Netherlands (2-0) Chile

Netherlands vs. Chile: Group B Supremacy (UPDATE: Netherlands Stays Unbeaten)

By Andrew Palczewski |23 June, 201423 June, 2014

Live Match
	Netherlands NED	2 – 0	Chile CHI

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UPDATE: The Netherlands are supreme in Group B, besting Chile 2-0 and claiming the top spot in their group. But it’s not all bad for Chile – even with their loss, they still advance to the knockout stage.

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It’s all about Group B today at 12 PM ET (4 PM UTC): Netherlands and Chile battle for to see who will claim the top spot in the group, while Spain and Australia – both already eliminated – try to avoid being the last.

For play-by-play, minute-by-minute coverage of every ball touch, throw-in, direct kick, indirect kick, yellow card, red card, corner kick, goal kick and every other possible football feat in every World Cup match, tap into VOA’s multilingual, multinational analysis.

Click here to follow Netherlands vs. Chile, or here here for Spain vs. Australia. You can also follow along on Facebook, or on Twitter with #WorldCupVOA.

And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.

Photo of the Day

World Cup Photo of the Day: June 19, 2014

By Andrew Palczewski |19 June, 201419 June, 2014

Australia’s Tim Cahill, left, watches as Netherlands’ Ron Vlaar clears the ball during the group B World Cup soccer match between Australia and the Netherlands at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil, June 18, 2014. (AP)

Selfies with Players Latest Trend

Smile and Say “World Cup!”

By Andrew Palczewski |19 June, 201419 June, 2014

Of the countless number of World Cup souvenirs in Brazil, the most sought-after may be one you can’t buy.

Selfies – taking a picture of yourself with a smartphone – have become immensely popular worldwide. So it’s no surprise that fans are coming to Brazil with cell phones in hand, hoping to get a selfie with their favorite player. And a lucky few have been able to do just that, and walk away with what may be the ultimate World Cup memento.

Brazilian President Dilma Roussef kicked off the trend with World Cup stadium construction workers:

Since then, fans have been seeking selfies with some of their favorite players – Javier Hernandez of Mexico:

Brazil’s Neymar:

Ecuador’s Jorge Guagua:

Italy’s Mario Balotelli:

Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi:

Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi of Italy.

But it’s not just the players that are getting attention from fans – coaches, like Netherlands’ Louis Van Gaal, are too:

And even the players can get starstruck, resulting in a memorable photo. Take Germany’s Lukas Podolski, who was able to snag a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after Germany’s 4-0 rout of Portugal:

But the prize for best football selfie has to go to Team Mexico. Not only did they get a selfie with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto…

…they were able to fit the entire team into the photo!

Netherlands (3-2) Australia

Dutch Look Likely to Add to Group B Lead (UPDATE: And They Did)

By Andrew Palczewski |18 June, 201418 June, 2014


	Australia AUS	2 – 3	Netherlands NED

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Dutch fans celebrate at the 2014 World Cup.
Australian fans on Copacabana beach.
Top: Tony Gentile | Reuters; Bottom: Pilar Olivares | Reuters

UPDATE: As expected, the Dutch were able to notch another win, taking down Australia 3-2. With a win or draw by Chile against Spain, the Netherlands will be into the World Cup Round of 16.

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Via VOANews.com:

Three days ago, when the Netherlands and Australia last met in a competition, Australia not only came away with a 6-1 victory, but a championship trophy as well.

That competition? The Men’s World Field Hockey Championships.

But the World Cup is a different story. The Netherlands looks to add to the three points it earned in crushing Spain on Friday, as it takes on Australia, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. Odds are the Dutch will prevail, but the only way to know for sure is to check out the match at 12 PM ET (4 PM UTC).

Click here to follow the action live, or follow along on Facebook, or on Twitter with #WorldCupVOA.

And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.