Here is a recap of Day 12 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
SPAIN 3 AUSTRALIA 0
Spain ended their nightmarish World Cup campaign on a winning note with a 3-0 victory over Australia. David Villa ended his international career by scoring the game-winning goal in the 36th minute, extending his lead as Spain's all-time leading goalscorer to 59, before tearfully exiting the match 21 minutes later. Fernando Torres and Juan Mata added goals in the final 21 minutes to give Spain their lone victory of the 2014 World Cup. Australia ended the tournament with a 0-3-0 record.
NETHERLANDS 2 CHILE 0
Netherlands scored two goals in the final 13 minutes to give the Dutch a 2-0 victory over Chile and the top spot of Group B. The action got off to a slow start, but the two teams began to have greater success in the second half. Although the Chileans had opportunities, it was the Dutch who pulled ahead in the second half. Both goals came from substitutes as Leroy Fer tallied in the 77th minute to give the Oranje the lead before Memphis Depay doubled it with a strike in the second minute of stoppage time.
BRAZIL 4 CAMEROON 1
Neymar scored two goals as Brazil won Group A with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Cameroon.
The Brazilian star put Brazil ahead in the 17th minute, but the lead only held up briefly before Joel Matip gave Cameroon their first and only goal of the tournament. Neymar put the host nation ahead for good in the 35th minute before maligned striker Fred doubled the lead in the 49th minute of play. Fernandinho rounded out the scoring for Brazil in the 84th minute. As group winners, Brazil will face Chile in the Round of 16 on June 28 at Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte.
MEXICO 3 CROATIA 1
Mexico booked their ticket into the Round of 16 in impressive fashion with a 3-1 victory over Croatia. The match began as a defensive-minded affair, but as the Croatians opened up, Mexico’s devastating counterattack found space to exploit. Rafael Marquez opened the scoring in the 72nd minute before Andres Guardado doubled El Tri’s lead three minutes later. Javier “Chicharito” Hernández rounded out the scoring for El Tri in the 82nd minute to seal three points for Mexico. Ivan Perisic scored for the Croatians, but it was ultimately not enough to spark a comeback. El Tri's second-place finish in Group A will see them take on the Netherlands in the Round of 16.
Day 12 at the World Cup features four matches, with berths in the Round of 16 on the line. At 9:00 a.m., Group D leaders Costa Rica face already-eliminated England while Italy takes on Uruguay in a fight to book the group's last ticket to the knockout stages. At 1:00 p.m. PT, Group C action ends when Greece faces Ivory Coast, the winner going through to the Round of 16, while Japan faces group leaders Colombia.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
