oranje struggled to penetrate their opponents early on. Chile went closest in the opening quarter of the game, with Felipe Gutierrez firing over after a training ground corner routine from Alexis Sanchez, but both sides were lacking the flair that had seen them qualify from the group prior to their meeting in Sao Paulo.
Dead-balls were also proving the most positive avenue of attack for the Netherlands. Wesley Sneijder could only fire his free-kick tamely into the hands of Claudio Bravo, though, before Arjen Robben almost found Stefan de Vrij at the far post.
The Bayern Munich winger almost produced one of the goals of the tournament soon after, bursting from inside his own half and cutting a swathe through the Chilean defence, only to drag his shot wide of the far post. Gutierrez again went close, this time getting his head to a deep free-kick, but when that flashed wide it ensured both sides ended the first-half goalless for the first time in Brazil.
The last time the teams met was 86 years ago at the Olympics in Amsterdam, where the drawing of lots were needed to separate them, and it was beginning to look like things would be that tight again with little in the way of chances up until the hour mark. However, delightful skill from Sanchez saw him cut in from the left-hand edge of the box, nutmegging Lens superbly, but the Barcelona man fired from a tight angle, with Jesper Cillessen always favourite to defend his goal at his near-post.
Robben continued to look like the Netherlands’ chief threat, but his effort from the edge of the box caused Bravo little threat, before Kuyt flashed a header from his corner wide. The introduction of two substitutes was the catalyst for the South Africa 2010 finalists to break the deadlock. Depay’s wicked shot was palmed over by Bravo, and when the following corner was eventually played in, the unmarked Fer was on hand to head home with his first touch just inside the post.
This sprung Chile into life as they pushed for an equaliser – though knowing they would need two to overhaul the Dutch at the top of Group B. They came closest when Jorge Valdivia’s near-post flick-on deflected off Nigel de Jong, but bodies on the line prevented it sneaking in.
With the Chileans committed, a rapid breakaway saw Robben and Depay wrap up the points, with the former charging away from the South American defence, before crossing for his youthful colleague to slide in at the far post and double his FIFA World Cup
We are very well looked after by the Visa team on the ground here in São Paulo, picking us from the airport and all finer details are taken care including issuing us Prepaid Visa card for R$ 600 for both of us to spend on anything we like and the only card acceptable inside the arena.
São Paulo has something common with Sri Lanka, its population is 20 million, although ethic attacks against minority are unheard of here, it’s the biggest city in South America, and known as the Global city of the Land of soccer.
Unlike Colombo, São Paulo is a dynamic, cosmopolitan and diverse city, it pleases everybody. The countless entertainment options supply the needs of the most different Styles. Multicultural avant-grade and multifaceted, the city pulsates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year due the Energetic residents and demanding visitors who move the capital of the State.
This Portuguese village was founded in 1554 by Jesuit priests and is the most populous city not only in Brazil. But also in the South Hemisphere, it ranks the seventh position among the largest cities in the world and it is considered the 14th most globalised city in the world. All over its history São Paulo has become a vital hub in several fields, such as economics, science, politics 
and culture. It has the fifty largest stock exchange. It has 136 museums and 100 parks.
What a great city for anybody to live or visit.
