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Story highlights
Netherlands claims 2-0 victory over Chile
Leroy Fer and Memphis Depay goals means Dutch wins Group B
Chile qualifies in second place
Spain defeats Australia 3-0 in other game
Leroy Fer’s second half header and a late strike from Memphis Depay fired the Netherlands to a third consecutive World Cup win following a hard-fought 2-0 victory against Chile.
The Dutch, which tops Group B with maximum points, had already qualified for the next stage along with its South American opponents.
Fer’s 77th minute effort gave Louis van Gaal’s side the lead before Depay rounded off a late counter attack to seal the win.
Chile’s first defeat of the tournament condemned Jorge Sampaoli’s side into second place.
Both teams will find out their fate on Monday night with Brazil, Mexico and Croatia fighting it out to qualify from Group A.
After a forgettable first half, it was the Dutch which found its rhythm with the impressive Arjen Robben causing Chile all sorts of problems.
But it was the introduction of substitutes Fer and Depay which made the difference.
Fer had only been on the pitch for two minutes when he sent a thumping header past Claudio Bravo in the Chile goal after meeting Darryl Janmaat’s fine free kick.
And Depay, who became his country’s youngest ever goalscorer at a World Cup during last week’s 3-2 win over Australia, netted his second after great work by Robben.
“It was a very good game to watch,” Robben said in a television interview following the game.
“There was a lot of passion on the pitch, we defended really well, I am proud of the way the team defended.
“I think we did a great job and this is not where we want to stop. It is a fantastic result and a fantastic performance and we don’t want it to end here.
“We need to change our mindset as we want to move forward.”
The Dutch, which lost out to Spain in the final four years ago, will play its second round game in Fortaleza on Sunday June 29.
Chile, which reached the last 16 in 1998 and 2010, will play its next game on Saturday 28th June in Belo Horizonte.
“I think that this was a match that we expected, with the Netherlands trying to use lots of people on the counter attack,” Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli told reporters.
“We looked for victory, we wanted to win and we couldn’t find a solution to a team that only defended and only aspired to long-range shots, not even counterattacks.
“This is a Chile that I am proud to be at the helm of, in spite of the fact that we didn’t get a result. The courage of the group, they have their heads held high and they are getting ready for the round of 16.”
Australia 0-3 Spain
In the group’s other game, David Villa brought down the curtain on his international career by firing Spain to its first victory of the World Cup.
The reigning champion, which was knocked out of the tournament after losing its opening two games against Netherlands and Chile, defeated Australia in Curitiba.
Villa, making his 97th appearance for his country, scored his 59th goal just before halftime to ensure Spain avoided a humiliating whitewash.
The 32-year-old was in tears after being taken off after 57 minutes of the contest and watched on from the bench as Fernando Torres added a second.
Juan Mata fired home a third with eight minutes remaining to seal the win.
Australia, which lost all three games in the tournament, finishes bottom of the group, three points behind Spain.
