<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">AUSSIE..AUSSIE..AUSSIE..OI!!!!..OI!!!..OI!!!!!</span> [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/BouncyHappy.gif[/img]
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=104992
<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Dogged Australia hold Dutch to draw</span> [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yikes.gif[/img]
Monday Jun 5 05:29 AEST
Australia showed the world how to stop the Netherlands at the forthcoming World Cup with a battling 1-1 draw on Sunday.
The Dutch took a first half lead through Manchester United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy but the Socceroos hit back after the break with Tim Cahill smashing home a rebound after Mark Viduka's penalty came back off the woodwork.
They even survived the 61st minute red card of Luke Wiltshire to continue to frustrate their talented opponents right to the final whistle.
Australia employed rough tactics, teetering on the limit of legality, to nullify the more seductive football produced by their opponents to gain a flattering result.
Australia's Dutch coach Guus Hiddink was delighted.
"What a great match, with a great physical level that proves our players are ready even if they were tiring at the end," he said.
"Tactically we have come up against one of the best teams in the world and we matched them.
"The progress we have made is amazing in several short months compared to the Australia of six months ago."
Marco van Basten's men went on the attack from the first whistle and were ahead after just nine minutes after Mark Schwarzer parried a centre from Dennis Ooijer straight to the former PSV Eindhoven player's feet.
The Netherlands remained in the ascendancy with Schwarzer troubled into keeping out efforts from Wesley Sneijder, Mark van Bommel and van Nistelrooy.
But that all changed after the break as Sneijder limped off and then Giovanni van Bronckhorst brought down Viduka to give the visitors a lifeline.
Viduka missed from 12 yards, as he had done in the successful World Cup play-off shoot-out against Uruguay in November, but thankfully Cahill was following up.
Soon after, Wiltshire was given his marching orders for assaulting van Nistelrooy and the injured party, along with attacking partners Robin van Persie of Arsenal and Chelsea's Arjen Robben, went close to snatching victory but found Schwarzer in inspired form and the Netherlands were forced to content themselves with a draw.
"Our performance was not perfect," moaned van Basten. "There are many things we need to improve, that's for sure.
"But at least we played very well, created a lot of chances."
Van Basten had no complaints about Australia's physical approach despite injuries to Sneijder, Phillip Cocu and van Bronckhorst.
"This was a match for men. It is more enriching to play in a match like this but unfortunately three of my players are now injured.
"I hope it is not too serious."
For Australia it was a morale-boosting result on the territory of FIFA's number three rated country, but that could not mask the gulf in class at times.
In the first half, Viduka cut a lonely figure up front on his own with midfielders unable to reach him quickly enough to offer support.
Australia could not match the speed of the Dutch wingers, nor the creativity of a midfield superbly marshalled by the excellent Sneijder.
But Schwarzer played a blinder and could have earned himself a start ahead of Zeljko Kalac in the June 9-July 9 showpiece.
The Netherlands have been paired with Argentina, Ivory Coast and Serbia and Montenegro in Group C while Australia face Brazil, Japan and Croatia in Group F.
