GROUP A
MEXICO 3, CROATIA 1
RECIFE, Brazil -- Mexico surged into the World Cup's knockout stage for a sixth consecutive time Monday with a 3-1 victory over Croatia.
Rafael Marquez, Andres Guardado and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez scored in a 10-minute span in the second half, dooming a talented Croatia side to elimination from the group stage.
The Croats had to win to advance and held the bulk of possession, but had trouble seriously threatening goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who kept out all efforts until an 87th-minute consolation goal from Ivan Perisic.
Mexico entered the game needing only a draw, and looked dangerous in attack, but was kept out until the three-goal burst. The result gave Mexico a second-place finish behind Brazil in Group A and set up a second-round meeting with Group B winner the Netherlands.
"We overcame the first hurdle. We're happy," Mexico Coach Miguel Herrera said, adding that the team would dine with their families in Recife later Monday night. "We're going to celebrate tonight but tomorrow we have to start thinking of our match with the Netherlands."
Marquez struck first, beating Croatia defender Vedran Corluka to head home Hector Herrera's corner kick in the 72nd minute. Three minutes later, Guardado found the net with a hard, left-footed, one-time shot after a cross from Oribe Peralta.
Then in the 82nd, Hernandez, the popular Manchester United striker who has been a second-half substitute in all three of Mexico's matches, scored with a header after Herrera's corner had glanced off the head of Marquez.
"Mexico was equal in the first half. We tried to [attack] and left spaces in the second half," Croatia defender Danijel Pranjic said. "They scored on set plays and Marquez killed us."
Croatia, which changed to a more offensive formation after midfielder Mateo Kovacic replaced Sime Vrsaljko in the 58th minute, didn't score until it was too late, with Perisic sliding a shot past Ochoa after being set up by a neat backheel pass from Ivan Rakitic.
"It's a moot point whether we should have kept it nil-nil until the last 10 minutes and then go all out on the attack," Croatia Coach Niko Kovac said. "We decided to attack earlier, but it wasn't successful."
It was the first goal Mexico has conceded in the World Cup, but "El Tri" hardly seemed to mind when the final whistle sounded and a lively, heavily Mexican crowd in Arena Pernambuco erupted.
"Today we felt as if we were playing at home in Mexico," Miguel Herrera said.
Mexico appeared to be laboring through a downspell before this World Cup. It struggled just to qualify out of CONCACAF and fired three coaches in a year's time before Miguel Herrera took over and ultimately rescued Mexico's hopes by soundly beating New Zealand in a last-chance qualifier.
In the hours leading up to the match, Miguel Herrera, known as a coach of the people for the way he engages fans on social media and at times in public, implored the Mexico faithful to "stay together" and sing the national anthem "like never before."
Mexican fans, whose green jerseys distinguished them as the overwhelming majority in the crowd, did not disappoint, belting out a thunderous rendition.
Croatia had expected to play before a crowd heavily in Mexico's favor, with star Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric saying on the eve of the match that the game would not be won in the stands, and that his side was motivated to silence the crowd.
Croatia players were heckled each time they took a corner kick, and goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa was heckled whenever he touched the ball.
Mexico's attacking play also enlivened the crowd, particularly a sizzling 25-yard shot by Hector Herrera that rattled the crossbar in the 16th minute.
In the 19th, Oribe Peralta pounced on a bounding ball from Herrera in the penalty area, but his sliding attempt to chip over the advancing Pletikosa went wide.
Croatia enjoyed the bulk of possession in the opening 45 minutes, but didn't force Ochoa to make a single save.
BRAZIL 4, CAMEROON 1
BRASILIA, Brazil -- Neymar lived up to the expectations of the World Cup host nation Monday, scoring two goals as Brazil routed Cameroon to reach the knockout stage as the top team in Group A.
The 22-year-old forward netted twice in the first half, on either side of midfielder Joel Matip's goal for Cameroon in the 26th minute.
Fred and Fernandinho added second-half goals for Brazil, which will face South American rival Chile in the second round.
Neymar opened the scoring off a low cross by midfielder Luiz Gustavo in the 17th, deftly side-footing the ball home from close range, then restored the lead with a low right-foot strike from the top of the penalty area in the 35th after a pass by left back Marcelo.
"If I'm not mistaken this is our best game yet," Neymar said. "Everyone deserves congratulations for their efforts until the end."
Brazil finished Group A with seven points after two victories and a draw. It ended with the same points as Mexico, but had a better goal difference.
Playing in its 100th World Cup match, Brazil needed at least a draw to advance. Elimination in the group stage would have been unthinkable for the five-time world champions playing at home. The only team to play in all 20 World Cups, Brazil has advanced to the second round in every tournament since 1970.
GROUP B
NETHERLANDS 2, CHILE 0
SAO PAULO -- Leroy Fer scored a minute after coming on as a substitute to help give the Netherlands a victory over Chile and seal top spot in Group B with its third consecutive victory.
Fer had only just replaced Wesley Sneijder when he rose almost unmarked in the Chile penalty area to put the Dutch ahead with a powerful 77th-minute header. Another substitute, Memphis Depay, tapped in a cross from Arjen Robben in stoppage time to double the lead.
Both teams had already advanced to the second round, but Chile's first loss of the tournament consigned it to second place in the group.
The Dutch now travel to Fortaleza to play Mexico, which finished second in Group A behind Brazil.
Chile began with its trademark fast, attacking style while the Dutch, with a five-man defense, looked content to sit back, absorb the pressure and hope to break out with swift counterattacks.
The strategy paid off handsomely.
"We gave nothing away and fought like lions," stand-in captain Robben said. "Orange lions."
The match marked the first time at this World Cup the Netherlands had played in its national color, but the change of jerseys didn't change its fortunes.
Chile left midfielder Arturo Vidal on the bench. The Juventus star underwent knee surgery last month but started Chile's first two matches.
SPAIN 3, AUSTRALIA 0
CURITIBA, Brazil -- Spain, the 2010 champion, salvaged some World Cup pride with a lopsided victory over Australia in its last match at the tournament.
After losing their previous matches in Group B to the Netherlands and Chile, both teams went into the match knowing they could not advance to the second round.
David Villa, on his 97th and final appearance, put Spain ahead in the 36th minute with his record 59th goal, guiding Juanfran Torres' pass into the net with the inside of his right foot. Juanfran had been found by a typically incisive pass by Andres Iniesta.
Iniesta was at the heart of the second goal too. Fernando Torres doubled Spain's lead in the 69th as he steered the ball past Australia goalkeeper Maty Ryan following aq pass from Andres Iniesta.
Juan Mata added a third in the 82nd from close range after he was found in space by Cesc Fabregas. And David Silva nearly went close to making it four in the 89th but his shot from just outside the Australia penalty area went just wide.
Though nothing rested on the game, Spain showed some of the football that has seen it dominate the game over the past six years -- winning Euro 2008, its first World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and then Euro 2012.
As a result of its victory, Spain avoided the worst World Cup title defense in history. That label remains with the France team of 2002, which only secured one point in its goal-less campaign.
Sports on 06/24/2014